Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (c. 1505 – February 13, 1542) was an English noblewoman who lived in the reign of Henry VIII. She was a sister-in-law of Henry's second wife Anne Boleyn and lady-in-waiting to his fifth wife Catherine Howard, with whom she was executed. 1505 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events War resumes between Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V. This time Henry VIII of England is allied to the Emperor, while James V of Scotland and Sultan Suleiman I are allied to the French. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort of England, 1st Marchioness of Pembroke[1] (ca. ... Lady in Waiting is an album by American southern rock band The Outlaws, released in 1976. ... Cathrine Howard (between 1520 and 1525 – 13 February 1542), also called Katherine Howard[1] was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England (1540-1542), and sometimes known by his reference to her as the rose without a thorn. Her birth date and place of birth is unknown, (occasionally cited...

Early life and marriage

Born Jane Parker, she was the daughter of Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley and Alice St John (the eldest daughter of Sir John St John), both from old English families with Roman Catholic tendencies. She was born in Norfolk in England. Sometime around 1524, she was married to George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, the brother of Lady Anne Boleyn, later the second queen of King Henry VIII. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Norfolk (IPA: //) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Events March 1, 1524/5 - Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. ... George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (c. ... “Henry VIII” redirects here. ...

Lady Rochford's relationship with her Boleyn in-laws was not easy. She plotted with her sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn, to banish one of the King's mistresses from Court in 1535. When the King discovered her involvement, Lady Rochford was exiled for a few months instead. pie is nice Year 1535 was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ...

Lady Rochford's marriage was particularly unhappy. It has been suggested by one modern historian that this may have been caused by her husband being a homosexual. However, this idea has been rejected by most other experts, who have highlighted alternative contemporary evidence which indicates that George Boleyn had a reputation as a noted womaniser, which might explain the marriage's miserable status. There is a strong possibility that the marriage did produce one son, however, who later became Dean of Lichfield. The documentary evidence for this is scarce and it may be that the Dean was the son of a Boleyn cousin. Professor Retha M. Warnicke (b. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ...

George Boleyn was arrested in May 1536 and imprisoned in the Tower of London, accused of sleeping with his sister, the queen. It was Lady Rochford's sworn affidavit which helped convict him of incest and treason, stating that she believed that he and his sister Anne had been involved in a sexual relationship since the winter of 1535. There was no proof in these rumours, but they provided the legal pretext which the Boleyns' enemies needed to send Lord Rochford to the block on May 17th. Queen Anne followed two days later, accused of witchcraft, treason and adultery with five other men as well. She and George both protested their innocence before their deaths and Lady Rochford's involvement in their destruction earned her a notorious reputation. For other uses, see May (disambiguation). ... Year 1536 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is an historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ... pie is nice Year 1535 was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... “Witch” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Treason (disambiguation) or Traitor (disambiguation). ... This article is about the act of adultery. ...

Later political intrigues

Following her husband's execution, Lady Rochford was absent from court until she gained a place in the household of another of the king's wives, Anne of Cleves. Lady Rochford would later testify in July 1540 to aid the King's divorce from her, stating that his 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 then-mistress, Catherine Howard. Anne of Cleves (22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) was the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. ... Year 1540 was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse. ...

Lady Rochford then became Lady of the Privy chamber to the new queen and she exerted considerable influence over her. When the teenaged queen grew bored with her husband, it was Lady Rochford who helped organise secret meetings between queen Catherine and the handsome courtier Thomas Culpepper. Catherine Howard was most certainly unchaste before her marriage, however, while it is believed that Catherine's relationship with Culpepper became an adulterous affair there is no factual evidence for this. The Privy Chamber is part of the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, where the Sultans have used as office and also kept the Sacred Trusts. ... Thomas Culpeper (ex. ...

Downfall and execution

When the King began his progress to the North of England in June 1541, Queen Catherine and Lady Rochford's indiscretions could no longer be hidden from the rest of the court. Protestant courtiers unearthed enough evidence to prove that queen had not been a virgin when she married the King in 1540, and they later discovered a love letter she had written to Culpeper which mentioned Lady Rochford as their go-between.

She was arrested and taken to the Tower, where she was interrogated for many months, but as an aristocrat she was not tortured. Under the psychological pressure, she lost her sanity. The King had to order a new law which allowed the execution of the insane in order to have her condemned to death.

She was executed immediately after Queen Catherine on 13 February 1542, by a skilled axe-man. According to reliable sources she confessed before her death, "God has permitted me to suffer this shameful doom as punishment for having contributed to my husband's death. I falsely accused him of loving in an incestuous manner, his sister, Queen Anne. For this I deserve to die." She was buried in the Tower of London along with Catherine Howard, and very close to the bodies of Anne Boleyn and George Boleyn.

In fiction and history

Understandably, historians have been highly critical of Lady Rochford. She is generally condemned for her role in assisting the attack on the Boleyns in 1536. The only historian to question her role in this is Retha Warnicke, author of The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn. However, much of what Warnicke has said over the events of 1536 is either disputed or disproved. There is an enormous amount of evidence to suggest that Lady Rochford was actively involved in her husband's downfall and her treachery is explored in Eric Ives's biographies of Queen Anne, published in 1986 and 2004; Joanna Denny's 2004 biography of Queen Anne and many older historical texts on the Queen's life. Professor Retha M. Warnicke (b. ... Year 1536 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In fiction, Lady Rochford has appeared in numerous novels, especially those on Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. She features in Robin Maxwell's The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, Suzannah Dunn's The Queen of Subtleties and briefly in Margaret George'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 Sir Thomas Wyatt. She is a minor character in Sovereign, the third installment of C.J. Sansom's Shardlake series, set in 16th century England. A larger role is given to Lady Rochford in Jean Plaidy's novel The Rose Without a Thorn. Margaret George (born in 1943) is an American historian and historical novelist, writing historical biographies. ... Two Tudor noblemen, a father and son, were named Thomas Wyatt: Thomas Wyatt (poet) Thomas Wyatt the younger This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... C. J. Sansom is an English writer of crime novels. ... Jean Plaidy was a pen name of British author Eleanor Hibbert, also known as Philippa Carr and Victoria Holt. ...

She appears in the historical romance The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory which tells the story of her other sister-in-law, Mary Boleyn. One of the sequels to The Other Boleyn Girl, is "The Boleyn Inheritance", which casts Lady Rochford as one of its lead characters and details the final three years of her life and her role in the careers of Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard. For the 2007 film based on the novel, see The Other Boleyn Girl (film) The Other Boleyn Girl is a historical novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn. ... Philippa Gregory (born 9 January 1954) is a British novelist, mainly associated with the historical fiction genre. ... Mary Boleyn (c. ... For the 2007 film based on the novel, see The Other Boleyn Girl (film) The Other Boleyn Girl is a historical novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn. ... The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel by British author Philippa Gregory which was first published in 2006. ... Anne of Cleves (22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) was the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. ... Cathrine Howard (between 1520 and 1525 – 13 February 1542), also called Katherine Howard[1] was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England (1540-1542), and sometimes known by his reference to her as the rose without a thorn. Her birth date and place of birth is unknown, (occasionally cited...

Lady Rochford's character did not appear in the opulent 1969 Oscar-winner Anne of the Thousand Days, where Geneviève Bujold played Anne Boleyn and Richard Burton played King Henry VIII. Neither did her character appear in the 1973 movie Henry VIII and his Six Wives. She did appear, briefly, in the 1933 film The Private Life of Henry VIII, where she was played by Judy Kelly. Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Anne of the Thousand Days is an Academy Award-winning 1969 costume drama made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other persons named Richard Burton, see Richard Burton (disambiguation). ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Private Life of Henry VIII is a 1933 film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. ...

In the 1971 BBC series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Lady Rochford was played by Sheila Burrell. She appeared in four episodes - those on Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard. Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with The Six Wives of Henry VIII (documentary), a more recent Channel 4 documentary series on the subject by David Starkey. ... Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort of England, 1st Marchioness of Pembroke[1] (ca. ... For the actress, see Jane Seymour (actress). ... Anne of Cleves (22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) was the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. ... Cathrine Howard (between 1520 and 1525 – 13 February 1542), also called Katherine Howard[1] was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England (1540-1542), and sometimes known by his reference to her as the rose without a thorn. Her birth date and place of birth is unknown, (occasionally cited...

In the British 2-part television drama Henry VIII in 2003, Lady Rochford was played by British actress, Kelly Hunter. She appeared opposite Helena Bonham Carter as Anne Boleyn, Emily Blunt as Catherine Howard and Dominic Maffian as George Boleyn. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Helena Bonham Carter (born May 26, 1966) is an Academy Award-nominated British actress, known for her roles in the films A Room with a View, Howards End, and Fight Club. ... Emily Olivia L. Blunt (born February 23, 1983) is a Golden Globe Award-winning English actress best known for her work in the films My Summer of Love and her appearance as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada and she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture on... George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (c. ...

She did not appear in the BBC's adaptation of The Other Boleyn Girl in 2003, though a character is credited as Jane Parker - her maiden name- played by Zoe Waites. In the 2007 remake of the book, she is played by Juno Temple and is credited as 'Jane Parker'. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Juno Temple (born in June of 1989) is an English actress. ...

Lady Rochford also appears in C.J. Sansom's Sovereign in 2006, a book from the Shardlake series about a lawyer in Tudor England. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...