We have no time to waste our tears on poor Anne Boleyn, because we're on to the next important date.... May 20, 1536, only one day after Boleyn's execution, Henry VIII had Jane Seymour on his arm, officially betrothed and his next Queen! And all of England's citizens shouted.....
Huzzah!?!?
Picture this:
Anne Boleyn, once Henry's "entirely beloved", is dressed for execution, during which Henry is nearby on a hunting trip in Richmond Park (or Epping) awaiting confirmation of his wife's death. During which, Jane is already at Wolfhall in Wiltshire, preparing for the nuptials. As soon as Henry heard the signal guns booming, or saw the signal flag, he is reported to have joyously exclaimed "Uncouple the hounds, and away!", no longer caring about the game they had just been pursuing. He raced to Wolfhall to tell Jane...and was dressed in white satin the very next day for their betrothal, and to be married 10 days later.
I think it's hilarious that in our production of "Six Dead Queens", Jane loves to reenact the scene of her betrothal, and uses it to cheer up the other queens when things get too serious. In our version, Jane plays it with a sweet, innocent, (and slightly sexually repressed) flair, nearly erasing entirely the horrible irony of what had just happened to Boleyn less than 24 hrs earlier. It turns into something of a cover of a romance novel, Jane's hair flowing over her green silk negligee as Henry sweeps her into his arms. I wonder if this was Foresight Theatre's (the play's creators) way of painting Jane in the best light possible?It's hard to tell, for little is known about Jane as a person. She could not write much more than her name, so only one letter is known to survive. It is well known that Jane, who's motto was "to serve and obey" was a silent and meek queen, who in 18 month as queen, was not known for muttering anything worth preserving in writing. Well, with the exception of sending two bucks to the Park Keeper at Havering-att-Bower. And even on this single act of state, she used Henry's seal rather than her own. Reining in the shadow of beheaded Anne Boleyn, I can only imagine that Jane took it upon herself to be the complete opposite of the former queen.
A few sources have stated that Jane was one of the lucky queens not to outlive Henry's love. However, as Jane went through the difficult birth of Prince Edward, Henry was asked by his physicians that should they only be able to save the mother or the child, what should they do? "If you cannot save both, at least let the child live," was Henry's characteristic reply; "for other wives are easily found."
Jane would never have a coronation ceremony, and apparently never made much of an impression on anyone but the king. However, she was the only wife to bear Henry a son, for which he would unofficially always allow her special status. Her body was embalmed and laid to rest in the tomb at Windsor Castle which Henry was building for himself. Years after her death, even while he was married to other women, Jane continued to appear in royal portraits as queen consort. There is a short, biting little scene in "Six Dead Queens" in which Jane taunts Katherine Parr about this, even though Parr ended up being the best mother any of the royal children ever had.
The "Dynasty Portrait". Originally hanging at Whitehall, and a point of contention in "Six Dead Queens" between Seymour and Parr. Left to right: Henry VIII, Henry VII, Elizabeth of York and Jane Seymour.
The king wore black until well into 1538 and waited more than two years to marry again. This was the longest interval between marriages during his reign. I guess that's possibly as close to true love with Henry as anyone got.
One of the questions our Dead Queens repeatedly ask is "Who was the true queen?" And if we mean to ask this from Henry's perspective, a strong argument could be made for Jane simply because she provided the male heir to the throne. (And in our play she CONSTANTLY makes this argument, much to the irritation of the other queens.) However, since Elizabeth I ended up being the actual heir (due to the untimely deaths of both Edward and Mary), one could easily argue on this principle that Boleyn was the true queen.
What was going on in Jane's head as her betrothal day neared? Was she the true queen? Had she coldly schemed her way to Henry's heart, or was she simply a somewhat oblivious piece in the larger puzzle laid out by her powerful family?
Personally, playing Katharine Parr, I find Seymour fairly obnoxious and unbearable (but played brilliantly by Brianna!), so my thoughts may be slanted. I'd love to hear what others think.
-Denita (Queene Parr)
Sources:
http://www.tudorhistory.org/seymour/
http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/aboutJaneSeymour.htm
http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/janeseymour.htm
Jane may have been perceived as meek and mild at court in front of her mighty husband, but remember she also has the reputation of being steely with her ladies behind closed doors! Indeed, Alison Weir and others have suggested, had she lived, she may have become the most formidable queen of them all!
ReplyDeleteShe left an impression, alright...just not in writing!
-Brianna