Miscellaneous Things

Jane Boleyn:

The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford

by Julia Fox

Published by Ballantine Books

A Review

By

Colin Edwards

There may come a time – not in my life certainly, when those clever people at Microsoft or Google, will build a time machine. Then, with a few deft keystrokes, anyone with sufficient funds to stump up the registration, will be able to travel back in time and confirm or otherwise the popular conceptions of history.

Until then, we must rely on Julia Fox and her ilk to wade through the sources and present us with their opinion of what happened where and when. She does so with admirable perspicacity

Julia Fox has been very courageous in choosing a subject that has been written to death (3 million internet hits), in both fact and fiction. However, as everyone has access to the same primary sources, it is not everyone that can tease out the plausibility from the preconceived notions as well as Ms Fox does.

This is Fox’s first book and it is beautifully written. From the first chapter it is apparent that she is an experienced researcher and teacher. She also has an eye for beauty. Her descriptions of the Tudor ladies wardrobes, betray an author with an eye for style.

This is the story of the trials and tribulations and ultimate undoing of Jane Boleyn (née Parker), Lady Rochford, wife of George Boleyn who was Anne Boleyn’s brother. Fox attempts to buck the trend and redeem the oft disparaged viscountess. She elevates her from the ‘Great Whore’ and ‘Wicked Wife’ of other publications, to innocent victim in her own.

Opinions vary whether the lady brought wretchedness upon herself through treachery, or was just a victim of circumstance. Fox suggests the latter, and I am persuaded.

In the life and death lottery that was King Henry VIII’s court, you win some and you lose some. Losing was rather final as in Jane’s, her husband and sister-in-law’s case, not to mention a few hundred more, but Fox punctuates these personal dilemmas with beautifully drawn descriptions of the pomp and ceremony that occupied the space between the misery.

It would be easy to conclude that when questioned about her Queen’s and husband’s alleged offenses, she betrayed them. That would have been dumb; then and now. And Lady Rochford was anything but dumb. She was a lady-in-waiting to five of Henry’s wives before she lost her head. That would have required some nifty footwork.

There can be little doubt that she was implicated in the machinations of Catherin Howard, but is anyone seriously suggesting that she should have popped along to Henry, and whispered in his ear (perhaps shouting would have been more effective), that his Queen was dallying with half his court?

It must be said however that a majority of the evidence for or against comes from loquacious foreign diplomats. They may or may not have been sympathetic to the English court, and perhaps sprayed their odium where it was most likely to stick.

Julia Fox’s  book is a riveting read. Her points are well made and convincing. Her tone is ‘matter-of-fact ‘and never drifts from know intelligence.

I strongly recommend this book for a first and second reading, and wait with enthusiasm for her next work.