Queen Jane Seymour Had A Chilling Dark Side

August 2, 2024 | Samantha Henman

Queen Jane Seymour Had A Chilling Dark Side


The shadowy side of Queen Jane Seymour's history, a woman often depicted as the obedient wife who gave King Henry VIII his coveted son. However, beneath the surface, she harbored a hidden dark side, and her life was marked by chilling tragedies that history rarely reveals.

Jane’s family was a magnet for drama from the beginning. Her brothers, Edward and Thomas, were troublingly meddlesome from the start, and coached their naïve sister in the most cunning ways of statecraft and seducing powerful men.

During her first years in service of the court, Jane watched as Henry VIII threw his wife Catherine of Aragon aside for Anne Boleyn—and the inevitable dark end to that twisted love story. As his dissatisfaction with Anne grew, he started to notice Jane and flirt with her.

This is where Jane’s sweet, subservient image ends. Jane flaunted the gifts Henry had given her right in front of Anne, infuriating her. Some say Anne even experienced a miscarriage after walking into a room and finding Jane in Henry’s lap. The wildest part? Henry and Jane went on to get engaged just one day after Anne’s execution.

Jane was in bed with the devil. But Jane also knew her duty as queen was to satisfy King Henry in the bedroom and then the maternity ward, and half a year after her royal wedding, she was pregnant with Henry’s child.

Jane went into labor in early October of 1537, but nothing happened the way she expected it. It was a grueling 2 days and 3 nights. At 2:00 in the wee hours of the morning on October 12, 1537, Jane finally had her child—the son the king had wished for.

Jane Seymour was in grave danger after childbirth. Her health was up and down for days, until she died on October 24, just 12 days after giving birth.

Jane had given Henry VIII an heir, but never got to see her son grow up. Instead, her grave pays heartbreaking tribute to him. The inscription on her final resting place reads: “Here lies Jane, a phoenix / Who died in giving another phoenix birth. / Let her be mourned, for birds like these / Are rare indeed.”


More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.