Jane Seymour: Funeral of a Queen | Burying a Queen

From History Calling

In November 1537 the FUNERAL OF A QUEEN took place, specifically that of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife. In this six wives documentary from History Calling, we’ll look at what went into burying a Queen, who, unlike Henry’s other spouses, was his current consort at the time of her death. It will therefore show what happened when royalty died in the Tudor era and will add to your knowledge of British royal funerals (or rather English, as Great Britain didn’t yet exist) and to your understanding of a history of mourning. The death of Queen Jane Seymour on 24 October 1537 was most likely caused by childbirth complications and occurred just twelve days after the arrival of her son, the future Edward VI. It made her one of only two queen consorts to die in the 16th century (the other being her mother-in-law, Elizabeth of York who died in 1503 of the same thing) and necessitated a funeral fit for a Queen. This video will cover Jane’s lying in state, how her body was transported to her final resting place (St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle), how the deceased Queen was dressed for the occasion and who the mourners were, which included her step-daughter Mary who acted as chief mourner. Indeed this former princess’s role in the ceremony will help to illuminate the relationship between Jane Seymour and Mary Tudor. We will also look at whether the funeral provided for the Queen suggests that Henry VIII loved Jane Seymour, or whether these grand obsequies should just be seen as a matter of form. Jane’s final resting place is also the tomb of Henry VIII, the tomb of Charles I and even of one of the many lost children of Queen Anne Stuart. I will end the video by revealing what was found when it was opened in 1813 and 1888.