On 20th May 1536, King Henry VIII got betrothed to the woman who’d become his third wife, Jane Seymour. It was just a day after his second wife, Anne Boleyn, had been executed.
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The men’s last days in the Tower must have been harrowing for them and their grief stricken families, and they must have believed in their innocence, Sir Francis Weston’s last letter to his parents and wife is very moving and George spent his last few days worrying about his debts, and Sir William Brereton ,’ if ever any of the men were innocent it was him’, said George Constantine, it was well known that Cromwell wanted rid of this troublesome landowner, all these men condemned as traitors by the crown were going to leave behind loved ones, nine years later before she to died Brereton’s widow bequeathed a gold bracelet to her son ‘the last token her husband had given her’, and news of the way them and the queen had been disposed of did not do the king any favours either, the fastest trial and executions in history barely over in two weeks, how had they managed to gather all the evidence in so short a time? Even Chapyus who disliked Anne thought it was odd, and this man, who to me has always comes across as kind wise and fair, thought it was in very bad taste for the king to become engaged to another woman when he had just sent his previous wife to her death marrying her a fortnight later, it made Anne’s trial and death look rather too expedient for the king
did it not! Surely he must have realised people would murmer but of course he chose to disregard what people were saying, and they darent say too much, it would be treason, but he had heard of a rather unsavoury ballad circulating the London streets, and was angered by it, in his letter to his new sweetheart he told her not to be worried by it, as if he caught the person responsible they be would duly punished, he then signed off with the hand of her faithful servant, so had he written to Anne Boleyn, and Jane must have been aware of it, actually there could have been plenty circulating about and it makes one feel very pleased that no one was ever held to account, i however would love to know what it said, by marring Jane so soon after Anne’s death he was aware he would raise eyebrows and how awful for the abandoned queens family and the courtiers families also, for their lives had been ruined but now their king was seen to be moving on, and moving on so quickly, in fact it is nauseating!
So not surprised at this. Henry had a lot of gall. I can’t help but wonder if Jane had any reservations about marrying him, given what happened to his previous 2 wives?
Should imagine she was but women were mere chattels she did her family’s bidding, really it just goes to show how opportunistic the men who stood near the king were, they were ready to sacrifice their sister just for power, even after he had just murdered his second queen! It says a lot about the 16th century courtier.