Jane Seymour Character Study
Guest Post by Hunter S. Jones
When I began thinking of what I could write about the Tudor era. I wanted to write a story unlike anything I had ever read before. The artistic seed was there, but what would trigger the growth of a concept which led to Phoenix Rising?
Let’s examine Jane Seymour. What do we know of Jane Seymour, really know of her? She was the daughter of Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth. Jane was the oldest daughter of ten children, six of whom lived to adulthood. In that era, six surviving children was no small feat.
Was Jane Seymour born at Wulfhull or Wolf Hall as it is now known, in Wiltshire, England, the family seat? We do not know. What we do know is that the Seymours were an old family, tracing their roots to one of William the Conqueror’s men. Through Jane’s maternal grandfather, she was a descendant of King Edward III of England.
Due to Jane’s pedigree, Jane and King Henry VIII were fifth cousins. Sinister enough, but get this – Jane was a second cousin to none other than Anne Boleyn. That’s when the story of Jane took a turn for me. What type of female, now or five hundred years ago, is fitted for her wedding dress at the very hour her cousin is to be executed by beheading? The concept for my story, Phoenix Rising, was beginning to take root. Then, when I discovered that Jane was presented at court by none other than Sir Francis Bryan, the story began to reveal itself to me.
We read about ‘Plain Jane’ or how fair she was, so we perceive her as homely. True, her pictures do not translate well into our millennium, but let’s look at the time period and the concept of feminine beauty in the Tudor era. The archaic meaning of fair is a beautiful woman, as in Who’s the fairest of them all?
Jane motto was ‘Bound to Obey and Serve’. She was the epitome of the Tudor female. She even had Henry VIII’s longed for male heir. This was the real reason women were important at that point in time, right?
There is so little known about Jane Seymour. The story of women vying for the attention of a powerful man is timeless. Add in family intrigue, Jane was known to be haughty. Is it that difficult to imagine he felt her station above that of Anne Boleyn. A bit of encouragement from her family and Sir Francis Bryan and she became a force to be reckoned with. Would she stop at nothing less than becoming Henry’s wife through schemes and power plays?
Jane served Katherine of Aragon and openly supported Princess Mary, the daughter of Henry VIII and Queen Katherine, even before Queen Anne was beheaded. Was Jane out for revenge? Once Katherine was deceased, did she truly believe that Henry was free to marry and love again and that she was a better choice for England than her cousin Anne.
The mystery of Jane Seymour is even more enigmatic than that of her glamorous relative, Anne Boleyn. She is a true chimera. Do we know for certain this is by her hand?
What we do know is that Jane Seymour gave Henry VIII the one thing he wanted most, a male heir. As with the majority of Henry’s wives, she paid for his decisions with her life.
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Sources:
Magic & Mystery in Tudor England, Hunter S. Jones.
The Tudors: King Takes Queen, Michael Hirst, Elizabeth Massie.
The Six Wives of Henry VII, Antonia Fraser.
Photos: Public Domain.
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About The Author
Author and historian Deb Hunter writes as Hunter S. Jones. She publishes independently as well as through traditional platforms. Recently she revealed that she is a Stage IV cancer warrior. She is passionate about the history of romance, science and music, a.k.a. sex, drugs and rock & roll. She is also a historian for Past Preservers Casting. When she isn’t writing, talking or tweeting about kings, queens and rock stars, she’s living the dream in Atlanta, Georgia with her Scottish born husband.
She is the author of the international best-seller. PHOENIX RISING, a fictional story of the last hour of Anne Boleyn’s life, as revealed through a Tudor astrological star chart.
She has been involved in academic projects at Harvard University, The University of Texas, UCLA, Vanderbilt University, University of The South, University of Notre Dame, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She has been associated with the prestigious Society of Authors founded by Lord Tennyson, Royal Historical Society, Atlanta Historical Society, American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians, Society of Civil War Historians (US), Dangerous Women Project, Romance Writers of America (PAN member), and Historical Writers Association.
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