Only in the epilogue to Jane Boleyn, after the subject's beheading, do readers learn origin of her "infamous" character. In Fox's account, Jane's sole misstep was not retiring to the country to live in obscurity when she had a chance. In the service of fifth wife Catherine Howard, she was condemned for keeping the queen's secrets (what ladies were expected to do) when her ultimate allegiance should have been to the king. When Anne and George lost their heads for treason against their king, Jane miraculously survived to live temporarily in reduced circumstances until she reentered court to serve Henry's third, fourth, and fifth wives. Jane only did as expected in serving her sister-in-law, prospering with her new family while Henry's beneficence lasted. When Henry broke his bonds with Catherine and the Roman Catholic Church, he married Anne Boleyn, George's sister. Her parents aspired to have her marry well, so she was sent to serve Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Why does Julia Fox use the word "infamous" in the title of her book Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford? As described by Fox, the sister-in-law of Henry VIII's second wife seemed to have been just a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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