Did Jane Seymour die of complications from a Caesarean section?
This rumor has been around for a long time, but it’s not true. Jane actually lived several days after the birth of her son, Edward, and was able to greet well-wishers. But she soon succumbed to a violent fever and died. Most historians believe she died from puerperal sepsis, an infection which killed many new mothers. Keep in mind that, even today, childbirth is a dangerous and bloody business. In the 16th century, standards of hygiene were very lax. Puerperal sepsis caused severe fevers, delusions and was almost always fatal. Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Katharine Parr, would also die from it. Was Anne of Cleves really that ugly? It’s ironic to me that, of all of Henry’s six wives, the one who is most attractive to modern eyes is the one he divorced for being a ‘Flanders mare’. You can look at portraits of Anne and decide for yourself. It was probably a simple case of ‘chemistry’, or a lack thereof. You want to kiss some people and you don’t want to kiss others – why? Henry VIII simply wa
