It took three days and two nights for Prince Edward to make his way into the world. According to modern experts, this was probably because the baby was awkwardly positioned in the womb, making it more difficult for Jane. At one point, the queen's physicians were struggling with the idea of having to forcibly cut the child out of Jane's belly - which would obviously kill her, considering the lack of medical expertise in the sixteenth century. Showtime's The Tudors shows this scene in season three, when the King is confronted with the decision he may have to make between the life of the mother and the life of the child. Of course, we can imagine how difficult such a thought would be for him - how could he risk the life of his (possible) male heir? If he risked Jane's life, however, and the child turned out to be a useless girl, he would certainly regret it. We can only imagine the stress and concern this put on the king, who was surely in a constant state of prayer for the life of both his male child and his queen. Thankfully, around two o'clock in the morning on 12 October, the baby was finally born - much to Jane's relief, we can be sure. To everyone's relief, the baby was in fact a boy! Henry was immediately informed and thanked God for the birth of his heir. Finally, his dearest wish had come true! Because this was the eve of St. Edward the Confessor's feast day, the baby boy was named Edward.
But would this joy last? Unfortunately in about a week and a half we will see that this celebration was actually short-lived. The happy, exciting, promising birth of the heir would also mean the loss of the mother and the king's most beloved wife.