Different Tudors: Jane Seymour lives (longer)

[oshron]

i wonder how many threads about the Tudors i'll make before i'm satisfied?

i was just going over British history (again) and a potential divergence came to me: what if, instead of dying of puerperal sepsis ten days after giving birth to her son Edward, Jane Seymour survived a bit longer to either live out her days as Henry's wife without any other children, or potentially has more children with him? i won't give a specific POD for this, because i don't know enough about Jane Seymour to be able to give one, though the earliest limit here would be immediately after her birth to allow for whatever butterflies one wants to prevent her death at about 30 years of age.

 

[Alex Richards]

Jane was definately Henry's favourite wife. I think even if she doesn't have any more children she'd be something of a calming influence on Henry. The PoD could also lead to Edward being less of a sickly child and living longer himself.

Thoughts on this: Cromwell probably doesn't get executed as the whole complicated mess with Catherine Howard is avoided. Hans Holbein paints a few less portraits of European nobility. If Jane manages to outlive Henry (and Henry dies at about the same time which is not certain) she's probably named regent/given an important position in the regency council.

Anne of Cleves IIRC was OTL a great freind of Henry if not a suitable wife in his opinion, and Catherin Parr helped to reconcile Henry with his daughters. Jane might also do this if she survives and is wife as Henry approaches his old age, especially if she has another son further securing her position.

 

[aktarian]

How does her catholicism affect future CoE?

 

[Basileus Giorgios]

Jane was definately Henry's favourite wife. I think even if she doesn't have any more children she'd be something of a calming influence on Henry. The PoD could also lead to Edward being less of a sickly child and living longer himself.

Thoughts on this: Cromwell probably doesn't get executed as the whole complicated mess with Catherine Howard is avoided. Hans Holbein paints a few less portraits of European nobility. If Jane manages to outlive Henry (and Henry dies at about the same time which is not certain) she's probably named regent/given an important position in the regency council.

Anne of Cleves IIRC was OTL a great freind of Henry if not a suitable wife in his opinion, and Catherin Parr helped to reconcile Henry with his daughters. Jane might also do this if she survives and is wife as Henry approaches his old age, especially if she has another son further securing her position.

I thought Edward was always quite a healthy and strong child? IIRC, the illness that killed him was the first serious illness he'd had since being a toddler.

As for wider impacts, yeah, I'd say that Cromwell keeps his head for a time, though the Seymour brothers are ambitious, so how long he'll be able to outfox them for is up for debate. Still, continuing Cromwellian policies into the 1540s probably mean a somewhat better governed England for a while longer, which means the reign of Edward VI will be somewhat less difficult for all concerned.

As for Jane directly, I can see her having at least one more child, though, knowing Henry's luck it'll probably be another girl- what'd she be called? I'm guessing Margaret? Jane was quite close to Mary Tudor IIRC and helped rehabilitate her, so perhaps Mary will be married off sometime around 1540.

 

[oshron]

okay, so now let's suppose that Jane has Edward with no trouble, lives for a few years, and goes on to have a daughter, Margaret. since Henry VIII has a male heir now, this wouldn't impact him as much as other OTL daughter-births did. but what if Jane still dies after giving birth to Margaret in, say, 1540? and what if, purely by chance, Edward died as well shortly thereafter? would Henry VIII still have time to try and remarry (not necessarily to Anne of Cleves or any of his other OTL wives after Jane Seymour) and procure another heir?