Jane Boleyn: A Tudor Tale Of Intrigue & Misunderstanding – Part Two

“Jane Boleyn is one of the most maligned women in Tudor history. Her involvement in the falls of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard has led to her being cast as a villain. However, a closer examination of her life reveals a woman caught in a web of court intrigue, desperately trying to survive in a world where a single misstep could lead to the scaffold.” – Elizabeth Norton (Jane Boleyn: The Infamous Lady Rochford)

The Boleyn family was enjoying a period of unprecedented success when we left off in the first part of Jane Boleyn: A Tudor Tale of Intrigue and Misunderstanding. Jane and her husband George were rising stars at court, and Anne Boleyn had achieved the pinnacle of power by becoming the queen. However, as history teaches us all, the higher the rise, the steeper the fall. In this second installment, I plan on diving deep into the brewing trouble that will soon engulf the Boleyn family.

Jane’s tale plunges us into the darker side of the Tudor court where power struggles, betrayal, and shifting alliances spelled disaster for the new queen. The political winds start to shift as Anne’s relationship with King Henry turns sour resulting in her shocking downfall. This dramatic turn of events led to the beheading of both Anne and George Boleyn.

The death of her husband profoundly affected Jane and left her in a precarious position where she alone was left to bear the weight of their demise. The difficulties that follow lack the proper words. There is no way to express the trauma that she experienced. Not one that gives any semblance of justice. Unfortunately, this is only exacerbated by her involvement in the reign of Henry’s fifth wife, another ill-fated queen, who led Jane into further trouble and ultimately, her demise.

“As the widow of a convicted traitor, she found herself navigating a perilous existence at the Tudor court, where her every move was scrutinized, and her alliances were fragile. The loss of her husband and the subsequent fall from favor plunged Jane into a period of intense hardship and uncertainty. The court of Henry VIII was a dangerous place for anyone, but for Jane, whose family had fallen from the king’s grace, it was particularly treacherous.” – Julia Fox (The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford)

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If you have not read part one of Jane Boleyn: A Tudor Tale of Intrigue and Misunderstanding then please click here in order to read before continuing! Don’t miss her early years!

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The Fall of Anne and George Boleyn

The Boleyn Family’s Rapid Rise and Tragic Fall

Queen Anne and her brother George were both arrested on May 2nd, 1536, along with several other men like Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, Sir William Brereton, and Mark Smeaton. The queen had been accused of adultery, treason, and having an incestuous affair with her brother, George Boleyn. All the men that were accused with Anne were rumored to have been her lovers. Anne was also accused of wishing the king’s death during an ill-fated conversation with Henry Norris.

This triggers an onslaught of scandal that sends shock waves through the country as the news spreads. Nobody saw it coming. Every person accused wound up executed despite there being no truth that Anne had slept with anyone behind the king’s back. Henry wanted to be rid of her because she had not produced a male heir. The charges against Anne and her associates were widely regarded as dubious. It was quite obvious they had been fabricated to justify her execution.

The accusations of incest and treason were politically motivated to serve Henry’s agenda to remove Anne from his life to secure a new marriage rather than any genuine criminal acts. The process was marred by a lack of any credible evidence. The whole situation had been unexpected. Henry had been head over heels in love with Anne up to this point.

“Henry VIII’s decision to have Anne Boleyn executed was driven by a combination of political necessity and personal dissatisfaction. Anne’s failure to produce a male heir and her alleged infidelities provided Henry with the pretext he needed to remove her from his life and secure a new marriage with Jane Seymour, whom he hoped would bear him a son. This action was also a means of consolidating his power and ensuring the stability of his reign.” – David Starkey ( Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII)

All mention of any tension, hostility, jealousy, or wrongdoing in the marriage of Jane and George Boleyn comes long after their deaths by biased sources. Nobles trying to win the favor of Henry. Most contemporaries of the time agreed that Jane had absolutely nothing to do with the downfall of her sister-in-law despite rumors circulated that she was very bitter over George having affairs, including one with the musician Mark Smeaton. There is nothing that shows any of this to be true.

The claims that paint George as a frivolous cheating womanizer who mistreats his wife are unfounded. He was not as useless as history says. There is no corroboration to prove the validity of that picture or any circumstance that suggests Jane’s jealousy of her husband’s closeness to Anne. She was an innocent bystander simply caught up in the drama.

Jane is simply guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time; furthermore, there is plenty of records that detail the fact George proved himself as a reliable, important, and influential player at Henry’s court. He had quite a notable career holding several court positions, including the role of Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. A position of significant influence as it involved direct access to the king while Jane had an equally respectable position serving as lady-in-waiting to Anne.

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The Innocence Of Jane Boleyn

Accusations and Misconceptions

Jane Boleyn was never arrested or accused of any involvement in the charges that were set against Anne. She had no role in the queen’s downfall despite rumors that suggest she went to Henry to tell him stories of incest. This just doesn’t hold much weight. It is quite important to look at the evidence used to support Jane being the infamous husband accuser.

The first evidence comes from the account of an anonymous Portuguese man who spent time at the English court, written in a letter on June 10th, 1536. “That person who, more out of envy and jealousy than out of love towards the King, did betray this accursed secret, and together with it the names of those who had joined in the evil doings of the unchaste Queen.”

No mention of Jane Boleyn at all; only ‘that person’ is listed as being held responsible for Anne Boleyn’s downfall. This is very telling that it most likely wasn’t Jane. Naming her would cost nothing but naming another noble could have serious consequences. It is highly probable that one of the men condemned with her, Mark Smeaton, actually confessed and gave up Anne and George’s names. All fingers point to the musician in court who was seen around Anne far too much.

Then if one looks closely at a second account that surfaced from George Boleyn himself, he said at his trial “On the evidence of only one woman, you are prepared to believe this great evil of me!”  This begs the question. If Jane’s husband knew for a fact that she had accused him of incest with his sister. Why wouldn’t he have said it in court? George could have argued that Jane hated him for a multitude of reasons. This would have helped bolster his case in a magnitude of ways.

George would have looked far more innocent if it were his wife accusing him, painting her as someone with an axe to grind. It’s the perfect motive for him being wronged. Why didn’t he say, my wife? The fact that only “the woman” is named on record implies that the accuser was significantly more important and powerful than Jane or someone exceptionally less significant. An irrelevant accusation from a servant not even worth giving a name to. That would make more sense.

Henry wanted to get rid of Anne and would have used any means, even the words of a nobody. So, it just doesn’t seem like it could have been Jane. Henry would have also used that too. Who would know better than a wife what her husband was up to? Either way naming Jane would have had the significance to bolster both sides of the case so why wasn’t she named if she had been the one to go accusing her husband of sleeping with the queen? If the claims had come from her.

“Jane Boleyn’s name is notably absent from the primary accusations and legal documents. This absence indicates that she was not the main accuser as some rumors suggest. Instead, it suggests that the orchestration of Anne’s charges lay elsewhere, among those who stood to benefit most significantly from her removal. The manipulation of evidence and testimonies in the trial underscores the precarious and often perilous nature of Tudor court politics, where personal vendettas and political maneuvering could seal one’s fate.” – David Starkey (Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII)

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Widowhood: From Court Intrigue to Isolation

Jane Boleyn’s Pleas for Clemency

After the death of Jane’s husband, she was left in a terrible situation. Her reputation was not only tainted by being the wife of an incestuous adulterer, but she lost everything. Wealth, power, and prestige she had formerly been enjoying without a care. The privileged life she had known was now plagued by being a Boleyn. This was a massive blow for a woman who had known nothing else except what her family name had brought, whether this was as a Parker or a Boleyn. 

In 1536, shortly after the execution of her husband. Jane had little choice but to plead her case as her financial situation continued to grow dire. She found herself that spring writing to Thomas Cromwell for sympathy and begging him to intercede with the King on her behalf. Below is the missive she sent to Cromwell begging for some assistance.

“Beseeching him to obtain from the King for her the stuff and plate of her husband. The King and her father paid 2,000 marks for her jointure to the earl of Wyltchere, and she is only assured of 100 marks during the Earl’s life, “which is very hard for me to shift the world withal.” Prays him to inform the King of this. Signed Jane, widow of Lord Rochford.” (Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 10: January-June 1536).”

The first hardship she had ever known was due to her husband’s and his family’s downfall. Why would she have brought this on herself? Jane was brought up in the Tudor court from a young age. She knew the consequences of such actions. This was not a mystery to her, and everyone knew how dangerous it was to cross King Henry. The Boleyns were caught up in a mess that was beyond their control from the moment Anne gave birth to a girl and miscarried her other pregnancies.

Henry lost interest due to the disappointment of not having a son causing Anne to rapidly lose the love and favor of her king.  His ego would blame nobody but Anne. This led to catastrophe. There is nothing that Jane did or didn’t confess that would have contributed to their downfall. It was going to happen no matter what because that was what the king had decided. The tyrant always got what he wanted in the end without a care for the chaos and suffering of those affected. 

The words of Lady Rochford may not have been part of the downfall of the Boleyn family, but make no mistake, Jane had a knack for getting herself into trouble. She was not shy from intrigue and schemes. These actions led her to be banned from court and even locked in the tower leading up to the events that did find Jane facing the executioner herself just a few short years later. They are important to note because it shows what a complicated woman she was. 

“Jane faced not only the emotional trauma of losing her husband but also the stark reality of diminished status and support. Her future was uncertain in a court that thrived on power and alliances. Deprived of her influential husband’s protection, Jane was left to navigate the treacherous waters of the Tudor court alone. The fall of the Boleyn family had far-reaching implications, casting a shadow over her every move. She had to contend with whispers and suspicions, her position at court precarious and her every action scrutinized. The network of alliances and influence that had once surrounded her was now shattered, leaving her isolated and vulnerable in a world where connections meant survival.” – Antonia Fraser (The Wives of Henry VIII)

Incurring The Wrath Of King Henry VIII

The first example showing Jane to be a highly opinionated woman nosy enough to be interested in the political schemes of Henry’s court takes place between her and Anne Boleyn. In 1934, both women displease the king when they conspire to chase his new mistress away from court (as mentioned in part one). This gets Lady Rochford banned for close to a year. The next time records show Jane being back at court in 1535 doesn’t reflect that she had a healthy enough fear of King Henry because she is seen cheering and waving at Lady Mary, the king’s displaced and disowned daughter. 

This wouldn’t have made Henry too happy. Mary denied the validity of her father’s marriage to Anne Boleyn and refused to declare her as the Queen. Henry had placed his eldest daughter out of favor and those who supported her faced deadly consequences because the implications meant that they disapproved of the king’s actions. Unacceptable to Henry. 

Such a display landed Jane in the tower for a short time; however, she did manage to wiggle out of that one and found herself a small pension for housing after negotiations with Cromwell and her father-in-law Thomas Boleyn. Then, once Henry married Jane Seymour, his third wife, she was able to secure herself a position in the new queen’s household as a lady-in-waiting. Things finally seemed to have settled down and returned to some semblance of normalcy. 

Jane, during Henry’s third marriage and later after Seymour’s death, his fourth marriage to Anne of Cleves, managed to keep her position among his queens. During this time, Jane seems to have kept to herself and stayed out of any trouble or court intrigues. She was probably still feeling the heat of the Boleyn’s fall from grace. Henry eventually annulled his fourth marriage and rather quickly moved on to his fifth marriage to Catherine Howard. This was where disaster struck Jane. On that note, I think this is where we will leave off. Stay tuned for the final ending of the series! Part three coming soon!

“Jane played a significant role in organizing the queen’s daily routine and managing her ladies. She was often seen by Jane Seymour’s side, providing support and counsel, particularly during the queen’s pregnancy. As a senior lady-in-waiting, Jane was responsible for coordinating the activities and duties of the other ladies, ensuring that the queen’s needs were met promptly and efficiently. This involved everything from arranging the queen’s schedule, overseeing her wardrobe, and managing her private chambers, to handling correspondence and facilitating interactions with other members of the court. Jane’s experience and familiarity with court life, having served both Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon, made her an invaluable asset to Jane Seymour.” – Julia Fox (The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford)

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PLEASE CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING PART THREE

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