What do you think?
Rate this book
Sisters Who Would Be Queen: Mary, Katherine, and Lady Jane Grey
Mary, Katherine, and Jane Grey-sisters whose mere existence nearly toppled a kingdom and altered a nation's destiny-are the captivating subjects of Leanda de Lisle's new book. The Sisters Who Would Be Queen breathes fresh life into these three young women, who were victimized in the notoriously vicious Tudor power struggle and whose heirs would otherwise probably be ruling England today.
Born into aristocracy, the Grey sisters were the great-granddaughters of Henry VII, grandnieces to Henry VIII, legitimate successors to the English throne, and rivals to Henry VIII's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Lady Jane, the eldest, was thrust center stage by greedy men and uncompromising religious politics when she briefly succeeded Henry's son, the young Edward I. Dubbed "the Nine Days Queen" after her short, tragic reign from the Tower of London, Jane has over the centuries earned a special place in the affections of the English people as a "queen with a public heart." But as de Lisle reveals, Jane was actually more rebel than victim, more leader than pawn, and Mary and Katherine Grey found that they would have to tread carefully in order to avoid sharing their elder sister's violent fate.
Navigating the politics of the Tudor court after Jane's death was a precarious challenge. Katherine Grey, who sought to live a stable life, earned the trust of Mary I, only to risk her future with a love marriage that threatened Queen Elizabeth's throne. Mary Grey, considered too petite and plain to be significant, looked for her own escape from the burden of her royal blood-an impossible task after she followed her heart and also incurred the queen's envy, fear, and wrath.
Exploding the many myths of Lady Jane Grey's life, unearthing the details of Katherine's and Mary's dramatic stories, and casting new light on Elizabeth's reign, Leanda de Lisle gives voice and resonance to the lives of the Greys and offers perspective on their place in history and on a time when a royal marriage could gain a woman a kingdom or cost her everything. "From the Hardcover edition."
Born into aristocracy, the Grey sisters were the great-granddaughters of Henry VII, grandnieces to Henry VIII, legitimate successors to the English throne, and rivals to Henry VIII's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Lady Jane, the eldest, was thrust center stage by greedy men and uncompromising religious politics when she briefly succeeded Henry's son, the young Edward I. Dubbed "the Nine Days Queen" after her short, tragic reign from the Tower of London, Jane has over the centuries earned a special place in the affections of the English people as a "queen with a public heart." But as de Lisle reveals, Jane was actually more rebel than victim, more leader than pawn, and Mary and Katherine Grey found that they would have to tread carefully in order to avoid sharing their elder sister's violent fate.
Navigating the politics of the Tudor court after Jane's death was a precarious challenge. Katherine Grey, who sought to live a stable life, earned the trust of Mary I, only to risk her future with a love marriage that threatened Queen Elizabeth's throne. Mary Grey, considered too petite and plain to be significant, looked for her own escape from the burden of her royal blood-an impossible task after she followed her heart and also incurred the queen's envy, fear, and wrath.
Exploding the many myths of Lady Jane Grey's life, unearthing the details of Katherine's and Mary's dramatic stories, and casting new light on Elizabeth's reign, Leanda de Lisle gives voice and resonance to the lives of the Greys and offers perspective on their place in history and on a time when a royal marriage could gain a woman a kingdom or cost her everything. "From the Hardcover edition."
ebook
First published October 13, 2009
100 people are currently reading
9342 people want to read
About the author
Leanda de Lisle
15 books344 followersLeanda de Lisle is the author of bestselling Tudor and Stuart history praised for meticulous research as well as strong narratives. She has a Masters degree in history from Oxford University. TUDOR, her biography of the Tudor family 1437-1603, was a top ten Sunday Times best seller, BBC History book of the year, Daily Telegraph book of the year, and History Today book of the year. THE SISTERS WHO WOULD BE QUEEN; THE TRAGEDY OF MARY, KATHERINE AND LADY JANE GREY, was a New York Times best seller and is the inspiration for Phillippa Gregory's 2017 novel THE LAST TUDOR. Her latest book WHITE KING,, a biography of the doomed Charles I, is her most dramatic yet and is the winner of the 2018 Historical Writers Association non-fiction crown.
Leanda does a monthly podcast on itunes Ten Minute Tudors, it uncovers the true Tudors and Stuarts behind the myths.
Leanda does a monthly podcast on itunes Ten Minute Tudors, it uncovers the true Tudors and Stuarts behind the myths.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
September 14, 2014
The Sisters Who Would Be Queen is one of the best nonfiction books that I have had the pleasure to read. Taking complicated circumstances and unraveling them for the greater understanding of the reader, Lisle also injects plenty of personality into her writing. At times, this highly informative book read as easily, and was as interesting, as a fast paced novel.
I enjoyed learning more about the famous Grey sisters. If you are a Tudor-phile, you have likely heard of them - or at least a fictional version of them. The author's thoughts on Jane were quite different than the fictional accounts that I have read of her, and I found her an admirable young woman in her own right. With no need to romanticize her story, Jane is presented as intelligent and devout - and with a little bit of attitude! Her quick rise and downfall is just as tragic without painting her as a naive pawn.
Katherine's story is no less heart wrenching, if for different reasons. I find it difficult to admire Elizabeth I when I read about her jealous cruelty. Not only did she basically drive Katherine to her death, but she made her life miserable and disinherited her children. The Virgin Queen was more of a bitter spinster.
Finally, Mary Grey's story is the least dramatic, though Elizabeth did her part to torture the poor man who dared to fall in love with this Grey sister as well. She was, at least, finally allowed her freedom, if not love and a family.
The remainder of the book details the remnant of the Grey family heading into the English Civil War, which seemed to be largely caused by Elizabeth's stubbornness and bad decisions.
Overall, a wonderful, detailed look at the true story of the Grey sisters and the circumstances that led to the end of the Tudor dynasty.
I enjoyed learning more about the famous Grey sisters. If you are a Tudor-phile, you have likely heard of them - or at least a fictional version of them. The author's thoughts on Jane were quite different than the fictional accounts that I have read of her, and I found her an admirable young woman in her own right. With no need to romanticize her story, Jane is presented as intelligent and devout - and with a little bit of attitude! Her quick rise and downfall is just as tragic without painting her as a naive pawn.
Katherine's story is no less heart wrenching, if for different reasons. I find it difficult to admire Elizabeth I when I read about her jealous cruelty. Not only did she basically drive Katherine to her death, but she made her life miserable and disinherited her children. The Virgin Queen was more of a bitter spinster.
Finally, Mary Grey's story is the least dramatic, though Elizabeth did her part to torture the poor man who dared to fall in love with this Grey sister as well. She was, at least, finally allowed her freedom, if not love and a family.
The remainder of the book details the remnant of the Grey family heading into the English Civil War, which seemed to be largely caused by Elizabeth's stubbornness and bad decisions.
Overall, a wonderful, detailed look at the true story of the Grey sisters and the circumstances that led to the end of the Tudor dynasty.
December 5, 2009
This book covers an extremely complex bit of history, so I will try to keep this as short and sweet as possible. We all know about Henry VIII and out of six wives he had one son, Edward, and two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Henry's favorite sister Mary had a daughter Frances who in turn had three daughters - Jane, Katherine and Mary. Upon the death of Edward, well that is when things get complicated as those three sisters (or more specifically any sons they might bear) were potential heirs to the throne of England.
Most Tudorphiles are familiar with the eldest daughter Jane, who becomes the Nine Day Queen and her tragic end. What's refreshing in this book is that Lisle also shows us *the rest of the story* of the younger sisters Katherine and Mary, who as potential heirs to the throne are unable to marry without the Queen's permission – and Elizabeth was not about to give it and let them have sons who could threaten her crown. Katherine comes to court to serve Elizabeth and falls in love with Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, but without Elizabeth’s permission to marry so they do so in secret, although the lovers face the Queen's wrath when the marriage is discovered. Years later a grown Mary arrives at court and she incurs the Queen's anger when she also marries in secret.
And that's about as far as I'll go, if you know the basic history you know where the rest of the story goes and if you don't, well then read it for yourself. Lisle does a great job of breaking down some old myths (no, Frances wasn't quite the power hungry harridan she's always been portrayed as) as well as breaking new ground with solid facts and research and puts it all together in a very readable book. It was a tad bit dry at first (I don't normally read non-fiction) but once we got into Katherine and Mary's stories I was hooked and had a hard time putting it down.
Most Tudorphiles are familiar with the eldest daughter Jane, who becomes the Nine Day Queen and her tragic end. What's refreshing in this book is that Lisle also shows us *the rest of the story* of the younger sisters Katherine and Mary, who as potential heirs to the throne are unable to marry without the Queen's permission – and Elizabeth was not about to give it and let them have sons who could threaten her crown. Katherine comes to court to serve Elizabeth and falls in love with Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, but without Elizabeth’s permission to marry so they do so in secret, although the lovers face the Queen's wrath when the marriage is discovered. Years later a grown Mary arrives at court and she incurs the Queen's anger when she also marries in secret.
And that's about as far as I'll go, if you know the basic history you know where the rest of the story goes and if you don't, well then read it for yourself. Lisle does a great job of breaking down some old myths (no, Frances wasn't quite the power hungry harridan she's always been portrayed as) as well as breaking new ground with solid facts and research and puts it all together in a very readable book. It was a tad bit dry at first (I don't normally read non-fiction) but once we got into Katherine and Mary's stories I was hooked and had a hard time putting it down.
Read
September 22, 2014In May of 1553, Durham House in London witnessed a triple wedding. The eldest of the couples were barely past their mid teens; the other two brides were age twelve, their husbands not much older. One of these boys was severely ill, dragged out of bed to stand by his new wife's side.
No one objected to what we now would howl down as child abuse, to say nothing of illegality. The average marriage age for ordinary English folk was twenty, but these were all noble children, and the entire purpose behind these weddings was political--an attempt to consolidate power in order to prevent Mary Tudor from being regarded as the severely ill Edward's heir. It didn't work. Most of those who arranged it would lose their heads in the gamble.
Of those children, none of them had a family intact, and indeed, the number of beheaded relatives was going to climb. Meantime, sickness was going to strike down a grim number of these young people, but even so, there was a remarkable number of youths during this stressful time after the death of Henry VIII, as every court faction struggled to secure the succession.
The most remarkable result was two generations of female queens or potential queens, in spite of firm conviction that women were subordinate to men according to the Great Chain of Being, the orderly hierarchy of the universe.
I read de Lisle's first book, After Elizabeth, which I felt was unmoored at times, shifting back and forth in order to delineate all the remarkable figures on England and Scotland's royal stages. This book suffered no such lack of focus. It's brilliantly organized, with the three Grey sisters central; the Stuarts succeeded in winning the throne, though by rights Katherine Grey's son Beauchamp should have been the next king, according to Henry VIII's will.
But Elizabeth Tudor, having grown up witnessing the bloody destruction caused by power mongers impatient to replace a reigning monarch with the next heir, spent her entire reign refusing to acknowledge anyone as heir. When the surviving Grey sisters sneaked away to marry, the infuriated queen threw them into prison until they died.
The first of the sisters, of course, was famous Lady Jane Grey, and it's her story that really makes the book earn its price. De Lisle uncovers with painstaking scholarship the accretions of fiction and politically motivated sentimentality around Jane Grey, providing a fascinating portrait of a teen who not only accepted queenship, but fought all her nearly fortnight's rule to hold onto power, and chose death rather than compromise.
It might be good to be king (it wasn't for Jane!) but one thing for certain, it is very dangerous to be near the king, or queen, as this book demonstrates with unflinching eye to detail. It makes riveting reading, with careful explication of motivation within the Tudor paradigm, and the decisions that led to the idea that Parliament must decide who is the future monarch. Once that jack in the box had popped out, it could not be stuffed back in by the Stuarts' attempt to emulate Henry VIII's absolute rule.
The flamboyant court figures, most of whom died at tragically young ages, come to life under de Lisle's skilled description, backed by formidable notes and bibliographic sources.
No one objected to what we now would howl down as child abuse, to say nothing of illegality. The average marriage age for ordinary English folk was twenty, but these were all noble children, and the entire purpose behind these weddings was political--an attempt to consolidate power in order to prevent Mary Tudor from being regarded as the severely ill Edward's heir. It didn't work. Most of those who arranged it would lose their heads in the gamble.
Of those children, none of them had a family intact, and indeed, the number of beheaded relatives was going to climb. Meantime, sickness was going to strike down a grim number of these young people, but even so, there was a remarkable number of youths during this stressful time after the death of Henry VIII, as every court faction struggled to secure the succession.
The most remarkable result was two generations of female queens or potential queens, in spite of firm conviction that women were subordinate to men according to the Great Chain of Being, the orderly hierarchy of the universe.
I read de Lisle's first book, After Elizabeth, which I felt was unmoored at times, shifting back and forth in order to delineate all the remarkable figures on England and Scotland's royal stages. This book suffered no such lack of focus. It's brilliantly organized, with the three Grey sisters central; the Stuarts succeeded in winning the throne, though by rights Katherine Grey's son Beauchamp should have been the next king, according to Henry VIII's will.
But Elizabeth Tudor, having grown up witnessing the bloody destruction caused by power mongers impatient to replace a reigning monarch with the next heir, spent her entire reign refusing to acknowledge anyone as heir. When the surviving Grey sisters sneaked away to marry, the infuriated queen threw them into prison until they died.
The first of the sisters, of course, was famous Lady Jane Grey, and it's her story that really makes the book earn its price. De Lisle uncovers with painstaking scholarship the accretions of fiction and politically motivated sentimentality around Jane Grey, providing a fascinating portrait of a teen who not only accepted queenship, but fought all her nearly fortnight's rule to hold onto power, and chose death rather than compromise.
It might be good to be king (it wasn't for Jane!) but one thing for certain, it is very dangerous to be near the king, or queen, as this book demonstrates with unflinching eye to detail. It makes riveting reading, with careful explication of motivation within the Tudor paradigm, and the decisions that led to the idea that Parliament must decide who is the future monarch. Once that jack in the box had popped out, it could not be stuffed back in by the Stuarts' attempt to emulate Henry VIII's absolute rule.
The flamboyant court figures, most of whom died at tragically young ages, come to life under de Lisle's skilled description, backed by formidable notes and bibliographic sources.
May 16, 2013
According to the title of this book, there were three Grey sisters- Jane, Katherine and Mary- all of whom played an important role in Tudor history. According to the bulk of the narrative, there was Lady Jane Grey and two sisters who served as an epilogue to their elder sister’s tragedy. I don’t think this is the fault of de Lisle so much as it is the fault of history; few people recorded their thoughts on the two younger Greys, even though they were possibly more important than Jane in the grand scheme of English succession. Or, if they were important in their day, the grander and more romantic demise of Jane soon overshadowed their (only slightly) longer and less dramatic lives.
A lot of rumor and mythmaking surrounds Jane Grey, and it can be hard to separate the truth from the legends; the “Nine Days Queen” has been many things to many people (and she is the only monarch since 1500 to have no surviving portrait). For the Victorians, she was an innocent led to slaughter by the ambitions of her family- an image exemplified by the painting of her execution by Paul Delaroche. For those displeased by the Catholic rule of monarchs like Mary Tudor and James Stuart, she was a brave martyr to the Protestant cause. Some thought she was merely a tool being manipulated by her husband to maneuver himself onto the throne, and a small minority even considered her an overzealous evangelical looking for a heroic death. So, which is it? Martyr or pawn? Leader or follower?
In reality, drawing a distinction between two opposing labels in this instance will not work. Like any human being, Lady Grey was more complicated than a single label can capture. In The Sisters Who Would be Queen, de Lisle provides shade to better delineate Jane from the bright, lamblike innocent of her later mythology. While her parents were of royal blood and may have been ambitious, her early education and court life don’t indicate the training of a monarch so much as the training of a religious leader. De Lisle focuses often on the Great Chain of Being when discussing the decisions made for Jane- who she married, how she would function at court, and eventually who she would be-all things that would be determined by the fierce hierarchy of Tudor society. In many ways, just being born the relative of a king decided Jane’s fate, and it would determine the lives of her sisters as well.
In de Lisle’s opinion, which is supported with very good research, the middle sister Katherine was really more “important” in the grand scheme than her elder sister. When Mary Tudor died and her half-sister Elizabeth took the throne, Katherine Grey became the de facto heir to the Virgin Queen. Since many were unhappy with the way the succession seemed to be devoid of heirs male, pressure fell on Katherine from both sides- those who wanted a king to supplant Elizabeth were hoping for her to marry and procreate, while Elizabeth did everything in her power to keep Katherine single and out of the limelight. Katherine defied the queen, was married (to someone with similarly strong royal claims, even) and gave birth to not one but TWO sons. But Elizabeth never gave her royal consent, so poor Katherine was locked away in The Tower, like her unfortunate sister, and died there after her children were falsely declared illegitimate.
And then there is Mary, perhaps the least known of the sisters. Not only diminutive in biographical detail, she was apparently very small physically, and possible even deformed. This didn’t keep her from defying Elizabeth just like her elder sister Katherine and marrying without royal permission, and like her sister, being imprisoned and dying away from her husband before the age of 40.
While Katherine and Mary did not end so grandly as Jane, I found myself much more interested in theirhalf third of the book than Jane’s story, which was interesting but felt a rather drawn out by political detail and frequent reiteration of how everyone else has gotten Jane wrong all these years. I found myself engaged with them in their simple desires- to be married and have a family while being thwarted at every turn simply because they were born into royal blood. De Lisle’s descriptions of their motivations and characters kept me interested and made me feel connected to them as people, and I often found myself furious with Queen Elizabeth, just as I would have been in a fictional rendition of the same material, which is an impressive feat in historical writing.
While Jane will always be the grand mystery of the Grey sisters- a mystery fueled by continuing fascination and romanticizing- I found the three sisters equally fascinating in their attempts to live normal lives in extraordinary circumstances, and I give de Lisle a lot of credit for bringing their stories together, even if she couldn’t resist giving Jane the lion’s share. I think it is simply this imbalance between the three figures in the narrative, along with a little unnecessary repetition, that prevented this from crossing from 3-star to 4-star quality for me.
(I listened to this particular edition in audio. The narrator Wanda McCaddon was excellent.)
A lot of rumor and mythmaking surrounds Jane Grey, and it can be hard to separate the truth from the legends; the “Nine Days Queen” has been many things to many people (and she is the only monarch since 1500 to have no surviving portrait). For the Victorians, she was an innocent led to slaughter by the ambitions of her family- an image exemplified by the painting of her execution by Paul Delaroche. For those displeased by the Catholic rule of monarchs like Mary Tudor and James Stuart, she was a brave martyr to the Protestant cause. Some thought she was merely a tool being manipulated by her husband to maneuver himself onto the throne, and a small minority even considered her an overzealous evangelical looking for a heroic death. So, which is it? Martyr or pawn? Leader or follower?
In reality, drawing a distinction between two opposing labels in this instance will not work. Like any human being, Lady Grey was more complicated than a single label can capture. In The Sisters Who Would be Queen, de Lisle provides shade to better delineate Jane from the bright, lamblike innocent of her later mythology. While her parents were of royal blood and may have been ambitious, her early education and court life don’t indicate the training of a monarch so much as the training of a religious leader. De Lisle focuses often on the Great Chain of Being when discussing the decisions made for Jane- who she married, how she would function at court, and eventually who she would be-all things that would be determined by the fierce hierarchy of Tudor society. In many ways, just being born the relative of a king decided Jane’s fate, and it would determine the lives of her sisters as well.
In de Lisle’s opinion, which is supported with very good research, the middle sister Katherine was really more “important” in the grand scheme than her elder sister. When Mary Tudor died and her half-sister Elizabeth took the throne, Katherine Grey became the de facto heir to the Virgin Queen. Since many were unhappy with the way the succession seemed to be devoid of heirs male, pressure fell on Katherine from both sides- those who wanted a king to supplant Elizabeth were hoping for her to marry and procreate, while Elizabeth did everything in her power to keep Katherine single and out of the limelight. Katherine defied the queen, was married (to someone with similarly strong royal claims, even) and gave birth to not one but TWO sons. But Elizabeth never gave her royal consent, so poor Katherine was locked away in The Tower, like her unfortunate sister, and died there after her children were falsely declared illegitimate.
And then there is Mary, perhaps the least known of the sisters. Not only diminutive in biographical detail, she was apparently very small physically, and possible even deformed. This didn’t keep her from defying Elizabeth just like her elder sister Katherine and marrying without royal permission, and like her sister, being imprisoned and dying away from her husband before the age of 40.
While Katherine and Mary did not end so grandly as Jane, I found myself much more interested in their
While Jane will always be the grand mystery of the Grey sisters- a mystery fueled by continuing fascination and romanticizing- I found the three sisters equally fascinating in their attempts to live normal lives in extraordinary circumstances, and I give de Lisle a lot of credit for bringing their stories together, even if she couldn’t resist giving Jane the lion’s share. I think it is simply this imbalance between the three figures in the narrative, along with a little unnecessary repetition, that prevented this from crossing from 3-star to 4-star quality for me.
(I listened to this particular edition in audio. The narrator Wanda McCaddon was excellent.)
December 5, 2024
I picked this book up because of my late obsession with My Lady Jane (both the book and especially the TV show) and I just needed MORE, so after going through a few more books in that series I wanted to pick a non-fic about Lady Jane Grey. I'm honestly not sure this served that purpose that well, but in the end I did learn a lot from this book, even if not what I wanted going into it.
This is my personal taste thing, but I do prefer when historical biographies try to be more personal even if it involves some speculation on the writer's part. Earlier this year, I read Romantic Outlaws, also a historical biography, but Charlotte Gordon made me feel like I personally met every - even minor - person involved and almost gave me peek into their souls. I didn't always agree with her readings, but everybody felt as a person. Leanda de Lisle on the other hand focuses way more on the political machinations and situation than the people involved. This for me applied especially to the parts about Jane Grey where I didn't really feel like I learned much new about her, which is kind of alarming considering that my previous sources were very much pop-culture.
The strongest parts of the book were easily the ones focusing on her younger sister Katherine Grey. Maybe it's partially because I didn't know much of her story, but she was also the character with the most life to her. Honestly, reading about the early stages of her romance with her future husband was a delight and the fact that their letters were apparently too spicy for Victorians was a nice bonus. The ending of her story made me cry so hard, you have no idea...
With Mary Grey, I could once again use some more insight, because she was potentially such an interesting figure.
Some random thoughts and observations:
👑 Guildford apparently actually signed (at least one) letter as G. so I guess I owe the authors of My Lady Jane an apology that I thought him referring to himself as G. was cringey... but honestly, I still think it's cringey.
👑 I absolutely didn't expect that this book would make me feel so much empathy for Mary I aka Bloody Mary. I mean, yes, she burned some people... that's a thing that happened... but Elizabeth I probably wasn't that much better? I guess I just never read this nuanced description of Mary's life and I would be interested in reading more about her, actually. I would also read a romance inspired by her and Phillip's marriage - with the understanding that their relationship obviously wasn't healthy, I guess I'm craving a good toxic romance?
👑 I love that after Jane Grey was executed there was a trend among highborn older ladies to marry their "servants" (these were kind of noble servants, they were below their station, but not completely scandalously) because it was safer! Signaling that they weren't trying to usurp any political power. So when Hertford's mother finds out that he fell in love with Lady Katherine Grey who is way too amazing match and that he wants to marry her, she is horrified. That's kind of amazing flip of the usual trope of "you can't marry below your station".
Overall, I did learn quite a bit from this book from a little bit different perspective then we usually get when talking about this period, so that was fun! Although this book definitely had some weaker parts, in the end I enjoyed it and couldn't really put down, so yeah... would recommend if this is something you are interested in.
This is my personal taste thing, but I do prefer when historical biographies try to be more personal even if it involves some speculation on the writer's part. Earlier this year, I read Romantic Outlaws, also a historical biography, but Charlotte Gordon made me feel like I personally met every - even minor - person involved and almost gave me peek into their souls. I didn't always agree with her readings, but everybody felt as a person. Leanda de Lisle on the other hand focuses way more on the political machinations and situation than the people involved. This for me applied especially to the parts about Jane Grey where I didn't really feel like I learned much new about her, which is kind of alarming considering that my previous sources were very much pop-culture.
The strongest parts of the book were easily the ones focusing on her younger sister Katherine Grey. Maybe it's partially because I didn't know much of her story, but she was also the character with the most life to her. Honestly, reading about the early stages of her romance with her future husband was a delight and the fact that their letters were apparently too spicy for Victorians was a nice bonus. The ending of her story made me cry so hard, you have no idea...
With Mary Grey, I could once again use some more insight, because she was potentially such an interesting figure.
Some random thoughts and observations:
👑 Guildford apparently actually signed (at least one) letter as G. so I guess I owe the authors of My Lady Jane an apology that I thought him referring to himself as G. was cringey... but honestly, I still think it's cringey.
👑 I absolutely didn't expect that this book would make me feel so much empathy for Mary I aka Bloody Mary. I mean, yes, she burned some people... that's a thing that happened... but Elizabeth I probably wasn't that much better? I guess I just never read this nuanced description of Mary's life and I would be interested in reading more about her, actually. I would also read a romance inspired by her and Phillip's marriage - with the understanding that their relationship obviously wasn't healthy, I guess I'm craving a good toxic romance?
👑 I love that after Jane Grey was executed there was a trend among highborn older ladies to marry their "servants" (these were kind of noble servants, they were below their station, but not completely scandalously) because it was safer! Signaling that they weren't trying to usurp any political power. So when Hertford's mother finds out that he fell in love with Lady Katherine Grey who is way too amazing match and that he wants to marry her, she is horrified. That's kind of amazing flip of the usual trope of "you can't marry below your station".
Overall, I did learn quite a bit from this book from a little bit different perspective then we usually get when talking about this period, so that was fun! Although this book definitely had some weaker parts, in the end I enjoyed it and couldn't really put down, so yeah... would recommend if this is something you are interested in.
July 20, 2010
Author Leanda de Lisle has written an utterly captivating account of the lives of, Mary, Katherine and Lady Jane Grey in The Sisters Who Would Be Queen. Seriously, this is how non-fiction is done!
The fate of the Grey sisters exemplifies the danger of being born perilously close to the throne of England. All three would eventually fall victim to the English crown, though in different ways.
Lady Jane, the most notable of the Grey sisters, was born the eldest and as such was the one the family vested much time and money in. In a sense, she was the son they never had and she was ever mindful of the responsibility placed upon her. She was deeply religious and had a passion for learning.
One thing that de Lisle opened my mind to was that perhaps Jane wasn’t the total helpless pawn when she was offered the throne. Although Jane was very hesitant to take the crown and bypass Mary and Elizabeth and even her own mother, she nonetheless saw this as the only way to keep the Catholic Mary from ruling England and destroying everything that her brother, the Protestant Edward had done. Jane was just as strong in her religious convictions as Mary was, which was proved when after the plot to place Jane on the throne failed and Jane was give a chance to spare her life by converting to Christianity, she drew strength from her own faith and was executed on February 12, 1554.
De Lisle then goes on to tell the stories of Katherine and Mary, whose own lives would prove just as tragic as their sisters’. The remaining Grey sisters would dare to defy queens of England for love and would spend the rest of their lives suffering the consequences. One thing is for sure, Tudor queens are not to be messed with!
I highly recommend The Sisters Who Would Be Queen to anyone who enjoys an exquisitely researched and well-written historical account, and of course, lovers of the Tudors!! I really enjoyed de Lisle’s writing style and was entranced in the story of the remarkable, yet heartrending, Grey sisters.
The fate of the Grey sisters exemplifies the danger of being born perilously close to the throne of England. All three would eventually fall victim to the English crown, though in different ways.
Lady Jane, the most notable of the Grey sisters, was born the eldest and as such was the one the family vested much time and money in. In a sense, she was the son they never had and she was ever mindful of the responsibility placed upon her. She was deeply religious and had a passion for learning.
One thing that de Lisle opened my mind to was that perhaps Jane wasn’t the total helpless pawn when she was offered the throne. Although Jane was very hesitant to take the crown and bypass Mary and Elizabeth and even her own mother, she nonetheless saw this as the only way to keep the Catholic Mary from ruling England and destroying everything that her brother, the Protestant Edward had done. Jane was just as strong in her religious convictions as Mary was, which was proved when after the plot to place Jane on the throne failed and Jane was give a chance to spare her life by converting to Christianity, she drew strength from her own faith and was executed on February 12, 1554.
De Lisle then goes on to tell the stories of Katherine and Mary, whose own lives would prove just as tragic as their sisters’. The remaining Grey sisters would dare to defy queens of England for love and would spend the rest of their lives suffering the consequences. One thing is for sure, Tudor queens are not to be messed with!
I highly recommend The Sisters Who Would Be Queen to anyone who enjoys an exquisitely researched and well-written historical account, and of course, lovers of the Tudors!! I really enjoyed de Lisle’s writing style and was entranced in the story of the remarkable, yet heartrending, Grey sisters.
January 9, 2022
Everyone knows the story of Lady Jane Grey, the 'Nine Days Queen', the innocent who was maneuvered into claiming the throne by her husband and family and executed by a vengeful Mary Tudor. In this book de Lisle argues that Jane was no innocent and no victim, that she was raised from birth fully conscious of her royal blood, her position as heir to the throne under Henry VIII's will and her role at the forefront of the struggle between Protestantism and Catholicism. Jane was an exceptionally educated, strong-willed and determined woman, who went to her death willing to serve as a martyr to her cause if she could not be queen.
One of the things this book highlights is how much of a curse royal blood was for women in the Tudor days. After the death of Edward IV, with nothing but female claimants, it was a dangerous time for women like the Grey sisters. Jane was executed for claiming the throne, arguably rightfully under the terms of Parliament and Henry VIII's will, which had excluded both Mary and Elizabeth on grounds of illegitimacy. Her sisters were both imprisoned for much of their lives for daring to marry for love without the Queen's knowledge and against her wishes, for the danger of them producing a son and heir for the throne was too much for Elizabeth.
This is a really good book, as engrossing and fast-paced as a novel. It may take a certain amount of literary license with some scenes or facts, but it does bring to life two marginalised historical figures in Mary and Katherine, whom I knew nothing about, and explodes a few myths about the Nine Days Queen, who was in fact queen for over two weeks. But nine days sounds better, right?
One of the things this book highlights is how much of a curse royal blood was for women in the Tudor days. After the death of Edward IV, with nothing but female claimants, it was a dangerous time for women like the Grey sisters. Jane was executed for claiming the throne, arguably rightfully under the terms of Parliament and Henry VIII's will, which had excluded both Mary and Elizabeth on grounds of illegitimacy. Her sisters were both imprisoned for much of their lives for daring to marry for love without the Queen's knowledge and against her wishes, for the danger of them producing a son and heir for the throne was too much for Elizabeth.
This is a really good book, as engrossing and fast-paced as a novel. It may take a certain amount of literary license with some scenes or facts, but it does bring to life two marginalised historical figures in Mary and Katherine, whom I knew nothing about, and explodes a few myths about the Nine Days Queen, who was in fact queen for over two weeks. But nine days sounds better, right?
March 29, 2016
I have mixed feelings about this book! I just couldn't agree with De Lisle about her views of Jane Grey. I understand that Jane Grey was very faithful to her religion, but i can't believe she was ambitious to wants to keep the throne. To Mary Tudor, it was a very difficult task to decide Jane Grey's fate. For me, she was a victim of her ambitious parents and not a Protestant's Leader. But i agree with the De Lisle about Katherine and Mary Grey! And no matter how much i read about Queen Elizabeth, my thoughts about her will be the same. For me, Elizabeth got the worse part of her mother Anne Boleyn, the worse from her father Henry VIII, and became an awful and sick person. Her madness towards the Grey sisters was a terrible thing! Elizabeth was constantly feeling threatened, so she used her power to destroy many people. At the end, she left England be ruled by bad monarchs and all because she couldn't accept the Grey's children! The reading isn't that bad, actually. I just think, the way De Lisle writes was a little bit complicated and also dull. But it give us lots of interesting informations about the end of Tudor lineage.
December 9, 2010
Absolutely brilliant. This is without a doubt, the most informative, entertaining and enthralling history book I have ever read. Leanda De Lisle's incredible history of the Grey family starts with a bit of background on Frances Grey and the family's connections to the Tudors.
She goes on to describe in pure, sweeping detail, the life and times of each Grey sister. Beginning with Jane, De Lisle smashes the stereotypes and shows impressive evidence for a different view of Lady Jane Grey, explaining why we have a love affair for the innocent 'child-woman' that we view her as today. Continuing, she then chronicles Katherine and Mary Grey's lives, who, endlessly persecuted by Queen Elizabeth, they were seperated from their husbands (and Katherine, from her children) and generally given a very hard time.
I think the hardest bit to read in this book is when Mary Grey's husband Keyes is locked up in the Fleet prison, and is given food that had been, perhaps intentionally, dropped in poison to stop dogs from getting mange. Horrific!
This book I would recommend for any Tudor or Monarchy history fans, as it sheds new light on the characters of the period, not just of the Grey sisters, but also of Mary I, Elizabeth I and others.
She goes on to describe in pure, sweeping detail, the life and times of each Grey sister. Beginning with Jane, De Lisle smashes the stereotypes and shows impressive evidence for a different view of Lady Jane Grey, explaining why we have a love affair for the innocent 'child-woman' that we view her as today. Continuing, she then chronicles Katherine and Mary Grey's lives, who, endlessly persecuted by Queen Elizabeth, they were seperated from their husbands (and Katherine, from her children) and generally given a very hard time.
I think the hardest bit to read in this book is when Mary Grey's husband Keyes is locked up in the Fleet prison, and is given food that had been, perhaps intentionally, dropped in poison to stop dogs from getting mange. Horrific!
This book I would recommend for any Tudor or Monarchy history fans, as it sheds new light on the characters of the period, not just of the Grey sisters, but also of Mary I, Elizabeth I and others.
April 13, 2010
I have always held that truth is stranger than fiction. The truth here is that Leanda de Lisle has written a history of Jane, Katherine and Mary Grey, that is a most compelling, frightening and tragic biography. The work stands amongst the finest historical writing I have ever come across.
'The Sisters who would be Queen', as the front cover proclaims, really does read like a best selling novel. The detail is meticulous. Here is a history book that contains a sixteenth century thriller, a most heart rending love story, and a tragedy that Will Shakespeare just could not conjugate to write. All set within the royal courts of four Tudor monarchs, with the intrigue and factional stratagems, family fortunes, mixed with the fluid labile worlds of church and state. However, the strength of this book is it's ability to touch the humanity of it's three principal subjects. Queen Jane, who's brief reign finally ends with execution in 'The Tower' under Mary I. Katherine, who marries for love but suffers the withering wrath of Elizabeth I and finally Mary who ends her life in relative poverty in the latter years of the same reign.
I just can't recommend this book highly enough.
'The Sisters who would be Queen', as the front cover proclaims, really does read like a best selling novel. The detail is meticulous. Here is a history book that contains a sixteenth century thriller, a most heart rending love story, and a tragedy that Will Shakespeare just could not conjugate to write. All set within the royal courts of four Tudor monarchs, with the intrigue and factional stratagems, family fortunes, mixed with the fluid labile worlds of church and state. However, the strength of this book is it's ability to touch the humanity of it's three principal subjects. Queen Jane, who's brief reign finally ends with execution in 'The Tower' under Mary I. Katherine, who marries for love but suffers the withering wrath of Elizabeth I and finally Mary who ends her life in relative poverty in the latter years of the same reign.
I just can't recommend this book highly enough.
July 13, 2012
Fairly easy to read and enjoyable, The Sisters Who Would Be Queen is a biography of the Grey sisters: mostly Jane, for the first section of the book, but providing glimpses of the rest of the Grey family, and how the girls were raised. Leanda de Lisle attempts to dispel the idea of Lady Jane Grey as an innocent martyr, pointing out her deep commitment to her faith and her deliberate stage-managing of how people saw her. Like other writers, she sees Jane's death with pity, and uses the same rhetoric surrounding her of how childlike she looked, etc.
I learnt a lot about women of the period that I didn't already know -- Jane's mother, Queen Mary, the connections between noble women of the time. It was a bit dry at times, and confusing with everyone's switching of names and so on, but I could more or less keep up and overall I liked the version of Jane it presented -- human, headstrong, and not quite as innocent and unknowing as history might have us believe.
I learnt a lot about women of the period that I didn't already know -- Jane's mother, Queen Mary, the connections between noble women of the time. It was a bit dry at times, and confusing with everyone's switching of names and so on, but I could more or less keep up and overall I liked the version of Jane it presented -- human, headstrong, and not quite as innocent and unknowing as history might have us believe.
July 8, 2010
I liked this book, but I found the author to be very biased. I just think that a historian has to be as objective and 'un-opinionated' as possible. However, it did add a lot to the story of the Grey sisters' lives, and I like how the author exonerated their mother Frances from charges of heartlessness.
July 25, 2017
2.5 months to read this book.
'Nuff said.
'Nuff said.
October 30, 2011
I liked the little details added by the author, things like: Princess Elizabeth was “disgusted at Catherin Parr’s sudden remarriage” and the fact that Thomas Seymour as a result, had control of Elizabeth’s lands and income (pp. 31-32); the fact that one of Suffolk’s creditors made his way to the block as Suffolk was about to die to ask how he would get is money (p. 146); the remark that during a plague outbreak in the summer of 1563, Queen Elizabeth moved the court to Windsor. “…anyone suspected of bring the disease….would be hanged”. I thought the book full of fascinating insights such as these although none of these three I mention here (nor many of the others I noted) have any source attributed to them.
The author occasionally jumped out of time and this was annoying but it wasn’t enough to make me hate the book. I was somewhat disappointed there wasn’t more information about Katherine and Mary although this is really not surprising since women rarely got any sort of credit in history unless they had an impact on the times. I think de Lisle did a good job of researching to get this much information but I also think the title of the book should have been subtitled “And Their Impact on their Cousin Queens”. I learned a number of things about Elizabeth I’d been previously unaware of.
The book contained some discrepancies: For example, this sentence referring to Jane’s time as Queen: Her reign had, in fact, lasted just under a fortnight, from Edward’s death on July 6, until her mother’s on the 19th (p.113). I don’t understand the last part of this – her mother did not die for some years so what this means, I have no idea. And in the Grey family tree, Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford’s death date is shown as 1621 but in the Seymour family tree, is noted as a question mark. That seemed odd to me.
Although I found the book interesting to read, there were a lot of statements (such as Elizabeth’s desire for the throne to go back to the Scottish element and Cecil’s apparent non-support of Elizabeth) that had no supporting information. Further, she did not annotate her source information – there are many notes at the end of the book but you aren’t aware of them until you get there. It would have been good to see what passages were annotated as we went along.
The author occasionally jumped out of time and this was annoying but it wasn’t enough to make me hate the book. I was somewhat disappointed there wasn’t more information about Katherine and Mary although this is really not surprising since women rarely got any sort of credit in history unless they had an impact on the times. I think de Lisle did a good job of researching to get this much information but I also think the title of the book should have been subtitled “And Their Impact on their Cousin Queens”. I learned a number of things about Elizabeth I’d been previously unaware of.
The book contained some discrepancies: For example, this sentence referring to Jane’s time as Queen: Her reign had, in fact, lasted just under a fortnight, from Edward’s death on July 6, until her mother’s on the 19th (p.113). I don’t understand the last part of this – her mother did not die for some years so what this means, I have no idea. And in the Grey family tree, Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford’s death date is shown as 1621 but in the Seymour family tree, is noted as a question mark. That seemed odd to me.
Although I found the book interesting to read, there were a lot of statements (such as Elizabeth’s desire for the throne to go back to the Scottish element and Cecil’s apparent non-support of Elizabeth) that had no supporting information. Further, she did not annotate her source information – there are many notes at the end of the book but you aren’t aware of them until you get there. It would have been good to see what passages were annotated as we went along.
Read
January 8, 2010I'm not assigning stars to this book. When I stop reading a book without finishing it, and I know it is me and not the book, I don't think it is fair to assign stars.
If you are into Tudor history, this is a good readable book about a part of the Tudor story that doesn't get mentioned much. The author doesn't buy into the myth of Lady Jane Grey as being an innocent victim. She recognizes that by the standards of the day, as a royal, Jane was of age both when she accepted the crown and when she was executed. She was innocent of being anything but a figurehead during the rebellion that lead to her death DURING Queen Mary's reign, but she wasn't innocent of the rebellion between Edward's reign and Mary's. And she wasn't innocent of being a very strong, and verbal, Protestant,which is what she actually was executed for.
One of the advantages to this book is that it also looks into the lives of Mary's two sisters, not just during Mary's reign but also during Elizabeth's. They generally are ignored. Elizabeth's treatment of the two women is seen as being mean rather than a reaction to the political truths of the day.
By the will of Henry VIII, Katherine Grey was Elizabeth's heir. It was very important that Katherine not be married and that she not have children. But she did have a secret marriage and she also had two sons, which made her very dangerous to Elizabeth during the early years of her reign. Also, it is likely that Elizabeth saw Mary, Queen of Scots, son as her proper heir, although she never named him by name.
Was Katherine legally married? It is very possible that she was not, and there is no proof that her marriage was legal in the church. It certainly was not legal in law. Elizabeth did not give consent.
Both Katherine and her sister Mary choose to ignore the realities of political life in Elizabeth's world. And they both paid the price by spending a good part of their lives under house arrest, but not in their own homes. In many ways their imprisonment was harder than that of their cousin Mary, Queen of Scotts.
If you are into Tudor history, this is a good readable book about a part of the Tudor story that doesn't get mentioned much. The author doesn't buy into the myth of Lady Jane Grey as being an innocent victim. She recognizes that by the standards of the day, as a royal, Jane was of age both when she accepted the crown and when she was executed. She was innocent of being anything but a figurehead during the rebellion that lead to her death DURING Queen Mary's reign, but she wasn't innocent of the rebellion between Edward's reign and Mary's. And she wasn't innocent of being a very strong, and verbal, Protestant,which is what she actually was executed for.
One of the advantages to this book is that it also looks into the lives of Mary's two sisters, not just during Mary's reign but also during Elizabeth's. They generally are ignored. Elizabeth's treatment of the two women is seen as being mean rather than a reaction to the political truths of the day.
By the will of Henry VIII, Katherine Grey was Elizabeth's heir. It was very important that Katherine not be married and that she not have children. But she did have a secret marriage and she also had two sons, which made her very dangerous to Elizabeth during the early years of her reign. Also, it is likely that Elizabeth saw Mary, Queen of Scots, son as her proper heir, although she never named him by name.
Was Katherine legally married? It is very possible that she was not, and there is no proof that her marriage was legal in the church. It certainly was not legal in law. Elizabeth did not give consent.
Both Katherine and her sister Mary choose to ignore the realities of political life in Elizabeth's world. And they both paid the price by spending a good part of their lives under house arrest, but not in their own homes. In many ways their imprisonment was harder than that of their cousin Mary, Queen of Scotts.
February 8, 2013
I selected this book because I was thoroughly impressed with "After Elizabeth: The Rise of James of Scotland and the Struggle for the Throne of England" by the same author. I expected a very good book and Leanda De Lisle delivered. I did not expect this totally new dimension on Elizabeth and her succession.
This book adds to the previous documentation of Elizabeth's aversion to naming a successor. It tells how far, even early in her reign, and against great pressure Elizabeth would go not to name a successor. She eventually banned such discussions.
There is a lot to digest. Interesting to me is that Robert Cecil, despite his disagreement with Elizabeth on this very fundamental issue maintains his position (and his head) throughout her reign. He is later instrumental in bringing James to the throne.
Lady Jane Grey's 9 day rule is the stuff of legend as is the even higher profile imprisonment of Elizabeth I's better known rival for the throne, Mary Queen of Scots. While vaguely aware of Lady Jane's sisters, I had not considered that they were rivals too... nor what had become of them. I have read many Tudor novels and histories, but this aspect to the saga has been hiding in plain sight. Thank you, Leanda De Lisle, for bringing this story to light in my lifetime. My Mother, another reader of Tudor fact and fiction, sadly did not live long enough for this.
How would history have changed had a son of Katherine Grey acceded to the throne? Would there have been a Cromwell? A Victoria?
There are three excellent genealogies in the front, to which I often referred.
I highly recommend this for readers of Tudor history.
This book adds to the previous documentation of Elizabeth's aversion to naming a successor. It tells how far, even early in her reign, and against great pressure Elizabeth would go not to name a successor. She eventually banned such discussions.
There is a lot to digest. Interesting to me is that Robert Cecil, despite his disagreement with Elizabeth on this very fundamental issue maintains his position (and his head) throughout her reign. He is later instrumental in bringing James to the throne.
Lady Jane Grey's 9 day rule is the stuff of legend as is the even higher profile imprisonment of Elizabeth I's better known rival for the throne, Mary Queen of Scots. While vaguely aware of Lady Jane's sisters, I had not considered that they were rivals too... nor what had become of them. I have read many Tudor novels and histories, but this aspect to the saga has been hiding in plain sight. Thank you, Leanda De Lisle, for bringing this story to light in my lifetime. My Mother, another reader of Tudor fact and fiction, sadly did not live long enough for this.
How would history have changed had a son of Katherine Grey acceded to the throne? Would there have been a Cromwell? A Victoria?
There are three excellent genealogies in the front, to which I often referred.
I highly recommend this for readers of Tudor history.
July 12, 2011
If all history books were written like this, I would not have ditched the subject after O'Grade at school! Wow, is all I can say!
The book traces the lives, its zeniths and nadirs of the Grey sisters: Lady Jane, Lady Catherine and Lady Mary. It is a book of avarice, greed, conspiracies, injustices and executions, as well as it demonstrating determination in two female heirs to the throne, in the days when females were very much looked down on as being the weaker sex.
The historical figures in the book were very well described; one could not help but feel sorry for the child King Edward VI, horror at the mass executions during the reign of Queen Mary ("Bloody Mary"), and shock at the injustices and cruelty of Queen Elizabeth I in imprisoning Katherine and Mary (and their husbands) as they were rivals to her position as Queen. In a nutshell, the Tudors were a bit "wild"!
I have loved reading this book, and am now so intrigued about the Tudors, and even previous monarchs, I am off to read some more!
The book traces the lives, its zeniths and nadirs of the Grey sisters: Lady Jane, Lady Catherine and Lady Mary. It is a book of avarice, greed, conspiracies, injustices and executions, as well as it demonstrating determination in two female heirs to the throne, in the days when females were very much looked down on as being the weaker sex.
The historical figures in the book were very well described; one could not help but feel sorry for the child King Edward VI, horror at the mass executions during the reign of Queen Mary ("Bloody Mary"), and shock at the injustices and cruelty of Queen Elizabeth I in imprisoning Katherine and Mary (and their husbands) as they were rivals to her position as Queen. In a nutshell, the Tudors were a bit "wild"!
I have loved reading this book, and am now so intrigued about the Tudors, and even previous monarchs, I am off to read some more!
September 24, 2010
Despite the plethora of material on the Tudors published for both popular and academic audiences, this book offers insight and challenges the traditional story that so many its genre often simply repeat.
Focusing on the story of the Grey sisters - Jane, Katherine, and Mary - Leandra de Lisle explores not only the Tudor court but also sheds light on a powerful noble family during a pivotal period. She attempts to dispel some of the myths that have grown up around the figure of Lady Jane Grey and places her alongside her fellow sisters and their tenuous place in the Tudor succession. While Jane nonetheless dominates much of the narrative and the argument, the lives of her lesser-known sisters Katherine and Mary also receive attention, showing the perils of being close to the throne in sixteenth-century England.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tudors. In addition to offering unique historical insights, de Lisle also tells a good, well-written story.
Focusing on the story of the Grey sisters - Jane, Katherine, and Mary - Leandra de Lisle explores not only the Tudor court but also sheds light on a powerful noble family during a pivotal period. She attempts to dispel some of the myths that have grown up around the figure of Lady Jane Grey and places her alongside her fellow sisters and their tenuous place in the Tudor succession. While Jane nonetheless dominates much of the narrative and the argument, the lives of her lesser-known sisters Katherine and Mary also receive attention, showing the perils of being close to the throne in sixteenth-century England.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tudors. In addition to offering unique historical insights, de Lisle also tells a good, well-written story.
September 29, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. It was well researched and brought a fresh look at many familiar people. Frances Brandon Grey emerged as a more reasonable woman, misrepresented by many in the past. Jane was a more multidimensional character than usually portrayed. I was drawn to poor Katherine Grey, who found true love and suffered because of it. I must admit that my opinion of Elizabeth I has probably taken a hit though
I do recommend a strong knowledge of the period and the people before diving in though. Just makes it a more satisfying read, as the information in it is so wonderful if you know the players.
I do recommend a strong knowledge of the period and the people before diving in though. Just makes it a more satisfying read, as the information in it is so wonderful if you know the players.
October 31, 2011
I'm not a big fan of non-fiction, but this one held my interest. The author's 8 years of research sheds new light or a new way of thinking on many historical figures during this time. I won't say much for spoiler reasons, but I thought I knew why many decisions were made during these years. The author makes for new reason, even debunks prior myths. Some reviewers feel de Lisle made Jane out to be greedy. I did not get that impression. I felt Katherine and Mary were both naive. They simply didn't understand the rules under Elizabeth's reign. This is a good book for clubs and without a doubt good for discussion.
May 28, 2017
This book, unfortunately, seemed to take me forever to get through. I've read a good amount of history books on the Tudors (and just history in general) and this book just seemed lackluster. Rarely do we get to see letters referring to, from, or to the gray sisters though these letters are often talked about. Mary Grey is barely covered. It seems like Katherine Grey's sons are covered more than Mary Grey. Lots of info is repeated multiple times. You just don't get a good feel for the type of women the Grey sisters were. There is also very little opinion on the Grey sisters which is crucial for a history book that you are basing off less noted people. Still it is at least worth a read.
September 21, 2013
One of my favourite places is Bradgate park in Leicestershire, it has a river, a reservoir, an old tower on a hill and the ruins of Bradgate manor, childhood home of the Grey sisters. I'm pretty certain I've got a photo of the ruins here under photos.
I knew about Lady Jane Grey, queen for nine days, but I didn't know what had happened to her two sisters. Gave me a whole new impression of Elizabeth the first.
May have to see if there are any more books by de Lisle worth a look.
I knew about Lady Jane Grey, queen for nine days, but I didn't know what had happened to her two sisters. Gave me a whole new impression of Elizabeth the first.
May have to see if there are any more books by de Lisle worth a look.
March 25, 2023
3.75 rounded up
This was very approachable for lay historians. Definitely written for a casual reading audience.
This was very approachable for lay historians. Definitely written for a casual reading audience.
June 12, 2010
I picked this up at the library because I have been interested in Tudor history but did not know much about the Grey sisters beyond Jane's usurpation of the throne (I believe that Edward was too young to change his father's will and Mary was the rightful successor).
Summary: These women were to be the heirs to the English throne but the vicious power struggles of Tudor politics led to untimely deaths and largely unhappy existences. De Lisle uncovers new information regarding Jane's life and illuminates her largely forgotten younger sisters.
I did know Jane due to the fact that she is known as the 9-Day Queen who was then executed by Mary. I knew she was Protestant, otherwise she would have accepted Mary's claim. I did not even know that she had sisters!
My favorite part of this book is how it refuses the traditional passivity assigned to the Greys and gives them back their agency. Jane in particular has apparently been highlighted as a helpless, innocent, victimized female. Yes they were used by their families but they were able to make their own decisions and Jane especially was brilliant. The other interesting point I noticed was how English Protestantism pushed women into a lower position, unable to rule and yet the entire monarchy succession was dependent on Mary, Elizabeth, Katherine, and Mary's ability to marry and bear sons.
It was heartbreaking to read about Katherine and Mary falling in love but being unable to maintain that happiness as Elizabeth refused to allow them peace. Their children, especially sons, threatened her throne. While this is a good principle to have if you want to rule, a modern reader, such as me, feels for the Grey sisters who were separated from their husbands and placed under house arrest until death as Elizabeth outlived them.
As in Wolf Hall, I was slightly confused by the titles of everyone. Additionally there are family trees to show the relations of the main players-I found them somewhat confusing but I'm sure some people would find them more helpful.
Overall: 3.5/5 I enjoyed learning about the sisters but there was a lot that didn't really include them. I also plan to check out this author's other book After Elizabeth detailing the succession that according to Henry VIII's will ought to have gone to this family's descendants but instead returned to the Stuart line leading to the present day British monarchy family.
Summary: These women were to be the heirs to the English throne but the vicious power struggles of Tudor politics led to untimely deaths and largely unhappy existences. De Lisle uncovers new information regarding Jane's life and illuminates her largely forgotten younger sisters.
I did know Jane due to the fact that she is known as the 9-Day Queen who was then executed by Mary. I knew she was Protestant, otherwise she would have accepted Mary's claim. I did not even know that she had sisters!
My favorite part of this book is how it refuses the traditional passivity assigned to the Greys and gives them back their agency. Jane in particular has apparently been highlighted as a helpless, innocent, victimized female. Yes they were used by their families but they were able to make their own decisions and Jane especially was brilliant. The other interesting point I noticed was how English Protestantism pushed women into a lower position, unable to rule and yet the entire monarchy succession was dependent on Mary, Elizabeth, Katherine, and Mary's ability to marry and bear sons.
It was heartbreaking to read about Katherine and Mary falling in love but being unable to maintain that happiness as Elizabeth refused to allow them peace. Their children, especially sons, threatened her throne. While this is a good principle to have if you want to rule, a modern reader, such as me, feels for the Grey sisters who were separated from their husbands and placed under house arrest until death as Elizabeth outlived them.
As in Wolf Hall, I was slightly confused by the titles of everyone. Additionally there are family trees to show the relations of the main players-I found them somewhat confusing but I'm sure some people would find them more helpful.
Overall: 3.5/5 I enjoyed learning about the sisters but there was a lot that didn't really include them. I also plan to check out this author's other book After Elizabeth detailing the succession that according to Henry VIII's will ought to have gone to this family's descendants but instead returned to the Stuart line leading to the present day British monarchy family.
August 17, 2024
Pretty well done. The older two were definitely members of the Tudor family, and married for political gain. The last one, Mary, married for love not for politics. I read this a few years ago in 2010 but was reminded of it, looking through a list of Tudor nonfiction titles on Goodreads. Very interesting book. I might reread it someday.
After reading this again, I find I have a very different opinion. I do not consider this book well done. The editing on this was poor with wrong names inserted in different places. Katherine may have married for love. Certainly it was a choice destined to have horrendous consequences. Mary, the youngest, survived her marriage when her husband died, likely as a result of deteriorating health from his imprisonment. She was released from imprisonment after that. The author boasts about her scholarship and her various discoveries but wrote a book with no clear endnotes, which seems like sloppy scholarship. It is only after finishing that you realize there actually were endnotes. There were a lot of modern assumptions made about a very different world, where people would react differently. The author made the astounding announcement that many of the Tudor women suffered from depression. I do not see any information that she consulted a clinical psychologist before deciding this. Katherine’s two sons were considered bastards with the implication that Katherine could have changed that by showing her wedding and betrothal rings sooner. Really? Elizabeth would have found some reason to undermine their legitimacy. She was quite aware of her ancestors’ roles in the War of the Roses and the dangers of having royal blood. While I found the story of the Grey sisters interesting, I question many of the comments made here. Her claim that Elizabeth always favored as heir her elder Aunt’s Scots descendants is not supported by the reading I’ve done. There are many more unsupported comments. While I originally gave this 4 stars, I am lowering it to 2 stars.
After reading this again, I find I have a very different opinion. I do not consider this book well done. The editing on this was poor with wrong names inserted in different places. Katherine may have married for love. Certainly it was a choice destined to have horrendous consequences. Mary, the youngest, survived her marriage when her husband died, likely as a result of deteriorating health from his imprisonment. She was released from imprisonment after that. The author boasts about her scholarship and her various discoveries but wrote a book with no clear endnotes, which seems like sloppy scholarship. It is only after finishing that you realize there actually were endnotes. There were a lot of modern assumptions made about a very different world, where people would react differently. The author made the astounding announcement that many of the Tudor women suffered from depression. I do not see any information that she consulted a clinical psychologist before deciding this. Katherine’s two sons were considered bastards with the implication that Katherine could have changed that by showing her wedding and betrothal rings sooner. Really? Elizabeth would have found some reason to undermine their legitimacy. She was quite aware of her ancestors’ roles in the War of the Roses and the dangers of having royal blood. While I found the story of the Grey sisters interesting, I question many of the comments made here. Her claim that Elizabeth always favored as heir her elder Aunt’s Scots descendants is not supported by the reading I’ve done. There are many more unsupported comments. While I originally gave this 4 stars, I am lowering it to 2 stars.
April 6, 2016
There was nothing inherently wrong with this book. It was well-researched and had a good idea, but some things were... bothersome. The book was not what it was marketed as. It was more of a book on the question of Elizabethan/Edwardian succession with a slight emphasis on the Grey sisters. The book focused too much on Jane Grey, compared with the others. She had half the book to herself with only the occasional mention of the other two. Additionally, she was mentioned only half of her time. The other just dealt with every... single...little...thing her family got themselves into, every single little fight and scandal. It droned on and on about this rebellion with no later impact and this disagreement that would never be mentioned again. I understand the background knowledge is necessary to understand Edwardian times and succession, but not the amount the book went into. Part 1 and 2 should have been titled "Life with Tudor Royals with recurring character Jane, who later became Queen." Then when her sister finally got mentioned, the book became "Elizabethan Succession with the remaining Grey sisters and how Elizabeth hated them and jailed them." The majority of the last two sections was only about the Elizabethan succession, nothing else about their life, only how it affected Elizabeth's attitude toward them. I just couldn't get into it, as I felt this was not the book I signed up for. If someone is interested in Elizabethan Succession with slight emphasis on the Greys or the Life of Jane Grey, then they should read parts of the book. As I only wanted to know about the younger sisters, and they turned out to be ignored, the book was a massive flop for me. I was personally most interested in Mary's marriage before reading, but had not realized that they were together so little, so Katherine's story became the most intriguing. The political machinations during Jane's life were overdrawn and lengthy which caused to lose interest in her very early on
August 27, 2016
Hmmm, I almost feel as if I read a different book than the other reviews because I must certainly disagree with some of the strong points discussed. As opposed to the other reviews, I thought that the majority of this books focused on Jane Grey versus her less controversial sisters. Granted, there is obviously more historical remnants available regarding the Nine Days Queen but when a book's title contains the term"sisters", then you expect more. Yes, the book DID delve into some background regarding the lives of the Grey sisters and their future romantic and court-related decisions but it was more of a cause-and-effect description of, "Jane did this, so the sisters did that" versus what the sisters did first. Perhaps they just had boring lives? Regardless, this book should have just admitted that it was basically about Jane Grey.
Also, I found that Linda de Lisle also debated the most common Jane Grey stereotypes. Most biographies argue that Jane was raised by the abusive and non-loving Frances Grey (Duchess of Suffolk) and was intensely intelligent and strongly protestant while also being friends with then-Princess Elizabeth. However, de Lisle seems to strive to prove that none of that was true and Jane was more of an ambitious upstart like most other females. It felt more of a lack of research and facts on de Lisle's end versus a strong argument as it didn't include solid notation or background.
Overall, not bad but certainly not what you expect. A light overview which leaves you wanting more (good or bad thing?).
Also, I found that Linda de Lisle also debated the most common Jane Grey stereotypes. Most biographies argue that Jane was raised by the abusive and non-loving Frances Grey (Duchess of Suffolk) and was intensely intelligent and strongly protestant while also being friends with then-Princess Elizabeth. However, de Lisle seems to strive to prove that none of that was true and Jane was more of an ambitious upstart like most other females. It felt more of a lack of research and facts on de Lisle's end versus a strong argument as it didn't include solid notation or background.
Overall, not bad but certainly not what you expect. A light overview which leaves you wanting more (good or bad thing?).
March 20, 2011
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book - I was expecting the lion's share of the material to be about Jane, her 9 day reign, and the subsequent fall-out after her execution.
However, what I really enjoyed about this was the stories that are usually completely ignored by authors - that of Katherine and Mary Grey, and what their sister's death meant for them. As potential heirs to the English throne, Elizabethan England was often a dangerous place for them, whether it be the Queen herself casting a shadow over their lives, or others plotting to overthrow the monarchy in their name. As they were so entwined with the issue of the English succession, their lives were continuously shaped by the political and religious landscape at any given time, and their choices and actions affected the standing of their family for generations.
The story that is being told is often a very human one - involving love, marriage, intrigue, betrayal, power and plotting. However, the author writes in such a way that the imagery of Tudor England is very vivid (including details on the policical background as Elizabeth's reign goes on, and the key players that shape the sister's lives), so it is easy to place yourself in the sisters' situations and go some way to relate their feelings with their actions.
An absolutely fantastic read - a must for any Tudor enthusiast!
However, what I really enjoyed about this was the stories that are usually completely ignored by authors - that of Katherine and Mary Grey, and what their sister's death meant for them. As potential heirs to the English throne, Elizabethan England was often a dangerous place for them, whether it be the Queen herself casting a shadow over their lives, or others plotting to overthrow the monarchy in their name. As they were so entwined with the issue of the English succession, their lives were continuously shaped by the political and religious landscape at any given time, and their choices and actions affected the standing of their family for generations.
The story that is being told is often a very human one - involving love, marriage, intrigue, betrayal, power and plotting. However, the author writes in such a way that the imagery of Tudor England is very vivid (including details on the policical background as Elizabeth's reign goes on, and the key players that shape the sister's lives), so it is easy to place yourself in the sisters' situations and go some way to relate their feelings with their actions.
An absolutely fantastic read - a must for any Tudor enthusiast!
February 16, 2011
Jane Grey has always been almost a mythical creature for me. She certainly wasn't three-dimensional. The common view of her is this maligned child, forced on to the throne, forced to wed, and then brutally sacrificed to preserve Mary's throne. She is seen as the tool of everyone around her.
However, the real story is far more interesting. Jane was less the innocent victim, and more self-aware than portrayed. She was far more involved, more angry, and more the spokeswoman for her religion than the movies and many book tell you. It also makes her more compelling--though she still didn't need her head chopped off.
Her two sisters were also punished for daring to be related to the throne, and possibly threaten Elizabeth. Both were on house arrest for much of their lives for daring to marry and possibly bear an heir--neither of which Elizabeth planned to do.
Also, the struggle of these four women reveals the role that women were given in the 16th century politics--and the frustration of not only them, but the men surrounding the throne.
However, the real story is far more interesting. Jane was less the innocent victim, and more self-aware than portrayed. She was far more involved, more angry, and more the spokeswoman for her religion than the movies and many book tell you. It also makes her more compelling--though she still didn't need her head chopped off.
Her two sisters were also punished for daring to be related to the throne, and possibly threaten Elizabeth. Both were on house arrest for much of their lives for daring to marry and possibly bear an heir--neither of which Elizabeth planned to do.
Also, the struggle of these four women reveals the role that women were given in the 16th century politics--and the frustration of not only them, but the men surrounding the throne.
June 1, 2016
The first third of this book was rather rough for me because of all the information packed into it, but right around the point when Jane is about to become queen the writing relaxes and is easier to read. Unfortunately I was left without a real picture of Lady Jane Grey as a person. Instead I got a better understanding of all the people around Jane and their motives. The stories of Katherine and Mary Grey perhaps make them easier to understand as human beings, because both of their tales revolve around their love for their husbands, whereas Jane's academic and religious leanings may have made her more difficult to evoke as a flesh and blood person. The Epilogue describes Jane in such a way that the reader can understand her much better than throughout the body of the book.
De Lisle does an admirable job countering myths and disinformation that has become common about Jane and her mother. She also reveals little-known information about Katherine and Mary.
This book definitely peaks my interest in English and Scottish history.
De Lisle does an admirable job countering myths and disinformation that has become common about Jane and her mother. She also reveals little-known information about Katherine and Mary.
This book definitely peaks my interest in English and Scottish history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews