A Portrait of Lady Jane Grey.
This book was one of my book sale purchases from last year. Jane was the granddaughter of Mary Tudor (sister of Henry VIII) and Charles Brandon (one of the King's best friends.) Despite her status and royal blood, she didn't have an easy life. Her parents were horrible to her because she wasn't a boy, and she preferred books and learning to riding and hunting.
The dying teen-aged King Edward VI named his cousin Jane as his successor, rather than his Catholic half sister Mary. Jane didn't want to be queen, but was bullied by her parents and father-in-law John Dudley the Duke of Northumberland. Jane was a staunch Protestant and did not welcome a Catholic sovereign any more than Edward.
Jane's supporters soon deserted her and proclaimed Mary the Queen. Jane was a virtual prisoner in the Tower where she had originally gone to prepare for her coronation.
Jane waited for Mary to release her from the Tower. Unfortunately, her father Henry Grey joined the rebellion of Thomas Wyatt the Younger. Mary ordered the execution of Jane and her husband Guildford Dudley.
A tragic end to a sad life.
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