Six Tudor Queens 3: Jane Seymour

While I find Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn to be intelligent and opinionated queens , Jane Seymour wasn’t. She’s better with handwork (embroidery) and was very different than the previous ones: very serving and obedient. However, during reading this book written by Alison Weir I almost put it on my DNF list as the life of Jane Seymour itself was very boring. I wasn’t total unfamiliar about Seymour, I knew that she’s obedient and died soon after giving birth to a son, but I read this book because I didn’t feel justice to skip her for Anne of Kleve. This book, although it tells about Jane Seymour, it gave me more insight about Anne Boleyn and that’s why I added + Anne Boleyn on the title because I’m also going to tell my opinion about Anne Boleyn. Maybe I’ll tell more about her than Jane.

Anne Boleyn, whom we know today as a queen who has been framed in order for king Henry to be able to marry Jane Seymour, was not seen as someone who has been framed at that time. It was such a difficult time to know what was truth and what wasn’t, because I think that the truth was based on speculation and interrogation made by Cromwell and the people who disliked Anne. There was no DNA test, no fingerprints recognition, no camera, or other modern devices. Did she really have a complot with her people to kill the king? Anne was a very outspoken queen, she could have said something she didn’t mean to when she was in anger. Based on her flirtatious nature, nobody would probably believe that she didn’t commit adultery with at least one of those men who also have been sent to the scaffold. In the novel I’ve learned that during her time as queen, many religious people were sentenced to death. The king commanded it, the queen supported him. She must. No women had voice in her era. That obese king was a self-centred man who only thought about himself. He forgot that he’s a king for his folk because he had been crowned by blood, not by votes, that’s why many people despise monarchs.

Jane Seymour was typically good lady, so good that it’s boring. I think if she didn’t give birth to son, Henry would be more devastated. In short, no woman could escape from him. Anne Boleyn herself wasn’t into him in the first place, but she finally accepted him and I’m also in my opinion that she’s become obsessed with being crowned as queen and being recognised as queen. This because she knew she had a lot of enemies and she’s become insecure; She strived to give birth to a son in order to secure her position. But karma does come around, go around: she stole the king from Catherine, someone else stole the king from her. She tried to convince the king to send Catherine and Mary to the scaffold, she was sent to the scaffold instead.

The novel about Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir told that Anne felt herself like Esther of the bible. If this is true, then it’s ridiculous because Esther didn’t behave like Anne. I find that it’s Jane Seymour who resembled Esther. She wanted peace and had good intentions for the people and the country. The novel also titled: Jane Seymour, the Haunted Queen. Anne Boleyn has been haunting her in her sleep. Anne also is still haunting today. Her spirit hasn’t rested yet as she had no voice when she was condemned to death.

The story about Jane Seymour got interesting after her marriage to the king. If you’re not into history at all but want to dig into the British history, this novel is understandably not for you. Not only she’s the third queen, but you got to dig from the beginning. After all, I still love this historical fiction book.

no title has been provided for this book
Eleven days after the death of Anne Boleyn, Jane is dressing for her wedding to the King. She has witnessed at first hand how courtly play can quickly turn to danger and knows she must bear a son . . . or face ruin. This new Queen must therefore step out from the shadows cast by Katherine and Anne.