Masterpiece Theater

The Six Wives of Henry VIII (3) Jane Seymour (1x44)

Air date: Jan 15, 1972

The third episode of the series is told in flashback, as Queen Jane Seymour lies on her deathbed, after giving birth to Henry's sole male heir, Prince Edward. Anxious to rid himself of the shrewish Anne Boleyn, and desperate for a son, Henry is charmed by the naive and pious Jane, the daughter of a wealthy country aristocrat. Political and religious turmoil threaten their happy marriage, as Catholic and Protestant factions clash but Jane is able to provide King Henry with his long-awaited male heir. Tragically, it is at the cost of her own life as she dies six days after her son's birth.