Jane was probably born at Wulfhall, Wiltshire, although West Bower Manor has also been suggested, the daughter of Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth. Her birth date was not recorded, but it is generally estimated as occurring in or around 1509.
Through her maternal grandfather, she was a descendant of King Edward III's son Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence.
She was not educated as highly as King Henry's previous wives, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. She could read and write a little, but was much better at needlework and household management, which were considered much more necessary for women.
She was twenty-five in 1535 when Henry VIII began to show an interest in her. He was visiting her family's home, Wolf Hall, in Wiltshire. Jane served as a lady-in-waiting to both of her predecessors, Catherine of Aragon, beginning in 1529, and then Anne Boleyn.
At one brief and awkward point, there were three women in Henry's life, but it soon became clear, that Jane Seymour would soon be the one true queen. Henry and Jane were betrothed at Hampton Court in a secret ceremony on May 20. They wed less than two weeks after Anne's execution. The wedding took place in "the Queen's Closet" at York Place - the same place Henry had married Anne Boleyn only a few years prior, in January 1533. Jane's portrait was painted by Hans Holbein a few months later. (It now hangs in the Belvedere Gallery in Vienna. ) After wedding, first, she wanted to make sure that Catherine's daughter Mary was reinstated in the court. Second, she asked the King to return England's monasteries. She was successful on the first account, but not the latter. Mary was convinced to write a letter to the King that June, denouncing her mother as well as her right to the throne. This, she had been told, was the only was to win the King's favor, and avoid possible execution if his wrath were incited. Jane and Henry visited Mary shortly thereafter. Jane presented Mary with a diamond ring and the Henry gave her a 1, 000 crowns. Jane and Mary continued to exchange gifts and became close confidantes.
On the subject of the monasteries however, Jane was warned to keep her opinions to herself. Henry issued a threatening reminder to her to be mindful of the fate of her predecessor. Happier occasions were to come, however. In January 1537, it was announced that Jane was pregnant. The celebration of the "quickening" of the unborn child was held on May 27th - "Trinity Sunday. " Most important to Henry, and perhaps to the kingdom as well, Jane gave birth to a son, the long-awaited male heir. Prince Edward was born on the twelfth of October 1537. The baby was named Edward both to honor his great-grandfather, Edward III, and because he entered the world on the eve of the Feast of St. Edward. Three days later, the tiny prince was christened, with Mary serving as Edward's godmother.
The happiness of the kingdom was short-lived, however, as the beloved Jane died shortly thereafter, on the 24th of October, from complications. She was only 28 years old, and had served as Henry's queen for less than eighteen months. She was buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
As queen, Jane Seymour was said to be strict and formal. Her only reported involvement in national affairs was when she asked for pardons for participants in the Pilgrimage of Grace. Henry is said to have rejected this.
More importantly to Henry, she gave birth to his first male heir, the future King Edward VI. She was the only one of Henry's wives to receive a queen's funeral, and his only consort to be buried beside him in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Politically, Seymour appears to have been conservative.
She was intelligent, but quiet and the very example of purity. She was known equally for her porcelain skin-despite her love of gardening and the outdoors-and her kind heart. It was not just Jane's beauty and innocence that attracted Henry, however. She also came with a handsome dowry: 104 manors in 19 counties, five castles and several chases and forests.
Quotes from others about the person
As Francis Hackett wrote in Henry the VIII: The Personal History of a Dynast and His Wives, "Jane was the very reverse of her former mistress: where Anne was sparkling, she was still; where Anne was challenging, she was meek. She was maidenly, sentimental, and fortunately inarticulate. "
"Everything points to the fact that Henry VIII mourned Jane Seymour with a genuine sense of loss, " wrote Fraser, "the 'entirely beloved' wife who has presented him with his heart's desire at the cost of her own life. "
She became the six wife of Henry VIII.
