Jane Boleyn and Henry VIII's wives

Jane Boleyn served five of Henry VIII’s six Queens…..

1.) Catherine of Aragon: Jane joined the court just before the Field of the Cloth of Gold in June 1520. Jane would have roughly have been in her mid-teens and you could describe this as her “induction” to the court, the “apprenticeship”, being catapulted into a world of masques, intrigue, opulence and nice gowns. It was a far cry from the relatively quieter world of her childhood in Great Hallingbury, Essex.

2.) Anne Boleyn: Being Anne’s sister-in-law, they were close. However, whether Jane had truly betrayed both Anne and husband George, sending both to the scaffold, is still today a debatable point along with most aspects of Anne’s fall.

3.) Jane Seymour: Seymour died after giving birth to Henry’s long-awaiting son, Edward. Poor aftercare was blamed and it is likely that Jane may have attended Seymour while she was confined and about to give birth to Edward.

4.) Anne of Cleves: When the ill-fated marriage ended six months later, Jane had to help provide evidence that the marriage had not been consummated.

5.) Catherine Howard: Jane’s involvement with Catherine’s dangerous affair with Thomas Culpepper resulted in all three going to the scaffold.

Image - Anne Boleyn by Hans Holbein.