39. The Seymours Got Their First Big Break Thanks to King Henry VIII’s Libido
In the 1530s, the greatest issue roiling English politics was king Henry VIII’s quest for a male heir. His first wife, Katherine of Aragon, had only borne him a daughter, princess Mary, but the king wanted a male heir to feel secure in the continuity of his dynasty. So Henry sought to divorce Katherine and marry Anne Boleyn. After a years-long song and dance between the king and the Pope, who refused to grant a divorce, Henry VIII took England out of the Catholic camp, made the country Protestant, and married Anne. After all that, however, she failed to produce a male heir, only a daughter, princess Elizabeth. Henry VIII soured on Anne, and his wandering eye fell upon Jane Seymour – Thomas Seymour’s sister.