Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery

Lady Jane Grey is the queen England rejected and one of the most elusive and tragic characters in English history. Here, Eric Ives, master historian and storyteller presents a compelling new interpretation of Jane and her role in the accession crisis of 1553, with wide-ranging implications for our understanding of the workings of Tudor politics and the exercise of power in early modern England.

• Presents a vivid portrait of Lady Jane Grey, one of the least studied figures of English history, depicting Jane as a forceful, educated individual
• Subjects Jane’s writings to an original literary and religious analysis
• Demonstrates that Edward VI’s will gave Jane and her supporters strong legal grounds for her claim to the throne
• Offers a fresh assessment of other characters involved in the 1553 accession crisis: including Edward VI; Mary Tudor; and John Dudley, the duke of Northumberland
• Illuminates the inner workings of Tudor politics and the exercise of power in Early Modern England

Amazon Exclusive: Commentary from Author Eric Ives

In Lady Jane Grey, Eric Ives, author of The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, explores one of the most elusive characters in British history. Jane Grey was queen for only 13 days—not nine as has been traditionally thought—before being sent to the Tower of London and later beheaded. Get an inside look at main characters and their motivations in this Tudor mystery with portraits and illustrations from inside the book.

Anon., Edward VI and the Pope (c. 1570)

Back row left to right: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Edward Seymour duke of Somerset; Thomas Seymour Lord Sudeley; Thomas Cranmer; John Russell, earl of Bedford; William Paget (?)
Front row left to right: John Dudley, earl of Warwick; Cuthbert Tunstal; William Paulet, Lord St. John (?)

Edward VI, the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, died unexpectedly at the age of 16 without a male heir. Contrary to popular belief, Edward wanted to reinstate the traditional rules of succession rather than subvert them. He left several detailed versions of his plans for the royal succession, which corrected the mess his father had made of the rules of succession. Edward’s plan recognized that the rightful queen was Jane Grey, his Protestant cousin, not his Catholic (and illegitimate) sister, Mary.

Anon., Jane Grey (c. 1590) [the ‘Houghton Jane’]

Images of Jane Grey have been much contested, but this painting, published for the first time, is her best likeness. Jane Grey, the cousin of Edward VI, was the presumed heir to the throne after his death. Described as “very short and thin, but prettily shaped and graceful” and “a gracious and animated figure” by a contemporary, her role in history is difficult to trace since she died at the age of 16 and did not leave much impact on the historical record. However, she was greatly admired for her scholarly achievement. With the backing of John Dudley, earl of Warwick and duke of Northumberland, she was proclaimed Queen on July 10, 1553.

Hans Eworth, Mary I

Jane’s cousin and the daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, Mary was more than 20 years older than Jane. In 1553, at the age of 37, Mary was short, skinny, and myopic. She was also armored with an absolute conviction about her duty to God, and was prepared to do whatever it took to ascend the throne and return the country to Catholicism. With the help of key supporters and an unexpected turn of events, Mary deposed Jane in a political coup that led Jane to the scaffold.

Anon., Henry Grey, marquis of Dorset, duke of Suffolk (engraving of lost portrait 1826)

Henry Grey, Jane’s father, married Henry VIII’s niece Frances in 1533. Henry ignored him, but he came to favor under Edward. Mary pardoned him for supporting Jane in July 1553, but six months later he joined a conspiracy to stop her marrying Philip II of Spain. Mary panicked and had Jane executed.