The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: The tragedy of Mary, Katherine and Lady Jane Grey

by Leandade Lisle (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2010

  $4.20

  The dramatic untold story of the Grey sisters, heirs to the Tudor throne. Lady Jane Grey is an iconic figure in English history. Misremembered as the 'Nine Days Queen', she has been mythologized as a child-woman destroyed on the altar of political expediency. Behind the legend, however, was an opinionated and often rebellious adolescent who died a passionate leader, not merely a victim. Growing up in Jane's shadow, her sisters Katherine and Mary would have to tread carefully to survive. The dramatic lives of the younger Grey sisters remain little known, but under English law they were the heirs - and rivals - to the Tudor monarchs Mary and Elizabeth I. The beautiful Katherine ignored Jane's dying request that she remain faithful to her beliefs, changing her religion to retain Queen Mary's favour only to then risk life and freedom in a secret marriage that threatened Queen Elizabeth's throne. While Elizabeth's closest adviser fought to save Katherine, her younger sister Mary remained at court as the queen's Maid of Honour. Too plain to be considered significant, it seemed that Lady Mary Grey, at least, would escape the burden of her royal blood. But then she too fell in love, and incurred the queen's fury. Exploding the many myths of Lady Jane's life and casting fresh light onto Elizabeth's reign, acclaimed historian Leanda de Lisle brings the tumultuous world of the Grey sisters to life, at a time when a royal marriage could gain you a kingdom or cost you everything.

• Used

  Paperback
  2009

  $3.25

  The dramatic untold story of the Grey sisters, heirs to the Tudor throne. Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Day Queen, is one of the most notorious and yet enigmatic figures of Tudor history. Leanda de Lisle, acclaimed author of AFTER ELIZABETH, reveals that alongside her sisters Lady Katherine and Lady Mary, Lady Jane was at the centre of the close-knit circle which dominated mid Tudor Britain. Although ostensibly victims of the succession crisis following the death of Henry VIII, and the paranoia that ensued, the three sisters were dynamic individuals in their own right. Jane's last letter to Katherine exhorted her fourteen year old sister to 'learn how to die' but Katherine passionately wanted to live. She pragmatically changed her religion in order to retain royal favour but then threw it all away to conduct a passionate affair and then marry the man she loved, Edward Seymour. Lady Mary similarly married for love and also suffered the consequences as her husband was for many years gaoled in Fleet Prison and eventually died there.Their story is one in which high politics had the most personal possible impact on the women whose lives it charts, one in which the pressure for royal women to produce legitimate male heirs ended instead in their brutal deaths or enforced celibacy.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2009

  $3.25

  The dramatic untold story of the three tragic Grey sisters, all heirs to the Tudor throne, all victims to their royal blood. Lady Jane Grey is an icon of innocence abused. Remembered as the 'Nine Days Queen', she has been mythologized as a child-woman sacrificed to political expedience. But behind the legend lay a rebellious adolescent who became a leader, and no mere victim. Growing up in her shadow, Jane's sisters Katherine and Mary would have to tread carefully to survive. The dramatic lives of the younger Grey sisters remain little known, but both women became heirs and rivals to the Tudor monarchs, Mary and Elizabeth I. To gain Queen Mary's trust, teenaged Katherine ignored Jane's final request not to change her religion, only to risk her life with a marriage that threatened Queen Elizabeth's throne. While Katherine's friends fought to save her, the youngest Grey sister, Mary, stayed at court. Though too poor and plain to be significant, she looked set to escape the burden of her royal blood. But then she too fell in love and incurred the Queen's fury. Exploding the many myths of Lady Jane's life, and casting fresh light onto Elizabeth's reign, acclaimed historian Leanda de Lisle brings the Grey sisters' tumultuous world to life: at a time when a royal marriage could gain you a kingdom, or cost you everything.

• New

  Paperback
  2010

  $15.47

  The dramatic untold story of the Grey sisters, heirs to the Tudor throne. Lady Jane Grey is an iconic figure in English history. Misremembered as the 'Nine Days Queen', she has been mythologized as a child-woman destroyed on the altar of political expediency. Behind the legend, however, was an opinionated and often rebellious adolescent who died a passionate leader, not merely a victim. Growing up in Jane's shadow, her sisters Katherine and Mary would have to tread carefully to survive. The dramatic lives of the younger Grey sisters remain little known, but under English law they were the heirs - and rivals - to the Tudor monarchs Mary and Elizabeth I. The beautiful Katherine ignored Jane's dying request that she remain faithful to her beliefs, changing her religion to retain Queen Mary's favour only to then risk life and freedom in a secret marriage that threatened Queen Elizabeth's throne. While Elizabeth's closest adviser fought to save Katherine, her younger sister Mary remained at court as the queen's Maid of Honour. Too plain to be considered significant, it seemed that Lady Mary Grey, at least, would escape the burden of her royal blood. But then she too fell in love, and incurred the queen's fury. Exploding the many myths of Lady Jane's life and casting fresh light onto Elizabeth's reign, acclaimed historian Leanda de Lisle brings the tumultuous world of the Grey sisters to life, at a time when a royal marriage could gain you a kingdom or cost you everything.