Jane Boleyn
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UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER QUOTES
DEFINING EPISODES | MEMORABLE SCENES
PHOTOS
VIDEOS
Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford (nee Parker) as played by Joanne King
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born c. 1505 - executed February 13, 1542 by order of King Henry VIII Character's backstory: Henry VIII's grandmother, Lady Margaret Beaufort had brokered the marriage between Jane's parents and helped pay the christening expenses for Jane and her siblings. She came from a wealthy, politically active, upper class family and probably was in court before her 15th birthday in the household of Queen Katherine of Aragon. She is recorded as taking part in the Masquerade in 1522 when the King may have first "noticed" Anne Boleyn. She married George Boleyn circa 1524/5 just before the King started to actively court his sister Anne. As the Boleyn family's influence increased, the couple were given Grimston (in Norfolk) and Beaulieu Palace as their chief residence, which George and Jane decorated with a lavish chapel, a tennis court, a bathroom with hot-and-cold running water, imported carpets, mahogany furniture and their own large collection of silverware. Their marital bed was draped in cloth of gold with a white satin canopy, linen quilts and a yellow counterpane. [source: Marie Bruce]. Jane plotted with her sister-in-law Anne Boleyn to banish one of the King's young unnamed mistresses from Court in 1534. When the King discovered her involvement, Lady Rochford was herself exiled for a few months. When Cromwell orchestrated the "coup" against Anne Boleyn and the Boleyn faction, she was interrogated and implicated her husband as having an incestuous affair with his sister. However, Sir John Spelman, who sat on the bench throughout the trial , did not touch on Jane at all. Instead, he wrote that the incriminating evidence against Anne came from a Lady Wingfield's posthumous testimony through a relative. Cromwell, (who had all the "information" he needed to condemn Anne directly from Smeaton's confession), simply made general remarks on the disgust at Anne's conduct felt by the Ladies of the Bedchamber. She is said to have appealed for her husband while in the Tower. After her husband's execution, she was away from court for a time but thanks to Thomas Cromwell, she was awarded an annual pension and allowed to return to court as lady in waiting to Jane Seymour. After Jane's death she was sent to Anne of Cleves household and in July 1540 she aided the King's divorce from Anne of Cleves by stating that the Queen had confided in her that their marriage had never been consummated. This allowed the king to annul the marriage with Anne of Cleves and marry his teenage mistress, Katherine Howard. She then joined Katherine Howard's privy chamber. Under interrogation for her role in aiding and abetting Katherine Howard's affairs, she had a nervous breakdown and was pronounced insane. As it was illegal to execute the insane, King Henry changed the law and she was beheaded directly after the Queen was executed and buried alongside her ill fated husband & sister-in-law. Gentility: daughter of Baron Lord Morley, Viscountess of Rochford by marriage Position: Viscountess Rochford (wife of George Boleyn), Lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, and Katherine Howard Personality type: an ambitious social climber, disatisified & resentful of her sister in law. Signature look: Endearing trait(s): Jane was very supportive of Anne during her reign, even helping Anne to do away with one of Henry's mistresses. Jane also wrote and begged for her husband during his imprisonment. Annoying trait(s): Jane is infamously remembered in history as the lying wife who brought about the downfall of Anne Boleyn and her brother George, and for contributing to that of Katherine Howard. She has been described as a lying, jealous, conniving, self-preserving woman. Scandals: Although Jane did not give testimony against her husband and sister-in-law during their trials, she did give statements to Thomas Cromwell which he used to accuse them of both adultery and incest. Her reasons for doing this will never be known but it has been suggested it was either because of jealousy of her husband’s extramarital affairs, self-promotion, religious grievances or animosity to Anne due to something which broke up their friendship. Additionally, Jane also aided Katherine Howard in secretly meeting Thomas Culpepper. For her participation in the treasonous act, she was beheaded.
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"" I will never confess it, to be torn with wild horses" ~ Katherine Howard said this is what Jane said ( from LP)
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CHARACTER CONNECTIONSFamily members: Father: Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley Mother: Alice St. John (Eldest daughter of Sir John St. John; Sir John's grandfather Oliver was the 1st husband to Margaret Beauchamp, mother of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII) Husband: George Boleyn, Lord Rochford Brother: Sir Henry Parker Sister: Margaret Parker, Lady Sheldon Sister: Elizabeth Parker Brother: Francis Parker Sisters-in-law: Anne Boleyn and Mary Boleyn Father-in-law: Thomas Boleyn Cousin: Margaret Sheldon Marriage: George Boleyn Her sister married her husband's cousin - see below. | Children: Rumours that George Boleyn, Dean of Lichfield in Elizabethan times may have been their son but it is thought he was perhaps a cousin. Friends: Anne Boleyn and Jane were friends until something happened in 1535 The Catholic Faction Enemies: The Reformer Faction & Thomas Cranmer |
UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER QUOTES
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DEFINING EPISODES | MEMORABLE SCENES
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PHOTOS
VIDEOS
<embed height="227" src="http://widget.wetpaintserv.us/wiki/thetudorswiki/widget/youtubevideo/3cd7d658d252d88f2d45ea214ac1de8d83500ad1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="373" wmode="transparent"/> Season 2 Source: Youtube <a class="external" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/JuzTudor70AD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JuzTudor70AD</a> | <embed allowfullscreen="true" height="278" src="http://widget.wetpaintserv.us/wiki/thetudorswiki/widget/youtubevideo/e30bdd5ea5e635f9be5ade72cf98a2e0c71d2289" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="344" wmode="transparent"/> |