Po krótkiej przerwie zostajemy ponownie zaproszeni przez Nidę Tasarz (klasa 3a) w podróż do czasów brytyjskiej dynastii Tudorów. A dzisiaj poczytamy o Jane Seymour – trzeciej (3/6) żonie króla Henryka VIII, która zapisała się w historii jako cicha i łagodna królowa, która dała Anglii upragnionego następcę tronu. Artykuł pojawi się niedługo w jesiennym numerze naszego anglojęzycznego periodyku AimHigh Magazine. Zapraszamy do lektury!
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JANE SEYMOUR
The third wife, Jane Seymour, is probably one of the lesser-known of Henry VIII’s wives. If she’s mentioned, it’s mostly because either her son or Anne Boleyn is being talked about. “Jane Seymour, the only one he truly loved.” That sentence sums up what most know about her. It’s a statement I wouldn’t necessarily agree with. If I were to, it’d mean reducing her to just Henry’s wife, which isn’t right, at least not in my opinion —every single one of the wives was more than “just one of six”. I tried to show that the last two times and I intend to do so again.
Jane Seymour was born between 1504 and 1509, with 1508 being the most commonly used year. She was probably born in Wulfhall; her parents were Sir John Seymour and his wife, Margery Wentworth. Like every wife of Henry VIII, she was related to him- they were fifth cousins. Jane wasn’t as educated as Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn were; she knew how to write and read a bit, but mostly focused on running a household and needlework, being quite passionate about the latter. Her needlework was said to be elaborate and beautiful, some of it surviving for over a century. Not much of Jane’s early life is known. She was a maid-of-honour of Catherine of Aragon, later on serving Anne Boleyn together with her sister.
The first time Henry had reportedly taken an interest in Jane was in February 1536, so about three months before Anne’s execution. Since Henry wasn’t exactly known to be a patient man, they married on May 30 of the same year. The wedding gift Henry gave Jane 104 manors as well as forests to secure her income during the marriage. Jane was publicly proclaimed Queen on June 4, but she was never crowned Queen consort because her coronation kept getting put off due to the plague in London. When Jane was a Queen, the extravagance Anne had created in the Queen’s household was replaced by strictness and formality. Jane banned the French fashion from the court, reintroducing the English fashion. Similarly to fashion choices, Jane also appeared rather conservatively in political affairs, which means she didn’t appear at all, because women weren’t meant to appear in politics. Her decision on this is understandable, though after two Queens, of which one of them was sent away and the other one was beheaded, the best choice was to lie low. Once, she tried to engage in politics, but Henry reminded her of what happened to her predecessor.
This, of course, doesn’t mean that Jane was just sitting during her time as Queen and doing nothing. She liked her stepdaughter, Mary, and although she didn’t manage to restore the young woman’s status as princess, she managed to get her and Henry to meet again. Mary’s gratitude is known through her letters to Jane. It is possible that Jane had been pregnant and miscarried around Christmas 1536. In January 1537, Jane conceived again. During her pregnancy, Jane didn’t engage in any public matters. During her pregnancy, she developed a craving for quail (a kind of medium-sized bird). On October 12, 1537, Jane gave birth to a boy, who later became Edward VI. Sadly, this is where Jane’s story ends- she died twelve days later. Jane received a Queen’s funeral on November 12 in St. George’s Chapel. After Henry’s death, he was buried next to her.
It is speculated that Jane was Henry’s favourite wife because she gave birth to his son. However, I believe there’s also another reason why Jane was his favourite wife- she didn’t live long enough for Henry to get bored with her presence, as cruel as this might sound. Personally, I think of Jane as a person who simply didn’t live long enough to achieve what she wanted- I am convinced that if Jane had survived the birth of her son, she would’ve managed to restore Mary’s and Elizabeth’s titles as princesses. Also, criticising Jane for taking Anne’s place is stupid, considering Anne actively went against Catherine to get her title, while Jane was chosen by the king. Finishing with lyrics from the musical “Six” because I believe it fits Jane (and any mother) very well.
“’Cause like a river runs dry and leaves it’s scars behind, I’ll be by your side,
‘cause my love is set in stone.”
Nida Tasarz (3a)
