Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
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Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (; – 13 February 1542) was an English noblewoman. Her husband,
George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford ( – 17 May 1536) was an English courtier and nobleman who played a prominent role in the politics of the early 1530s as the brother of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII. George was the mate ...
, was the brother of
Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...
, the second wife of King
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
, and a cousin to King Henry VIII's fifth wife
Catherine Howard Catherine Howard ( – 13 February 1542) was Queen of England from July 1540 until November 1541 as the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a first cousin to Anne Boleyn (the second ...
, making Jane a
cousin-in-law A cousin is a relative who is the child of a parent's sibling; this is more specifically referred to as a first cousin. A parent of a first cousin is an aunt or uncle. More generally, in the kinship system used in the English-speaking world, c ...
. Jane had been a member of the household of Henry's first wife,
Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...
. It is possible that she played a role in the verdicts against, and subsequent executions of, her husband and Anne Boleyn. She was later a
lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...
to Henry's third and fourth wives, and then to his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, with whom she was executed.


Early life

Born Jane Parker, she was the daughter of
Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley (1476/1480/14813 December 1553/1556), (notes to Parliamentary records show this as 25 November 1556) was an England, English peerage, peer and translator, Lord of Morley Saint Botolph, Morley, Hingham, Norfolk, H ...
, and Alice St. John, great-granddaughter of
Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso Margaret Beauchamp ( – before 3 June 1482) was the oldest daughter of Sir John Beauchamp of Bletsoe, and his second wife, Edith Stourton. She was the maternal grandmother of Henry VII. Biography Margaret Beauchamp, born about 1410, was th ...
. Through Margaret, Jane was a distant relation of King
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
— specifically his half-second-cousin – and this, in turn, made her a
second cousin once removed A cousin is a relative who is the child of a parent's sibling; this is more specifically referred to as a first cousin. A parent of a first cousin is an aunt or uncle. More generally, in the kinship system used in the English-speaking world, c ...
of all of the King's children, including her niece-by-marriage,
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
. She was born in
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
around the year 1505; her family were wealthy, well-connected, politically active and respected members of the English nobility. Her father was an intellectual, with a great interest in culture and education. She was sent to the royal court in her early teens, certainly before her fifteenth birthday, where she joined the household of King Henry VIII's first wife,
Katherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until its annulment on 23 May ...
. She is recorded as having accompanied the royal party on the state visit to France in 1520, "
The Field of the Cloth of Gold The Field of the Cloth of Gold (, ) was a summit meeting between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France from 7 to 24 June 1520. Held at Balinghem, between Ardres in France and Guînes in the English Pale of Calais, it was a ...
". Although it has long been supposed that nothing is recorded of Jane's appearance (and there is no surviving portrait that can be identified as her), her biographer
Julia Fox Julia Fox (born February 2, 1990) is an Italian and American actress, model, and media personality. Her debut performance was in the 2019 film ''Uncut Gems'', for which she was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Ac ...
, in ''Jane Boleyn: The Infamous Lady Rochford'', suggests that there is a very remote chance that a
Holbein Holbein may refer to: *Holbein (surname) *Holbein, Saskatchewan, a small village in Canada *Holbein carpet, a type of Ottoman carpet *Holbein stitch, a type of embroidery stitch * Holbein (crater), a crater on Mercury {{Disambig ...
painting represents a likeness of Jane. Meanwhile, she considers "the best impression we can have of Jane Rochford is Holbein’s drawings of an unknown woman in Tudor dress" (pp. 317–319). She was probably considered attractive, given that she was chosen to appear as one of the lead actresses/dancers in the prestigious ''Château Vert'' masquerade at Court in 1522. The seven performers were selected from the ladies of court in large part for their attractiveness, including the King's sister Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France. Two of the other performers included Jane's future sisters-in-law,
Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), Annie a ...
and
Mary Boleyn Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, (Antonia Fraser, ''The Wives of Henry VIII'' (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1992), p. 119 – 19 or 30 July 1543) was the sister of List of English royal consorts, English queen consort Anne Boleyn, whose fami ...
.


Marriage

In late 1524 or early 1525, she was married to George Boleyn (later Viscount Rochford), brother of Anne Boleyn, who later became the second queen of Henry VIII. At this stage, however, Anne was not completely attached to the King, although she was already one of the leaders of fashionable society. As a wedding present, King Henry gave Jane and George
Grimston Manor Grimston Manor was a manor house in Norfolk, England. In 1524, it was given to George Boleyn, the first sole grant King Henry VIII made to Boleyn. It is assumed that this was given as a gift on the wedding of George to Jane Parker. Henry VIII was ...
in
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
. Since she gained the
courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but is rather used by custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some context ...
of Viscountess Rochford in 1529 when her husband was made a viscount, she was usually known at court (and by subsequent historians) as "Lady Rochford". As the Boleyn family's wealth and influence increased, the couple were given the
Palace of Beaulieu 350px, Beaulieu Palace circa 1580 The Palace of Beaulieu ( ) or Newhall is a former royal palace in Boreham, Essex, England, north-east of Chelmsford. The surviving part is a Grade I listed building. The property is currently occupied by New Ha ...
in Essex 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 Cloth of gold or gold cloth (Latin: ''Tela aurea'') is a textile, fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spinning (textiles), spun weft—referred to as "a spirally spun gold strip". In most cases, the core yarn is silk, wrapped (''filé'') with a ...
with a white satin canopy, linen quilts and a yellow counterpane. Beaulieu had initially belonged to the Boleyns as one of their country retreats before they sold it to the King, who spent over £17,000 lavishly refurbishing and expanding it. In the early 1530s, it became the main residence of his eldest daughter,
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...
, but when she was banished to
Hatfield House Hatfield House is a Grade I listed English country house, country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean architecture, Jacobean hous ...
, Viscount Rochford was given the house to live in, although the deeds were never formally signed over. Traditionally, George and Jane's marriage has been portrayed as an unhappy one. One modern historian has suggested that George was homosexual. British historian
Alison Weir Alison Weir ( Matthews) is a British author and public historian. She primarily writes about the history of English royal women and families, in the form of biographies that explore their historical setting. She has also written numerous wor ...
concludes that the marriage was unhappy, principally because of George, although she concludes that the exact nature of his sexuality is difficult to ascertain: " talented young man ... he was very good-looking and very promiscuous. In fact, according to George Cavendish, he lived in 'bestial' fashion, forcing widows, deflowering virgins ... ndit has been suggested he indulged in homosexual activity too, but there is no evidence for this, although he may well have committed buggery with female partners." Julia Fox, Jane's most recent biographer, disagrees with both arguments, concluding that the exact nature of the marriage is unclear but suggesting that it was by no means unhappy. The exact nature of her relationship with her royal sister-in-law Anne is not clear either, and there is no evidence as to what she thought of her other sister-in-law, Mary Boleyn, who had been at court with Jane since they were both teenagers. It has been historically assumed that Jane was not overly fond of Anne, allegedly because of Jane's jealousy of her.


Role in husband's execution

After 11 years of marriage, George Boleyn was arrested in May 1536 and imprisoned in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
, accused of having had sexual intercourse with his sister Queen Anne. Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester, is said by contemporaries to have provided the evidence against the Queen and her brother. There was no truth in these rumours, according to the vast majority of contemporary witnesses, but they provided the legal pretext that the Boleyns' enemies needed to bring about the execution of Lord Rochford. Jane was mentioned only once during the trials, when George Boleyn was asked if the Queen had relayed information about Henry's sexual troubles to her. The first mention of any tensions between Jane and her husband came long after their deaths, when George Wyatt called her "wicked wife, accuser of her own husband, even to the seeking of his own blood," in his biography of Queen Anne, but this view would have been informed by the later
Katherine Howard Catherine Howard ( – 13 February 1542) was Queen of England from July 1540 until November 1541 as the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a first cousin to Anne Boleyn (the second ...
episode, when both she and the Queen were executed for treason, and Wyatt's own attempts to exonerate the late Queen Anne. Subsequent generations of historians also believed that Jane's testimony against her husband and sister-in-law in 1536 was motivated by spite rather than any actual belief in their guilt, hence her generally unfavourable historical reputation. A century later, an historian asserted that Jane had testified against them because of her "inveterate hatred" of Queen Anne, which sprang from envy of Anne's superior social skills and George's preference for his sister's company to that of his wife. This assertion is not consistent with the records of the period; not only is there no mention of any serious rift between the couple (and the few mentions of their marriage imply at least a tolerable relationship), but by the time of the death of
Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (; 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was ...
, Jane Rochford had already rebuilt her reputation at court and been one of the Queen's chief mourners. Georgian and Victorian histories pointed to Jane's execution in 1542 to suggest that moral justice had triumphed because "the infamous Lady Rochford ... justly deserved her fate for the concern which she had in bringing Anne Boleyn, as well as her own husband, to the block". This view of Jane as accuser, despite lacking historical proof, gained traction after her death, and was popularised by subsequent historians. This negative view of Jane was rejected by her biographer,
Julia Fox Julia Fox (born February 2, 1990) is an Italian and American actress, model, and media personality. Her debut performance was in the 2019 film ''Uncut Gems'', for which she was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Ac ...
, who believes that Jane actually enjoyed a warm and supportive relationship with Queen Anne and that terror of the palace coup against the Boleyns in 1536 provoked Jane's testimony, which in any case was twisted by the family's enemies. In her 2007 book, Fox writes:


Widowhood

George Boleyn was beheaded on
Tower Hill Tower Hill is the area surrounding the Tower of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is infamous for the public execution of high status prisoners from the late 14th to the mid 18th century. The execution site on the higher gro ...
on 17 May 1536. His final speech was chiefly concerned with promoting his new-found
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
faith. Four other men were executed alongside him, also accused of having been Anne's lovers. Only one,
Mark Smeaton Mark Smeaton ( – 17 May 1536) was a musician at the court of Henry VIII of England, in the household of Queen Anne Boleyn. Smeaton – together with the Queen's brother George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford; Henry Norris, Francis Weston, and Wi ...
, a musician, had confessed, and it was reported that he had been savagely tortured into doing so. Members of the aristocracy and gentry could not legally be tortured. Anne was executed two days later, beheaded by a French swordsman, on
Tower Green Tower Green is a space within the Tower of London, a royal castle in London, where two English people, English Queen consort, Queens consort and several other British nobility, British nobles were Capital punishment, executed by Decapitation, b ...
. Anne's poise and courage at the scaffold were much commented upon, and public opinion in the weeks and months after often "made of Anne a persecuted heroine, bright with promise and goodness as a young woman, beautiful and elegant." It is not known whether Jane witnessed the execution of either her husband or her sister-in-law, but the posthumous sympathy Anne aroused in many meant that many of those linked to her fall were cast in the roles of villains. According to Julia Fox, this explains how Jane's actions were construed as being those of a cruel and jealous intriguer. The immediate aftermath of the fall of the Boleyns was hard for her, both socially and financially. The lands which the Boleyns had built up during Anne Boleyn's reign and over the previous four generations, including the titles
Earl of Wiltshire The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in the Peerage of England, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the marquess. The earldom was ...
and Earl of Ormond, were to pass through the male line only, and thus were lost to the family with George's death. Jane continued to use the
courtesy Courtesy (from the word , from the 12th century) is gentle politeness and courtly manners. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the behaviour expected of the nobility was compiled in courtesy books. History The apex of European courtly culture was ...
title of Viscountess Rochford but without a son she could not benefit from what remained of the Boleyn family fortune. (Modern rumours that George Boleyn, Dean of Lichfield, a colourful character, was the child of Jane and George are now thought to be false.)


Later political intrigues

After her husband's execution, Lady Rochford was absent from court for several months. She spent this time securing her financial position by negotiations with her father-in-law, Sir Thomas Boleyn, but mainly with Thomas Cromwell. The Boleyns eventually allocated her an annual pension of £100, precisely what they had given Mary Boleyn when she had been widowed eight years earlier. It was much less than her previous income, but it was enough to keep her as a noblewoman, which was essential for her return to court, something Jane worked doggedly for. It is unknown when she returned to court, but she was a lady-in-waiting to Queen
Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (; 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was ...
, so she probably returned within a year of her husband's death. As a viscountess, she was allowed to bring a number of her own servants with her, lodge in the King's palaces, and be addressed as "Lady Rochford". Following Jane Seymour's death, the King subsequently married
Anne of Cleves Anne of Cleves (; 28 June or 22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the Wives of Henry VIII, fourth wife of Henry VIII. Little is known about Anne before 1527, ...
, a German princess recommended by Cromwell. However, Henry soon wanted to be rid of Anne, and sought an
annulment Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning alm ...
. In July 1540, Lady Rochford testified that the Queen had confided in her that the marriage had never been consummated. This allowed the King to annul the marriage and marry Katherine Howard, who was related to the Boleyn family through the Howards. Lady Rochford kept her post as lady-in-waiting, now to Queen Katherine. Queen Katherine's past indiscretions were uncovered in the autumn of 1541, and her private life was investigated. The Queen was first detained in her apartments and then placed under house arrest at
Syon Abbey Syon Abbey , also called simply Syon, was a dual monastery of men and women of the Bridgettines, Bridgettine Order, although it only ever had abbesses during its existence. It was founded in 1415 and stood, until its demolition in the 16th cent ...
, a disused convent. Her confidantes and favourites were questioned and their rooms searched. Lady Rochford was herself detained for questioning, implicated in arranging meetings between the Queen and
Thomas Culpeper Thomas Culpeper ( – 10 December 1541) was an English courtier and close friend of Henry VIII, and was related to two of his queens, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. He is known to have had many private meetings with Catherine during he ...
. Jane Rochford was interviewed on 13 November 1541. After her arrest, an inventory was made over her possessions.P.R.O. S.P. 1/167/163-163v


Downfall and execution

During her imprisonment in the Tower, Lady Rochford was interrogated but was not tortured. However, she seems to have suffered a nervous breakdown and by the beginning of 1542 was pronounced insane. Her "fits of frenzy" meant that legally she could not stand trial for her role in facilitating the Queen's alleged adultery, but since he was determined to have her punished, the King implemented a law which allowed the execution of the insane for high treason. Jane was thus condemned to death by an
Act of Attainder A bill of attainder (also known as an act of attainder, writ of attainder, or bill of pains and penalties) is an act of a legislature declaring a person, or a group of people, guilty of some crime, and providing for a punishment, often without a ...
, and the execution date was set for 13 February 1542, the same day as Queen Katherine's execution. The Queen died first, apparently in a weak physical state, although she was not hysterical. Jane was then escorted from her lodgings to the scaffold where she spoke before kneeling on the just-used scaffold. Despite her nervous collapse over the previous months, she was calm and dignified and both women won mild posthumous approval for their behaviour. One eyewitness, a merchant named Ottwell Johnson, wrote that their 'souls ustbe with God, for they made the most godly and Christian end.' The French ambassador Charles de Marillac merely stated that Jane gave a 'long discourse'; Johnson says that she apologised for her 'many sins', but neither man's account supports the later legend that she spoke at length about her late husband or sister-in-law. Jane was beheaded with a single blow of the axe and was buried in the
church of St Peter ad Vincula The Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula ("St Peter in chains") is a Chapel Royal and the former parish church of the Tower of London. The chapel's name refers to the story of Saint Peter's imprisonment under Herod Agrippa in Jerusalem. Situate ...
within the Tower of London alongside Queen Katherine, close to the bodies of Anne Boleyn and Jane's husband George Boleyn.


Genealogical table


In fiction and media


Literature

Lady Rochford has appeared in numerous novels, especially those on Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. ''Vengeance Is Mine'' by Brandy Purdy is written from Lady Rochford's viewpoint. She also features in Robin Maxwell's ''The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn'', Suzannah Dunn's ''The Queen of Subtleties'' and briefly in
Margaret George Margaret George (born 1943) is an American historical novelist specializing in epic fictional biographies. She is known for her meticulous research and the large scale of her books. She is the author of the bestselling novels ''The Autobiograp ...
's ''The Autobiography of Henry VIII''. Jane's character is also mentioned in Wendy J. Dunn's ''Dear Heart, How Like You This?'' which is based on the life of the poet Thomas Wyatt. Rochford is a minor character in ''
Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...
'', the third instalment of
C. J. Sansom Christopher John Sansom (9 December 1952 – 27 April 2024) was a British writer of Historical mystery, historical crime novels, best known for his Shardlake series, Matthew Shardlake series. He also wrote the spy novel ''Winter in Madrid'' and ...
's Shardlake series of murder mystery novels. A larger role is given to Lady Rochford in
Jean Plaidy Eleanor Alice Hibbert (née Burford; 1 September 1906 – 18 January 1993) was an English writer of historical romances. She was a prolific writer who published several books a year in different literary genres, each genre under a different pen ...
's novel ''The Rose Without a Thorn.'' Jane Rochford also appears in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy ''Wolf Hall'' by
Hilary Mantel Dame Hilary Mary Mantel ( ; born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, ''Every Day Is Mother's Day'', was releas ...
. Jane appears in the historical novel ''
The Other Boleyn Girl ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2001) is a historical novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn (the sister of Anne Boleyn) of whom little is known. Inspired by Mary's life s ...
'' by
Philippa Gregory Philippa Gregory (born 9 January 1954) is an English historical novelist who has been publishing since 1987. The best known of her works is ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2001), which in 2002 won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Roman ...
, which tells the story of her other sister-in-law,
Mary Boleyn Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, (Antonia Fraser, ''The Wives of Henry VIII'' (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1992), p. 119 – 19 or 30 July 1543) was the sister of List of English royal consorts, English queen consort Anne Boleyn, whose fami ...
. One of its sequels is '' The Boleyn Inheritance'', which casts Lady Rochford as one of its lead characters and its central villain. It details the final three years of her life and her involvement with Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. ''The Raven's Widow'' by Adrienne Dillard takes a much different tack to previous portrayals. Lady Rochford is shown as a beloved wife and close friend to the Boleyns, her later role in the relationship between Katherine Howard and Thomas Culpeper coming about because of the trauma of her husband's death and the knowledge that disobedience comes at a price.


Film and TV

In the 1970 BBC series '' The Six Wives of Henry VIII'' starring
Keith Michell Keith Joseph Michell (1 December 1926 – 20 November 2015) was an Australian actor who worked primarily in the United Kingdom, and was best known for his television and film portrayals of King Henry VIII. He appeared extensively in Shakespeare ...
as Henry,
Sheila Burrell Sheila Mary Burrell (9 May 1922 – 19 July 2011) was a British actress. A cousin of Laurence Olivier, she was born in Blackheath, London, the daughter of a salesman. She attended St John's, Bexhill-on-Sea and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dra ...
portrayed Lady Rochford. In the '' 2003 TV drama Henry VIII'', Lady Rochford was played by
Kelly Hunter Kelly Hunter (born 21 July 1963) is a British film, television, radio, stage and musical actress, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. She is a Laurence Olivier Award nominee and Radio Academy Award and TMA Awa ...
. In the film
adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...
of Philippa Gregory's novel ''The Other Boleyn Girl'', Jane Boleyn (played by
Juno Temple Juno Temple (born 21 July 1989) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the comedy series ''Ted Lasso'' (2020–2023) and in the fifth season of the crime drama series '' Fargo'' (2023–2024). She earned Primetime Emmy Award nomi ...
) was a minor character. In both these representations, Jane was shown as being a political tool in the hands of her husband's uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, although the presentation of her in ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' was more sympathetic. In the 2003 TV adaptation of Gregory's novel, Jane was played by Zoe Waites. Jane is also represented in seasons two to four of the
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
series ''
The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...
,'' by
Joanne King Joanne King (born 20 April 1983) is an Irish actress. She played Cynthia 'Cyd' Pyke on the BBC One hospital drama ''Casualty'' and Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford in the Showtime 2007–2010 series ''The Tudors''. Private life King was born ...
with Padraic Delaney playing her husband George. In this version, their marriage is miserable, with both pressured into it by their parents and Jane finding it increasingly humiliating to put up with her husband's affair with Mark Smeaton. They are shown frequently arguing and there is one incident of marital rape. However, Jane is not shown as hating Anne and so her betrayal of the Boleyns is motivated by her hatred of George. She befriends Jane Seymour when she becomes Queen, is made her lady-in-waiting and remains a close friend until Queen Jane's death. She remains chief lady-in-waiting, first to Anne of Cleves and then Katherine Howard. She eventually enters into a sexual relationship with
Thomas Culpeper Thomas Culpeper ( – 10 December 1541) was an English courtier and close friend of Henry VIII, and was related to two of his queens, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. He is known to have had many private meetings with Catherine during he ...
, for which there is no known historical basis. She facilitates the affair between Culpeper and Katherine, motivated both by a desire to keep Culpeper (who has a pathological obsession with the young Queen) and out of contempt for Katherine. In ''
Wolf Hall ''Wolf Hall'' is a 2009 historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate, named after the Seymour family's seat of Wolfhall, or Wulfhall, in Wiltshire. Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, ''Wolf Hall'' is a sym ...
'', a TV mini-series adaptation of the historical novel by Hilary Mantel, she was played by
Jessica Raine Jessica Raine (née Lloyd; born 20 May 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Jenny Lee in the television series ''Call the Midwife'' (2012–2014) and Verity Lambert in the television film ''An Adventure in Space and T ...
. Her portrayal, while consistent with negative depictions of her, also stems from the disrespect and neglect she is shown experiencing from both Anne and George Boleyn, which makes her a ready accomplice to the intrigues of Thomas Cromwell. In Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, she was played by
Lydia Leonard Lydia Leonard (born 5 December 1981) is a British actress. She starred in the stage adaptation of Hilary Mantel's ''Bring Up the Bodies''. On television, she is known for her roles in the BBC Two sitcom '' Quacks'' (2017) and the Amazon Prime s ...
. Lydia Leonard starred in the stage adaptation of Hilary Mantel's
Bring Up the Bodies ''Bring Up the Bodies'' is an historical novel by Hilary Mantel, sequel to the award-winning ''Wolf Hall'' (2009), and part of a trilogy charting the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, the powerful minister in the court of King Henry VIII. It won ...
.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rochford, Jane Boleyn, Viscountess
Rochford Rochford is a town and civil parish in the Rochford (district), Rochford District in Essex, England, north of Southend-on-Sea, from London and from Chelmsford. At the 2011 census, the Civil parishes in England, civil parish had a population ...
Executed people from Norfolk Executions at the Tower of London Prisoners in the Tower of London 1500s births 1542 deaths Executed English women Ladies of the Privy Chamber 16th-century English women 16th-century English nobility People executed under the Tudors for treason against England Jane Jane People executed by Tudor England by decapitation People executed under Henry VIII Daughters of barons Rochford, Jane Boleyn, Viscountess of Household of Jane Seymour Household of Anne of Cleves Household of Catherine Howard Household of Catherine of Aragon Executed English nobility