Wilson, D., The Uncrowned Kings of England: The Black Legend of the Dudley’s (London, 2005).
Wood, M.A.E, Royal and Illustrious Ladies of Great Britain (London, 1846).
Wyatt, M., The Italian Encounter with Tudor England (Cambridge, 2005).
Young, A., Tudor and Jacobean Tournaments (London, 1987).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THE SUPPORT I have received while writing this book has been extraordinary, and there are many people to whom I wish to express my sincerest gratitude. First, to my agent Andrew Lownie, whose excellent idea it was to write a biography of Jane.
I am incredibly grateful to everyone at Michael O’Mara Books, who have made my first experience of publishing such a delight. I would most especially like to thank my wonderful editor, Fiona Slater, for all of her brilliant insights and energy, and for pulling the book into such good shape. Also my publicist, Clara Nelson, for all of her enthusiasm, and the rest of the amazing sales team. Thanks are also due to Michael O’Mara and Hugh Barker for suggesting a new approach to the book.
There are three special ladies to whom I will be forever thankful. Alison Weir, for tirelessly championing me over the past ten years. Without Alison’s belief in me I would never have made it to university to study history, let alone considered a career in writing. Tracy Borman, for her steadfast confidence in my abilities, and kind words that have given me a boost on many occasions. Sarah Gristwood, for her endless patience, enthusiasm and encouragement. You are all inspirational, and I cannot thank you enough for your friendship.
Rosa O’Neill, Dr David Butterfield, Philip Langford and his colleagues have all kindly helped with the translation and transcription of documents, and I am also grateful to Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch for allowing me to use his translation of a key document. Marilyn Roberts generously helped with the construction of family trees.
Thanks to Tony Tuckwell, who selflessly gave up his time to show me around New Hall School, and shared his extensive knowledge with me. Peter Tyldesley, Director of Bradgate Park, who allowed me to see the ruins of the house out of season, and was enthusiastically informative when it came to Bradgate’s history. The staff at the British Library, the National Archives, Surrey History Centre, and New College Library, Oxford, have been both helpful and accommodating, while Kim Gibbon, Sean Milligan and Andrew Tongue generously allowed me to include several of their excellent photographs.
I am fortunate to have an amazing family and friends who have always had unwavering faith in me, but there are several who deserve special thanks. My dear friend Kirsty Saul and Laura Montacute who took the time to read part of the book and make helpful suggestions. Also John and Jo Marston, who have endlessly encouraged me. Julian Alexander has, on many occasions, given me many sound words of advice, as have Kate Williams and Dan Jones. Thanks also to Sian Cossins, Barry Montacute, Lesley Wilden, Peter Tomlinson, Keita Weston, David Howard and Maria Norris. I should most especially like to pay tribute to my friend the late David Baldwin with whom I was fortunate enough to share many conversations about the Grey family.
Matthew Peters has been my sunshine; thank you for your belief in me and for tirelessly supporting me. Special thanks go to my parents. My mother has always inspired me to follow my dreams, and my father’s insights have been invaluable. Without their help in a multitude of ways, I would never have been able to complete the book. To everyone who has championed me over the years, thank you.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon. The marriage of Jane’s maternal grandparents was a love match, and it was through Mary that Jane inherited her royal blood.
The tomb of Jane’s mother, Frances Brandon, in St Edmund’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey. The nature of the relationship that Jane shared with her mother has been hotly debated for centuries.
Lady Katherine Grey. Jane’s sister was reputed to be the beauty of the family, and was married in the same ceremony as Jane and Guildford.
Lady Mary Grey. Jane’s youngest sister was later described as a hunchback, but nevertheless travelled with and was educated alongside her sisters.
Jane’s tutor, John Aylmer. Jane flourished under Aylmer’s tutelage, and she inspired his most fervent admiration.
The beautiful ruins of Bradgate Park in Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire. It was here that Jane spent much of her childhood in the company of her sisters.
Jane’s great-uncle Henry VIII. The terms of the King’s will dominated Jane’s future.
Edward VI. Jane’s parents had high hopes of a marriage between Jane and Edward. However, when it became clear that Edward was dying, he eventually named Jane as his heir.
Mary I. The relationship between Jane and her cousin Mary was tumultuous, and eventually Mary was left with no choice but to order Jane’s execution.
Jane’s cousin, the Lady Elizabeth. The two girls spent time together whilst Jane was the ward of Sir Thomas Seymour, but are unlikely to have been close. Elizabeth, however, learned much from Jane’s tragic example before she too wore the crown.
The deathbed of Henry VIII. The King can be seen pointing towards his successor, Edward VI, while the Pope lies crushed at his feet. Members of the Council can also be seen, several of whom were closely associated with Jane. Immediately to the right of Edward is Edward Seymour, the Lord Protector, while two figures down from him is Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. To the right of the Pope is John Dudley, later Duke of Northumberland.
Katherine Parr. This portrait, which was once believed to represent Jane, in fact shows the woman to whom Jane was to grow close, and who doubtless influenced her heavily in matters of religion.
Sir Thomas Seymour. Jane’s guardian was a charismatic man of great charm. He was also greedy and dangerous, though to Jane he appears always to have been a ‘kind and loving father’.
Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire. Jane accompanied Katherine Parr and Sir Thomas Seymour to Sudeley in June 1548.
Durham House. It was here that Jane was married to Guildford Dudley on 25 May 1553, and here that her father-in-law rallied Jane’s forces before leaving London in July.
Syon House. Jane was brought to Syon on 6 July 1553, where to her dismay she was informed that she was Queen of England.
‘My Devise for the Succession’. In this extraordinary document, Edward VI sought to alter the line of succession as set out in the terms of his late father’s will, making Jane his heir.
Framlingham Castle, Suffolk. It was from Framlingham that Mary rallied her troops and prepared to fight for her throne in July 1553.
Though much altered due to the damage caused by the Great Fire of London, the Great Hall, Guildhall, was the scene of Jane’s trial.
The White Tower at the Tower of London. The Royal Apartments once occupied by Jane during her reign once adjoined the White Tower, the oldest part of the fortress.
The Queen’s House on Tower Green. In Jane’s lifetime the house was called the Lieutenant’s Lodging, and was the home of Sir John Brydges. The house in which Jane was lodged no longer stands, but once stood to the right of this.
Carving of the name ‘Jane’ in the Beauchamp Tower. It has often been said that this was done by Guildford during his imprisonment in reference to his wife.
Jane’s signature as queen adorns a warrant she issued for cloth. At some point after her brief queenship came to an end, someone deliberately struck out the words ‘the Quene’.
Carving in the Beauchamp Tower of the Dudley arms with elements representing the brothers. The roses represent Ambrose, the oak leaves and acorns are for Robert, the honeysuckle is for Harry, and the gillyflowers are for Jane’s husband, Guildford.
Jane’s treasured prayer book, now in the British Library. The messages Jane and Guildford inscribed for Jane’s father can still be seen on the pages of her only surviving possession.
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche. This iconic painting, completed in 1833, has had a profound impact on public perceptions of Jane as
a tragic victim.
INDEX
Page numbers listed correspond to the print edition of this book. You can use your device’s search function to locate particular terms in the text.
A
Act of Repeal (1553) 217
Act of Restraint of Appeals (1533) 25
Act of Six Articles (1539) 42, 58, 320
Act of Succession (1534), 1st 26
Act of Succession (1536), 2nd 29–30
Act of Succession (1544), 3rd 51, 146
Act of Uniformity (1549) 91
Acts and Monuments (J. Foxe) 94, 266, 282–3
Ainsworth, William Harrison 286
Allington Castle, Kent 244
Anne of Cleves, Queen of England 39
Arthur Grey, Lord Grey de Wilton 136, 331
Arthur, Prince of Wales 22, 312, 314
Arundel, Henry FitzAlan, Lord Maltravers, Earl of 12, 13, 183–4, 186, 194–5, 198, 203, 334, 337, 341, 350
Arundel, William FitzAlan, 11th Earl of 12
Ascham, Alice 99, 102
Ascham, Roger 66, 99–103, 118–19, 309, 328
Ashley, Kate 67, 321
Aske, Christopher 32
Aske, Robert 31, 32, 33
Askew, Anne 57–8, 157–8, 221–2
Astley Castle, Warwickshire 8, 36, 305, 312, 316
Audley House, Essex 43
Audley, Lady Elizabeth 43, 317, 331
Audley, Lady Margaret 43, 143, 317, 331
Audley, Lord 43, 317
Aylmer, John 2–3, 47, 59, 62, 71, 100, 102, 104, 107–9, 119–20
B
Baker, Sir Richard 257
Banks, John 106–7, 114, 232–3, 266, 280–2, 285
Barlow, Robert 44
Basil the Great 124, 329
Bath, John Bourchier, Earl of 174
Battle of Kepel (1531) 59
Baynard’s Castle, London 182–3, 337
Beaulieu Palace, Essex 93–5, 200, 324, 325
Bible 58, 71, 75, 234, 321, 325
Bigod, Sir Francis/Bigod’s rebellion 33, 316
Blount, Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ 8, 314
Boleyn, Anne, Queen of England 22, 24, 25, 26, 28–9, 57, 64, 158, 192, 222, 224, 311, 315, 343
Boleyn, Sir Thomas 22, 28, 315
Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire 31
Bonville, Cecily 8
Book of Common Prayer 91
Boulogne (1544), capture of 52, 324
Bradgate Park, Leicestershire 3, 8, 10, 18, 36–8, 39, 42–3, 44, 47, 48, 62, 92, 106, 277–8, 287, 291, 304–5, 309, 316, 317
Brandon (b. 1516), Henry 6, 314
Brandon (b. 1522), Henry 6, 27, 310–11, 314, 315
Brandon, Anne 7, 311, 317
Brandon, Mary 7, 311, 317
Brandon, Sir Thomas 310
Brandon, William 310
Brock, Robert 10
Brooke, Elizabeth 43, 131, 137, 317, 326, 330, 333
Browne, Anne 310, 311, 324
Browne, Mary 92–3, 324
Browne, Sir Anthony 270, 324
Bruto, Giovanni 48
Brydges, Lieutenant Sir John 199, 237–8, 251, 253, 270, 271, 344, 348
Brydges, Thomas 237, 275, 276, 344
Bucer, Martin 110–11, 327
Buckden Palace, Cambridgeshire 115–16, 327
Bullinger, Heinrich 2, 42, 46, 58, 59, 103, 106–10, 111–14, 119–20, 127, 169, 232–3, 243–4, 266, 280–2
C
Carew, Sir Peter 245–6, 256, 345
Caroline, Princess of Wales 285
Catholicism 21, 30–1, 42, 57, 59, 91, 94, 127, 128, 143, 152, 155, 183, 209, 210, 211, 231, 243–4, 295
England under Queen Mary 196, 209, 213, 215–17, 233, 235, 239, 240–1, 244
Cavendish, George 283
Cavendish, Lord 97
Cavendish, Sir William 44, 318
Cawarden, Sir Thomas 139–40
Cecil, Lady Mildred 122–4, 322, 328
Cecil, Sir William 105–6, 116, 123, 124, 131, 184
Chaloner, Sir Thomas 49, 284, 309, 349
Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London 277, 278, 307, 341–2, 350
Chapuys, Eustace 10, 11, 24, 27, 28, 56, 319, 326, 343
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor 10–11, 22, 24, 27, 91, 98, 99, 155, 161, 166, 215, 235, 239–40, 242, 314, 342
see also Imperial ambassadors
Charterhouse, Sheen 121–2, 124–5, 141, 201, 242, 246
Cheke, Sir John 127, 197–8, 339
Chelsea Manor, London 63, 64, 148
Chelsea Old Church, London 305, 330
Cheyne, Sir Thomas 191, 192, 338
Christmas (1553) 239, 241–2
Christmas at Tilty Abbey (1549) 95–7
Church of England 21, 25, 30, 57
see Catholicism; evangelicals/reformers; Protestantism; Reformation of the Church
Churching of Women 18
Claude of France, Queen 22, 314
Clement of Igtham Mote, Sir Richard 37, 316
Clement VII, Pope 24, 25
Clifford, Lady Eleanor
see Cumberland, Eleanor Brandon, Countess of
Clifford, Lady Margaret 54, 325, 329–30
Clifford, Lord Henry 13, 30, 31, 315, 318
Clinton, Lord 253
Commendone, Giovanni 150, 152, 170, 204–5, 267, 273–4, 280, 350
coronation, Queen Mary’s 217
Courtenay, Edward 234, 245, 340, 345
Coverdale, Miles 71, 74
Cranmer, Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury 25, 30, 55–6, 57, 58, 90–1, 110, 119, 166, 215, 220, 225, 227–8, 315, 327, 329, 344
Croft, Sir James 245, 256
Croke, Richard 9
Cromwell, Thomas 11–12, 13–14, 24, 34, 37, 313, 316, 432
Crown Jewels 159–60, 175–6, 334
Cumberland, Eleanor Brandon, Countess of 6, 13, 30, 31–2, 53, 54–5, 94, 310, 313, 315, 316, 317, 319, 325
Cumberland, Henry, Earl of 13, 31, 32, 316, 325, 329–30
D
Dacre, Lord 174
de Worde, Wynkyn 19
Decades (H. Bullinger) 46, 58, 59, 112, 114
Dekker, Thomas 284–5
Delaroche, Paul 285–6
dissolution of the monasteries 30–1, 121, 122
divorce of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon 22–6, 110
Dorset House, Strand 3–4, 18, 19, 60, 62, 88, 105, 121, 309–10, 316, 317
Dorset, Thomas, 1st Marquess of Dorset 8, 36, 311
Dorset, Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of 8, 10, 12, 36, 312, 335
Dudley, Ambrose 198, 220, 223, 226, 227–8, 238, 291, 330–1, 335, 350–1
Dudley Castle, West Midlands 133, 330
Dudley, Edmund 90, 291, 341
Dudley, Henry (d.1544) 330, 343
Dudley, Henry (Duke of Northumberland’s cousin) 170, 335
Dudley, Henry ‘Harry’ (b. 1538) 134, 198, 220, 223, 226, 227–8, 238, 291, 317, 331, 335, 343, 350
Dudley, John 133, 198, 207, 209, 330, 331, 335, 342, 350
Dudley, Katherine 135, 136, 331
Dudley, Robert 170, 198, 239, 291, 295, 330, 331, 335, 339, 342, 350–1
Dudley, Sir Andrew 136, 175, 198, 329, 331
Durham Place, Strand 138–9, 141, 147, 148, 172, 331
E
Edward III of England, King 56, 293
Edward IV of England, King 7, 34, 311, 312, 321, 339, 340
Edward V of England, King 339
Edward VI of England, King 2, 16, 34, 35, 42, 51–2, 53, 54, 56, 58, 60–1, 63, 64, 66, 69, 71, 84, 88–9, 93, 97, 98, 99, 105, 110, 116, 120–1, 125, 128–9, 132, 136–7, 138, 158, 315, 319, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 330, 342
Devise for the Succession 143, 144–7, 148–9, 152, 164–5, 208, 332
ill health and death 126, 128–30, 142–3, 149–50, 151, 154, 160, 162, 333
religion 90–1, 119, 126–7, 215, 216, 217, 320, 324, 340
Elisabeth of France, Princess 89
Elizabeth of York, Queen 19
Elizabeth, Princess/Lady (Elizabeth I, Queen) 26, 28, 29, 30, 44, 45, 49, 52, 54, 64, 66, 67, 84, 86, 93, 111, 120, 128, 129–30, 131, 132, 138, 143, 144–5, 149, 153, 155, 203, 218, 241, 244–5, 249, 254, 256, 292, 293, 294–5. 318, 320, 321, 324, 329, 345, 351
Ellen, Mistress 193, 272, 273, 275, 328, 338
evangelicals/reformers 21, 42, 56, 57, 91, 106–7, 112, 325
see also Church of England; Protestantism; Reformation of the Church
Execution of Lady Jane Grey (P. Delaroche) 285–6
F
Feckenham, Dr John 259–63, 270, 273–4, 275, 281, 299–303, 348
FitzAlan, Katherine (Earl of Arundel’s 1st wife) 12–13, 313, 334
FitzAlan, Katherine (Earl of Arundel’s sister) 12, 350
Florio, Michelangelo 3, 48–9, 104, 136, 221, 234, 238, 265, 318, 331, 348, 350
food poisoning at Jane Grey’s wedding 140, 141, 142
Foxe, John 88, 93, 94, 95, 231, 234, 262, 266, 282–3, 320
Framlingham Castle, Suffolk 176, 186, 194–5
France, English invasion of 51, 52, 318
Frances, Marchioness of Dorset 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13–16, 17, 18, 21, 25–6, 27, 28, 30, 31, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40–1, 42–5, 46, 47–8, 53, 54–5, 61–2, 65, 78–80, 81–2, 83, 88, 97, 114–15, 116, 124–5, 130–3, 136, 143–4, 145, 151, 216, 218, 292, 293, 308–9, 310, 311, 313, 314, 317, 318, 319, 325, 338
allegations of Jane Grey’s abuse 100–4
Jane Grey’s accession to the throne 156, 162, 171, 335
and Queen Mary 94, 127, 128, 144, 190–1, 192, 200–2, 218, 246–7, 291–2, 325, 346, 350
Francis I of France, King 6, 35, 311, 314
G
Gage, Constable Sir John 198–9, 209, 221, 224, 339
gambling 38, 44, 62, 96
Gates, Sir John 177, 211, 341
Glasse of Synnefull Soule (M. d’Angoulême) 39, 318