My current reading is "Jane Boleyn" by Julie Fox and she appears to be much kinder to Jane's character, than other historians have painted her!
Let me explain...
Jane Boleyn Lady Rochford was born Jane Parker circa 1505 into a noble family, with excellent connections wealth, and royal blood. Her Father was the Duke of Morley and he packed Jane off aged just 14 to be a lady in waiting to Kathine of Aragon, and spent most of her life in Royal service. Poor Jane was forced into an arranged marriage to George Boleyn, brother of the ill fated Queen Anne, and as sister in law to the then future Queen of England (during the time of Henry's "Great Matter") she became royalty herself, but history has not been kind to her, and her marrriage to "possibley" homosexual George was a VERY unhappy one...I say possibley because its never been historicaly proven that George was indeed gay, as he appeared to be a womaniser, but this issue has been re-dressed in the recent TV production "The Tudors" and its certainly worth considering, and would indeed explain why Jane's marriage was so miserable as she was know to be very beautiful and much sought after by the men of the court! Now down to why history has painted Jane as a coniving, evil, jealous bitch....During the time of Cromwells plotting to get Queen Anne on the block, he had to fabricate something that would most certainly put her there and came up with the idea of adultery. So Cromwell and his men began questioning the ladies of the Queen, which included Jane Boleyne (Lady Rochford) about the goings on in the Queens privvy chamber. It was Anne's character that gave Cromwell most of his evedince. Apart from being a shewd politician, and business woman and being an intelligent woman and a force to be reconed with...Anne was also naturally flirtatious, and overly friendly with her favorits in perticular Mark Smeaton who was her musician. Poor Mark wasent just questioned by Cromwell,he was brutaly tortured almost to the point of death and forced to say he had "known" the Queen "and her private person. (In other words had slept with her, which was total rubbish as a woman of Annes standing would have never considered a commener such as Mark to be a suitable lover, they were simply the best of friends and Anne adored music) Anne was also very close to her brother George, who would visit her privatly many times and for many hours where they would talk, play cards and drink wine! In fact when Anne fell out of favor with the King becuase she failed to give him a son, her brother George became her only true confidant and friend. History reads that Jane was very jealous of Annes realationship with her brother and this is why, under heavy questioning from Cromwell she snapped and said Anne and George had, had an incestious relationship. I think it is more likely that word had got about court of Mark Smeatons terrible torture, and this had left poor Jane terrified the same would have happened to her! (it wouldent because Jane was a noble woman and noble women werenever tortured) Also Mark had forceabley confessed! Sadly Jane was not known for her intelligence and I belive she just blurted out the incest admission just so Cromwell would stop his terrible questioning. Historians have been baffled as to why Jane told Cronwell such a horrible lie about Anne, so they concluded it was Janes jealously of Anne and her closeness to George. When infact Jane was just a pawn dragged into the malestrom of Cromwells plotting....by this time Cromwell must have been rubbing his hands with glea, and Annes trail was arranged but the result was a forgone
conclusion...GUILTY....even before Anne had stepped into court.
Jane left court as soon as she possibley could, in terror following the murders of both her husband and her sister in law. George was executed on the 17th of May 1536, along with the other innocent men caught up in this plot, and Anne was executed on the 19th of May as Henry had commisioned a swordsman from France but he had been delayed on the road...it took about 6 months for Jane to return to court, and it was after the death in childbirth of Henry's 3rd wife, Jane Seymore, that Jane become more settled...Now it was Cromwells turn to recieve his just deserts 2 years later when he convinced Henry to marry a protestant Princess from Germany called Anna Von Clevv (Anne of Cleaves) Cromwells arranging of this marriage back-fired on him and cost him his life, as when Henry eventually met Anne it was a case of hate at first sight, instead of love. After his almost instantaianious divorce from what I would consider this lucky Princess, his eye had been caught by one of her very young ladies, Kathryn Howard. Aged just 16 and utterly gorgeous, Kathryn was also rather promiscious, and like Jane Boleyn, who was still at court was about as thick as too short planks! Both ladies one, old enough to be the other's mother, became firm friends both before and after Henry has made Kathryn his 5th Queen. During a progress of the King and new Queen to the north, Kathryn became captivated by Henry's favorite servent, and member of the privvy chamer, one of the highest positions at court! His name was Thomas Culpepper, and by all accounts Thomas and Kathryn were at it like rabbits the moment the Kings back was turned........aided and abetted by Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford!! Why Jane helped the couple in their illicet affair is unclear but some belive its because Jane could see how desperatly unhappy Kathryn was with her marriage to the now aged, gross and indeed impotent King, even with his gorgeous young wife he was unable to get an erection at this point, hence no male hiers were forthcoming!!!! So between Jane Boleyn and the Duke of Norfolk they both came up with a plan to help Kathryn have the hansome, young and very virile Thomas Culpepper so as the young Queen might concieve a son, to keep the King happy. This was ofcourse high treason!!! to plan to put a bastard on the throne of England, let alone the fact that the child would be a bastard of a commoner and not of the Kings royal blood. Both Kathryn and Jane apparently had a lack of discression and word soon got around the court of what was going on. One morning in the Royal Chaple a note was secretly placed, adressed to the King, informing him of his wife's indiscressions, along with Janes help!! At first Henry refused to belive it but when the whole affair finally came to light, he flew into the famous Tudor Rage, and sent both Jane and Kathryn to Syon house underhouse arrest, before their executions!!! Jane went compleatly insane at this point and Herny had to make Parliment pass an act to make executing the insane legal, as Jane had compleatly lost her mind. The act was passed swiftly, and the axe fell just as quick on the 13th of February 1542. Kathryn was executed first aged just 17, then Jane aged about 37 offered her neck to the axeman on a block still wet and warm with the blood of her mistress and friend Kathryn. By all counts Jane was rather composed at the end...after all, she was born of noble blood, but had told some horrible lies in her life, and some would say her end was justified, but I dont think so...she was just an unfortunate, pawn in the court of Henry the 8th, perhaps a little unintelligent but her unhappy marriage to George hurt her badly, as it would with any woman....
Sadly I know....I have been there.... (my first marrige that only lasted 2 years)