Jane Seymour Fact Sheet: Who was Jane Seymour? The following short biography and fact sheet provides interesting facts about the life, times and history of Jane Seymour.

Jane Seymour Fact File Biography: Lifespan: 1508 - 1537 *** Full Name: Jane Seymour *** Occupation: Queen Consort of England *** Date of Birth: Jane Seymour was born in 1508 and exact date is not known *** Place of Birth: Jane Seymour was born in Wulfjall, Savernake Forest, in Wiltshire *** Family background: Her father was Sir John Seymour and her mother Margery Wentworth with her maternal grandfather descending from King Edward III’s son the 1st Duke of Clarence Lionel of Antwerp. Jane was the eldest of eight children, including her brothers, Edward, and Thomas. Thomas would later go on to marry Catherine Parr, Henry’s sixth and last wife, after his death. *** Early life and childhood: She grew up in a very privileged home *** Education: Jane Seymour was not as highly educated as she could have been but then women were often overlooked when it came to education, the feeling being that they were better at childrearing and housewifery ***

Jane Seymour Fact 1: Jane Seymour was born in 1508 and during the 16th century period in history when Portugal and Spain were exploring the oceans of the world and colonizing new lands.

Jane Seymour Fact 2: Having entered Catherine of Aragon’s household as a maid of honor, she later waited on Anne Boleyn, where Jane caught Henry’s eye, in early 1536.

Jane Seymour Fact 3: By nature Jane was a very gentle and peaceful person and would often be called upon to calm issues at court when people became a little riled.

Jane Seymour Fact 4: In terms of appearance, some said she was no great beauty however Polydore Vergil, an Italian humans scholar remarked of her that she was “a woman of the utmost charm in both character and appearance.”

Jane Seymour Fact 5: On May 20th of 1536 Jane became betrothed to Henry VIII the day after Anne Boleyn’s execution, with the couple being married in the Palace of Whitehall in London on May 30th 1536.

Jane Seymour Fact 6: The following month she was proclaimed queen consort.

Jane Seymour Fact 7: She had long been regarded as very compassionate and it was widely known her sympathies had been with Queen Catherine and Lady Mary and endeared her to the most and a large number of courtiers.

Jane Seymour Fact 8: Having felt let down by his previous wives and with a recent outbreak of the plague, Jane was not crowned when she would normally have been.

Jane Seymour Fact 9: It was thought because Henry was waiting to see if she would fulfil her wifely duties.

Jane Seymour Fact 10: She rarely involved herself in matters of state or in any way meddled in Henry’s affairs. The only aspect of his life she did try to resolve was the relationship with his two daughters.

Jane Seymour Fact 11: And even though she was unable to restore either child to the succession for the thrown after any children born of her and Henry, she did however succeed in bring father and daughter.

Jane Seymour Fact 12: By late 1536 Jane discovered she was pregnant and rejoiced. She also developed a strong craving for quail.

Jane Seymour Fact 13: Henry doted on her and she went into confinement in September of 1537 accompanied by the best midwives in the land and the royal physicians.

Jane Seymour Fact 14: On October 12th 1537, Jane gave birth to a male child, Edward Tudor the future King Edward VI. He was born in Hampton Court Palace.

Jane Seymour Fact 15: Edward was christened in the presence of his father and two half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth in attendance on October 15th 1537 but without the presence of his mother.

Jane Seymour Fact 16: Jane’s birthing of Edward had lasted three days and two nights and had been a very difficult birth.

Jane Seymour Fact 17: Within twelve days of giving birth to the future King of England, Jane was dead.

Jane Seymour Fact 18: Although there were, at the time, conflicting stories as to why the Queen had died. Ultimately it was due to childbirth and contracting an infection.

Jane Seymour Fact 19: She would be the only wife of Henry VIII that would receive a funeral fit for a Queen.

Jane Seymour Fact 20: Jane died on October 24th 1537 and her body laid to rest in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Jane Seymour Influence & Legacy: Her legacy would be that of giving Henry and England the next heir to the English thrown. Henry himself wore morning for the next three months and would not remarry for three years.