Leaving the King Heartbroken: how the death of Jane Seymour impacted Henry VIII and Mary I

Jane Seymour © Hans Holbein the Younger – The National Portrait Gallery

Underneath St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, is the final resting place of Queen Jane Seymour. Buried in a vault at the eastern end of the chapel, her husband, Henry VIII, would later request in his will of 1546 to also be buried alongside her. This was only to be a temporary burial site, until a more elaborate and sophisticated tomb would be constructed for them both. It was never completed. Yet, Henry’s request to be buried next to Jane is a pivotal example of just how much he adored his wife and is a testament to the grief and despair he felt after she passed away in October 1537. Today, this post will explore the devasting effect Jane’s passing had on not just the king of England, but her eldest stepdaughter, Mary.

After Jane Seymour passed away in the early hours of the 24th of October 1537, it’s reported that her grief-stricken husband fled to Westminster to hide himself away from the public eye, overcome with deep emotional pain. One source stating that here he “mourned and kept himself close and secret for a while”. Unable to even bring himself to arrange her funeral, it was Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and William Paulet, Treasurer of the Royal Household, who oversaw her funerary and burial instructions. Henry was a man who had suffered from the grief of losing loved ones multiple times in his life, particularly at a young age. At 11-years-old, Henry’s mother, Elizabeth of York, passed away after giving birth. Her death left him utterly crushed and heartbroken; Elizabeth was beloved to all her family and the impact she had on her children knew no bounds. Her death impacted Henry for much of his life, causing him to be overly hygienic and almost to the point of paranoia when it came to preventing diseases. Henry would also lose his father, Henry VII and brother, Prince Arthur, whilst still a young boy.

And so, overcome with despair and immense grief, the Henrician court was plunged into mourning. The rooms of Hampton Court, once loved greatly by Jane Seymour, were draped with black fabric, engulfing the palace in a sombre and emotional atmosphere to reflect the king’s grief. Mourning wear would have been issued from the Great Wardrobe, providing black clothes for Henry’s household to wear. “Divine Providence has mingled my joy with bitterness of the death of her who brought me to this happiness”. These were the words Henry wrote to Francis I, king of France, in 1537, after Jane had passed away. This is truly a testament to how grieved Henry was and how much he had adored his wife and queen. As she was the only wife to bear him a male heir, it’s no wonder he chose to favour her above all others.

From the 25th of October, the funerary plans pursued by Thomas Howard and William Paulet would fall into place, taking the beloved body of Jane Seymour from Hampton Court to Windsor Castle. Henry’s lack of involvement and appearance at Jane’s funeral is highly unusual, yet an example of his emotional suffering; usually, the monarch would show great interest in royal ceremonial events. Howard and Paulet based their funerary plans for Jane from Henry’s mother, Elizabeth of York’s, funeral. Her procession included seven marquises and earls, sixteen barons and sixty knights, as well as the king’s household. Noblemen such as Thomas Cromwell, the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Privy Seal, earls of Surrey, Oxford, Rutland, Wiltshire, Sussex, Hertford and Southampton were all invited to attend Jane’s funeral. Her household and ladies would also have been present. This was a great state occasion, to memorialise a much beloved and respected woman. Despite Henry’s absence from the occasion, it’s most likely Howard and Paulet aimed to show great respect for his favourite wife. The selected noblemen were of great status, and this would have only heightened the honouring of the deceased. Howard ordered twelve hundred masses to be sung.

Whilst Jane was laying in state at the Prescence Chamber at Hampton Court, dressed in gold and wearing jewels and a crown, an altar remained close by, where masses were sung all day and night in Jane’s honour and to guide and protect her soul. Jane lay in state for another week after being moved to a catafalque in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court. This is where we can see the impact her passing must have had on her eldest stepdaughter, Lady Mary. Throughout her short time as Mary’s stepmother, Jane and the young princess were incredibly fond of each other. Bonded by their deep Catholic faith, the two women spent much time together, perhaps discussing religion and matters of the time, as well as Jane giving her gifts, advice and even defending Mary against her husband. Jane fought hard to mend the relationship between Mary and her father. It’s no wonder Mary was deeply fond of Jane and must have looked up to her, not only as a role model but someone who provided her comfort during such a traumatic period of her life. When Jane passed away, Mary would have been absolutely devasted. A friend, confidante and second mother to her, one cannot imagine the grief Mary felt. During Jane’s second lying in state, where Jane’s ladies and servants watched over her, Mary was appointed Chief Mourner. She paid for masses to continuously be sun for her late stepmother and took control over the remaining days left of Jane’s household.

Dressed in black, the funerary procession left Hampton Court for Windsor on the 8th of November. Two hundred men followed Jane’s body which was placed in a horse-drawn hearse, wearing Jane’s royal badge and carrying torches. Lady Mary, as Chief Mourner, rode a horse draped in black velvet and was followed by twenty-nine mourners. It’s not recorded how Mary felt that day, but she must have been overcome by deep sorrow and emotion. Yet, she must have felt a sense of pride being at the head of the mourners that day; honouring her stepmother and commemorating the beloved memory of her.

Contrastingly, Jane’s younger stepdaughter, Elizabeth, was not present at the funeral. Whilst the two women were not close, many people have argued that Jane was cruel and contemptuous towards Elizabeth, yet there is no recorded or firm proof of this and it should be noted that Jane once argued for Elizabeth’s legitimacy, if only briefly. Jane was a kind, intelligent woman and it is hard to believe that she would bully a young girl, one who had also suffered deeply. Jane and Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn, did not see eye to eye, yet, it cannot be proved that Jane showed such dislike to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was most likely not present due partially to the fact she and Jane spent little time together, yet this was because Elizabeth hardly spent much time at the royal court after she was declared illegitimate. Not because Jane ignored her. Elizabeth was also shunned by many noblemen in Henry’s current court, Thomas Howard and Thomas Cromwell were responsible for her mother’s death and in favour of dismantling Elizabeth from the royal line. It’s no wonder she was not present at Jane’s funeral. Yet, we do not know if Elizabeth did feel any sadness for Jane’s passing. Perhaps, she did feel upset at her passing and paid her respects in her own ways and prayers.

On Monday the 12th of November, Jane was laid to rest beneath the Garter Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Watching this, would have been Jane’s brothers Edward and Thomas, who also would have been in deep sorrow; Jane was very close to her family and once, looked up to them greatly. The bells of London tolled for six hours as England mourned for the loss of their queen. Who knows if Henry would have heard these bells.

Nine years later, Henry would be buried alongside Jane, instead of Westminster Abbey ; the site of numerous burials and tombs of English monarchs and noblemen and women alike. His choosing to be buried next to Jane instead of this remarkable structure of royal glory and divinity, reminds us all how much Henry adored Jane and the heartbroken state she had left him in, for much of his life. The infamous painting “The Family of Henry VIII”, painted in 1545, depicts Henry with Jane and their son Edward, 8 years after Jane’s death. The impact Jane had on Henry was profound and everlasting, evident in the ways he continued to memorialise her.

Until next time!

-        Have a ‘Tudor-fic’ week!

Resources:

1. Tracy Borman. The Private Lives of the Tudors. Hodder Paperbacks. 2017.

2. Jane Seymour | Hampton Court Palace | Historic Royal Palaces

3. The Funeral of Queen Jane Seymour – The Freelance History Writer