Who Was The Real Jane Seymour? Henry VIII's Favourite Queen

Jane Seymour is usually remembered only for her death in the famous rhyme 'divorced, beheaded, died'. Sometimes called 'Plain Jane', she is compared unfavourably to Anne Boleyn. But Jane wasn't just a puppet of powerful men, she was a successful Tudor queen. So who was the real Jane Seymour? Why is she called Henry VIII's favourite wife? And what power did she really have? In this episode, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is joined by Historian Elizabeth Norton. They discuss Jane's origins, rise to power, and the tragic death after childbirth that put an end to her time as Queen. You can find more episodes of the Historic Royal Palaces Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/64ORUgrG2NE7UYxpsZ6HyC?si=aFqybC-uRE-PGNf3DL4LQA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/historic-royal-palaces-podcast/id1065848261 Elizabeth Norton's new academic study of Jane Seymour is available here: https://www.routledge.com/Jane-Seymour-Patronage-Material-Culture-and-Image-Crafting/Norton/p/book/9781032554099 Image credits: Jane Seymour. Hans Holbein the Younger. Mauritshuis, The Hague. Katherien of Aragon RCT Anne Boleyn by Unknown English artist. © National Portrait Gallery, London Museum of Art. Anne of Cleeves. Hans Holbein the Younger. © GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Adrien Didierjean Portrait of a Lady, perhaps Katherine Howard (1520-1542) c. 1540 © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2025 | Royal Collection Trust Katherine Parr by Unknown artist. © National Portrait Gallery, London The Family of Henry VIII. Attributed to British School, 16th Century. © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2025 | Royal Collection Trust Queen Jane Seymour, drawing. Hans Holbein the younger. © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2026 | Royal Collection Trust Henry VIII after Hans Holbein the Younger. © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2026 | Royal Collection Trust Portait of a Gentleman, said to be Edward Seymour. François Clouet. With thanks to the Trustees of the Weston Park Foundation Thomas Cromwell ,1532-33 by Hans Holbein the Younger (German, 1497/1498–1543). The Frick Collection, New York. Image © The Frick Collection Philippa of Hainault (1314-1369) 14th Century. Persuading her husband, the King Edwar III to spare the lives of the Burghers of Calais in 1347. Licensed through Alamy. Catherine of Aragon kneeling before Henry VIII during the Legatine Court at Blackfriars. Henry Nelson O'Neil. Licensed through Alamy. Portrait of a Lady, probably a Member of the Cromwell Family. Hans Holbein the Younger. Toledo Museum of Art. Portrait miniature of Hans Schwarzwaldt (sometimes identified as Gregory Cromwell). Hans Holbein the Younger. Royal Collections of the Netherlands. The Pilgrimage of Grace illustration. Licensed through Alamy. Edward VI as a Child. Hans Holbein the Younger. National Gallery of Art. Henry VII, Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Dated 1667. Remigius van Leemput, after Hans Holbein. © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2026 | Royal Collection Trust