Jane Seymour (c. 1508 – 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She married him on 30 May 1536, the day after Anne Boleyn’s execution, and reigned until her death the following year. Jane was the only wife of Henry to give birth to a surviving male heir, the future Edward VI, but she died from postnatal complications less than two weeks after his birth. She was also the only wife of Henry to receive a queen’s funeral, and he was later buried beside her at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Jane was the daughter of Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth. Her birth year is estimated around 1508. Unlike Henry’s first two wives, Jane was not highly educated but was skilled in needlework and household management. She served as a lady-in-waiting to both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn before catching Henry’s attention in early 1536.
As queen, Jane was known for her gentle nature and efforts to restore Henry’s daughter Mary to court. Her motto – bound to obey and serve – reflected her traditional role. She distanced herself from Anne Boleyn’s courtly extravagance, favoring modesty and decorum. She avoided politics, intervening only once in 1536 to seek pardons for rebels in the Pilgrimage of Grace – an effort Henry rejected.
Jane’s labor lasted two days and three nights before she gave birth to Edward VI on 12 October 1537. She died on 24 October, likely from postpartum infection. Henry mourned her deeply and considered her his true wife. After her death, her family gained power, with her brother Edward Seymour later ruling as Lord Protector during Edward VI’s reign.