Poor sweet, plain Jane Seymour. The third wife of Henry VIII met her end as the rhyme tells us in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. What happened to her in the show, and what happened in real life?
During Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light episode 4, Jane gave birth to Henry’s long-awaited son. It was supposed to be a joyful time, but that was quickly overshadowed by Jane Seymour not able to get out of bed afterward. It was clear early on that Jane wouldn’t make it, and by the end of the episode, Henry VIII lost another queen.
This one was the queen he loved the most. At least, that’s what history tells us. I still believe that Henry only loved her the most because he couldn’t be disappointed by her after she gave him his son and heir and she died doing it.
What happened to Jane Seymour in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light?
The series doesn’t explicitly tell us what happened to Jane, but it’s easy to work out. She died of childbed fever.
This was common in the time period. A part of the placenta would remain stuck and it would lead to infection and eventual sepsis. As there were not antibiotics at the time and nobody really understood everything that was going on, there wasn’t a way to save women from this excruciating and scary fate.
It is still something that can still happen now, but it’s not as often. There are many other reasons women die after childbirth! Yes, it’s still a concern.
What happened to Jane Seymour in real life?
How historically accurate is this death? Very!
Jane Seymour did manage to live for 12 days after she gave birth to Edward. There was a moment when it looked like she would be able to rejoin her husband, but then she fell sick again, and she eventually died. Most historians do agree that it was childbed fever, as it was so common at the time. In fact, it was the same condition that took the life of Henry VIII’s mother, Elizabeth of York, and that’s something mentioned in The Tudors.
There are some rumors that Henry VIII ordered a C-section and that killed Jane, but there are ways to show that isn’t true. The C-section would have killed Jane on the spot, and not 12 days later. Childbed fever or some sort of complication after giving birth was the cause.
Jane and Henry would eventually be buried together, highlighting how much Henry loved her.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light airs on Sundays at 9/8c on PBS.
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