Children Of England: The Heirs of King Henry VIII 1547-1558

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Children Of England: The Heirs of King Henry VIII 1547-1558

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 5,089 ratings · 265 reviews

When Henry VIII dies in 1547 he left three highly intelligent children to succeed him in turn - Edward, Mary and Elisabeth - to be followed, if their lines failed, by the descendents of his sister Mary Tudor, one of whom was the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey, Edward was nine years old, Mary thirty-one and Jane ten. Edward, Elizabeth and Jane were staunch Protestants, Mary a dev...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published March 6th 1997 by Pimlico (first published May 16th 1996)

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Apr 14, 2013 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-will-teach-us-nothing

On that day a dead dog with clipped ears, a rope around its neck, and its head tonsured like a priest’s was hurled into the Queen’s chamber at Whitehall.

This is history at its best, with utterly intense soap opera plots and weird glamorous characters and all of it true. This book picks up where Henry VIII and his collection of calamitous chorines left off and tells the story of the next eleven years. And what eleven years they were. Heads rolled, the stench of burning flesh hung in the air, and...more

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Sep 23, 2008 Andrew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who liked Weir's The Six Wives

Recommended to Andrew by: Lindsay

Shelves: history

Best place name: Fotheringhay
Best adjective: bedecked
Best phantom pregnancy: Mary's first
Most unwelcome death: Jane Grey's
Most welcome deaths: Tie between John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland's and Queen Mary's
Biggest asshole of a Pope: Pope Paul III
Most unfit parents: Henry Grey and Frances Brandon (Duke & Duchess of Suffolk and Jane Grey's parents)
Most scantily mentioned former queen: Anne of Cleves
Best hunchback: Mary Grey

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Jan 23, 2012 Orsolya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: elizabeth-i, henry-viii, history, library, mistresses-royalty, queens, tudor-england, mary-tudor, wishlist

Although I wouldn’t say I’m a “Tudor Expert” (okay maybe I would); I do like to think I am well-versed on the topic. I first read Alison Weir’s “The Children of Henry VIII” almost a decade ago before I was as acquainted with the Tudor dynasty. Although both are far different experiences, re-reading this history piece still brought enjoyment (once-again).

Immediately in the first sentence of the Preface, Weir states that The Children of Henry VIII “…is not a history of England during the troubles...more Although I wouldn’t say I’m a “Tudor Expert” (okay maybe I would); I do like to think I am well-versed on the topic. I first read Alison Weir’s “The Children of Henry VIII” almost a decade ago before I was as acquainted with the Tudor dynasty. Although both are far different experiences, re-reading this history piece still brought enjoyment (once-again).

Immediately in the first sentence of the Preface, Weir states that The Children of Henry VIII “…is not a history of England during the troubles reigns of Edward VI, Jane Grey [let’s stress for the beginner Tudor reader that Jane was NOT Henry’s daughter], Mary I, and Elizabeth I, but a chronicle of the personal lives of four English sovereigns and the relationships between them…” While this is true that Weir does not dive too deeply into the political landscape of the aforementioned individuals and focuses more on the social and personal aspects of these leaders; the text still doesn’t give the desired look into the psyche of these sovereigns as perhaps expected. Rather then REALLY getting to “know” theses individuals and experiencing their histories, Weir basically just tells their stories.

Despite this, Weir keeps a smooth chronological sequence of events and instead of sectioning off chapters for each king/queen; she intertwines events in order to show equal-time incidents in various lives (I.E. While Mary was “fill in the blank”, Elizabeth was doing…). This creates a full picture of the Tudors which is especially insightful to those readers newer to the topic at hand. For those more familiar, The Children of Henry VIII is a terrific refresher course (plus, it has some details which you may have not read elsewhere).

As usual with Weir, her research is extensive and annotated while also including quotes and chunks of letters/documents while presenting a text which is well-paced and smooth versus overly scholarly. One of the positives is that Weir did not demonstrate an overly-biased view towards any of the sovereigns, telling their domestic affairs with equal validity. Another optimistic feature were the biographical snippets on other influential figures which provided insight into in the lives of well-known but lesser written about personages.

As The Children of Henry VIII progressed, it became increasingly more detailed, and for lack of a better description, more entertaining; while being accompanied by strong sources such as Edward’s diary entries and Elizabeth’s household account books. Even having read this book in the past, I still eagerly turned the pages and was engaged by Weir’s storytelling (although, she was at times repetitive and would reiterate phrases).

The majority of the book followed Mary’s reign, helping bring her to life and almost read like a single Mary biography which may deter some readers (but was welcomed by me, as a fan of Mary). Even though I know a great deal about Mary Tudor; there were some details and statistics I was unaware of. It is always riveting to learn something new.

The Children of Henry VIII is a rather solid look into the heirs to Henry VIII’s throne and the events which connected them. Although the book could have presented more details on the other sovereigns aside from Mary (Weir ends the book at Elizabeth’s accession to the throne); this glimpse into the Tudor world is engaging and certainly worth reading about.

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Jan 17, 2012 GoldGato rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, summer, royalty

Alison Weir always delivers, and it's a pleasure to have one of her books in my greedy-for-more-history hands. Here, she focuses on Mary I, Elizabeth I, and Edward VI, the Tudor Children. She paints the picture of papa Henry and how his lust for power, and women, led him to be father to three different children from three different mothers.

There is even a biographical portrait of Lady Jane Grey, the unfortunate girl caught between avaricious parents and power-hungry opponents. Believe me, you wi...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Lukasz Pruski rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

And now for something completely different. Not a mystery book review. First, a disclaimer: I have quite a limited experience with history books, having read fewer than 10 of these in my lifetime, in contrast with well over a thousand mysteries and several hundreds of “serious fiction” titles (not to mention non-history non-fiction titles or books in my profession).

I understand that Ms. Weir’s “serious” books, meaning her historical non-fiction, are frowned upon by “serious” historians as being...more And now for something completely different. Not a mystery book review. First, a disclaimer: I have quite a limited experience with history books, having read fewer than 10 of these in my lifetime, in contrast with well over a thousand mysteries and several hundreds of “serious fiction” titles (not to mention non-history non-fiction titles or books in my profession).

I understand that Ms. Weir’s “serious” books, meaning her historical non-fiction, are frowned upon by “serious” historians as being too popular, simplistic, and too focused on the “plot”. This may well be true; however, on the spectrum whose endpoints are research-level study of history on one side, and fictitious story based on selected historical facts on the other side, “The Children of Henry VIII” lies quite close to the former, “serious” endpoint, in my view. True, there is perhaps too much focus on stories of individual people, the movers and shakers. Critics claim that there is not enough emphasis on socio-economic and global factors in Ms. Weir’s non-fiction. I tend to disagree. She shows how the heavy political interplay between the Habsburgs, France, and the Holy See affects England. She also shows the influence of mass movements (protests or expressions of sympathy) of “ordinary people” on the course of political events. And even if the socio-economic background is missing, I can always read a “serious” history book for additional depth. Also, the focus on the intertwined stories of individual people makes this book so interesting to read.

Ms. Weir vividly presents the four children of Henry VIII (three children and a grand-niece): Edward VI, Jane Grey, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, each of whom would end up ruling England. I find the characterizations deep and revealing. The book is also a fascinating study of how powerful people’s greed for more wealth and more power is not an insignificant driver of history.

The events take place in the 16th century so religion plays a crucial role; these are the times of Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Ms. Weir’s portrayal of the contrast between religious fanaticism and treating religion as an expediency is quite sharp. I would love to learn more about where would most of the so-called “ordinary people” be on this spectrum.

The real-life “plot” of this book is more thrilling than the plot of 90% of the so-called thrillers, with their contrived, artificially convoluted, and obfuscating “twists and turns”.

For the Internet generation, it must be hard to take that in the 16th century news traveled by foot or, at best, on horseback. It might have taken days or even weeks for people in the country to learn that the king is dead, even if it was not a secret.

Finally, I loved the book because I had to read it slowly; it took me so much time to get through it! There was no skipping over sentences or paragraphs!

Four and a half stars.
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Jul 08, 2010 Erik rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fresh off her earlier work, Henry VIII, I dove headfirst into this follow-up that recounts the tumultuous period between the great monarch’s death and the ascension of his second daughter, Elizabeth. The title, as many have observed, is a tad misleading as only three out of the four monarchs featured were actually children of the late Henry; the teenage Lady Jane Grey, who reigned for a mere three months after the death of the equally young Edward VI and before being deposed by Mary and her alli...more Fresh off her earlier work, Henry VIII, I dove headfirst into this follow-up that recounts the tumultuous period between the great monarch’s death and the ascension of his second daughter, Elizabeth. The title, as many have observed, is a tad misleading as only three out of the four monarchs featured were actually children of the late Henry; the teenage Lady Jane Grey, who reigned for a mere three months after the death of the equally young Edward VI and before being deposed by Mary and her allies, being technically his grand-niece. Despite this slight error, The Children of Henry VIII is a work of remarkable scholarship that shed light on a period of Tudor history that is often fast-forwarded over in popular scholarship, if not the popular imagination through the cinematic and television mediums.

One interesting theory that Weir plays with is in regards to Elizabeth’s refusal to marry, which has long been a juicy gossip and rumor-mill by both professional and lay historians alike.

"…with the executions of Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard and Thomas Seymour in mind, she had come to equate marriage with death. This did not affect her desire to flirt and court male interest, but it prevented her from ever making the final commitment in any emotional relationship."

Of course, it is just as likely that Elizabeth’s aversion to marriage stemmed from the very real fear that if she married a Continental monarch, she would be putting the control of her realm and her English subjects under potential foreign dominion in the event of her death. Combine that with the unsuitability of marrying any of her supposed lovers – Robert Dudley and Walter Raleigh, to name but a few – and it is easy to imagine just how hard it was being in her position. Then again, there are those who speculate that she was barren, or even that she chose to proclaim her status as a Virgin Queen in order to appease and persuade Catholics to her accept her Protestant reign. Whatever the reason(s), Elizabeth’s reign is the more remarkable for ushering in the Golden Age.

Before Elizabeth, Mary was the second woman to reign from the English throne. (The first being the Empress Matilda, who reigned during a turbulent time in the twelfth century.) And for this very reason, many were wary of a woman holding the reigns of power – which was best expressed by Mary of Hungary when she remarked to Emperor Charles V, “A woman is never feared or respected as a man is, whatever the rank. In time of war it is entirely impossible for a woman to govern satisfactorily. All she can do is should responsibility for mistakes committed by others.” Of course, Elizabeth’s long and remarkable reign proved them completely wrong on all counts.

Sandwiched between the reigns of the commanding personalities and the politically and socially astute minds of Henry VIII and his second daughter, Elizabeth, the short-lived reigns of Edward VI, Jane, and Mary are often overlooked as a result of their political naïveté and lack of genuine leadership skills – the first two being mere pawns of more powerful forces in the end. But it is precisely because of these short-comings of these ill-fated monarchs that reading about them becomes absolutely absorbing and fascinating.
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Apr 27, 2010 Leeanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Children of Henry VIII, by Alison Weir

"The Children of Henry VIII" is a nonfiction history that reads like a narrative. One interesting, engrossing, detail-filled narrative. The book follows the ascent of Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I, and Elizabeth I to the English throne. Also covered are the men around the throne, such as John Dudley, Thomas Cranmer, Edward Courtenay, Philip II, etc.

The basic story is known by many, especially fans of the Tudor period. Weir's book is perfect for lover...more

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Feb 11, 2010 Steven Peterson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The title of this book is a bit misleading. While Weir does her usual fine job of elucidating characters and their times, calling this "The Children of Henry VIII" is a bit misleading, since Lady Jane Grey's nine day reign is included. Her story as a child until her brief reign is also told. This makes a great deal of sense historically, since she was labeled sovereign by some lords upon the death of Edward VI and before Mary's supporters drove Grey's "handlers" from power.

The book does a nice j...more The title of this book is a bit misleading. While Weir does her usual fine job of elucidating characters and their times, calling this "The Children of Henry VIII" is a bit misleading, since Lady Jane Grey's nine day reign is included. Her story as a child until her brief reign is also told. This makes a great deal of sense historically, since she was labeled sovereign by some lords upon the death of Edward VI and before Mary's supporters drove Grey's "handlers" from power.

The book does a nice job of outlining the personalities, experiences, and beliefs of Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth, the children of Henry VIII as well as Lady Jane Grey, also of royal blood. Edward's reign after his father's death was brief, with his death from tuberculosis in his middle teens. Weir outlines his personality and his positions on issues of the day. He never ruled as full sovereign because of his age, but many thought him promising material. He was strongly supportive of a more radical religious stance, moving further from the Catholic Church. The story of efforts by his Council members to manipulate him and compete with one another for influence through him is well told. When his health began deteriorating, with Mary the heir to the throne, some of the nobles realized that they could be in serious trouble, given her know adherence to Catholicism and to her anger at her poor treatment by some of those nobles.

Hence, the coup that placed Grey on the throne, even if only for a short while. It was an effort surely doomed to fail. When troops flocked to Mary to support her claim on the throne, the conspirators were defeated. The sad ending of Jane's life is spelled out. Mary did not want her death, but she served as a symbol for those who did not want the return of the Catholic religion. Thus, she was disposed of as an effort to defuse unrest.

Far more troublesome, as discussed here, was the prickly relationship between the sisters--Mary and Elizabeth. The latter ended up in the Tower of London for awhile, sometimes sure that she was to experience her mother's fate (Anne Boleyn was her mother). Mary's marriage to Philip of Spain and her inability to produce an heir; her efforts to return England to Catholicism and the ensuing burnings at the stake for heresy (she was later referred to as “Bloody Mary”).

And, with her death, the book ends with Elizabeth learning that she was now Queen.

This is a standard Alison Weir work, which for me means a well written story, with plenty of details of the main focal characters and the contexts in which they found themselves. There is a nice genealogical table at the end, to see how Jane was related to Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth. Another good product from Weir's pen.
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May 17, 2013 Miri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, 4-stars, history

The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir consists of three parts.

The first part is about the “reign” of Edward VI, or rather the reign of his two regents. First his uncle Edward Seymour and then John Dudley. Meanwhile Mary has to endure the persecution of Catholics under Edward VI’s protestant government. Elizabeth is somewhat better off but has troubles of her own, mostly from people who want to marry her.

The second part is by far the shortest and it deals with the short reign of Jane Grey the...more

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May 29, 2012 Destiny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1500s, biographies, non-fiction, tudor-era

I have previously started this book, but I only got forty pages into it before something else caught my attention. After I finished The Six Wives of Henry VIII I wanted more Tudor stuff, so what better to read than this? After I've always been fascinated by those three royal children.

This book gave me more insight into Edward VI. Although it didn't delve too deeply into his reign. Edward seems to me to have been a puppet through most of his reign. But he did set the groundwork for the Protestant...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Ray Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2013

Weir does a terrific job of storytelling. There are histories that are dry and impersonal, this is not one of them. By focusing on a narrow window, Weir makes it easy to connect to the characters in the book as though it's great fiction rather than history. Never the less, her research is amazing and she has many scholarly points to make.

The book begins with a quick run up and review of the reign of Henry VIII in order to set the stage for the assent of his son, Edward VI. It is easy to skip ove...more Weir does a terrific job of storytelling. There are histories that are dry and impersonal, this is not one of them. By focusing on a narrow window, Weir makes it easy to connect to the characters in the book as though it's great fiction rather than history. Never the less, her research is amazing and she has many scholarly points to make.

The book begins with a quick run up and review of the reign of Henry VIII in order to set the stage for the assent of his son, Edward VI. It is easy to skip over the reigns of Edward, Lady Jane and Mary on the way from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I. However, much of the molding of the culture, government and religion of England was reaction to and grew out of the context of the radical positions of Edward and Mary. The personal details tell the story of the evolution of ideas, theology and policies. I respect the histories that cover the centuries in broad strokes, but Weir's style of writing is entertaining and informative at a much deeper level.

Accounts taken from letters, diaries and testimony give us the expressions on faces, laughter, horror as well as what they wore, ate and really looked like. This level of detail makes it possible to experience history in a full color world experienced by the senses. Mary loved her little sister, Edward idealized and played with his older sisters, Mary fell head over heals for Philip and real people died for what they believed in grotesque ways while wars raged on the continent and an international cast of supporting characters came and went with news, influence and intrigue.

I've read more exciting history, but only because the stories were more exciting. Alison Weir is as gifted as any historian I've read. She doesn't document every phrase in the narrative. She tells the story with details and mentions sources in context making her prose flow in a natural and unobtrusive way. It is really easy to forget that this is not fiction. I look forward to reading more of her work including her historical fiction. Michael Schaara's "Killer Angels" comes to mind. The events can be real and dialogue can even be taken from primary source, but there is a line where an honest historian can decide to write from his or her own point of view and personal understanding without qualification in a literary style rather than as a scholar. The style of Weir's writing here is just to the history side of the line. I understand that other works of hers are fiction, though I imagine them, as with Schaara, fictionalized history rather than fiction in a historical setting.

Excellent book, I highly recommend. A must for Tutor enthusiasts. By the way - this covers Henry VIII through Jane Seymour and then the lives of Edward, Mary, Jane Grey (though she is not Henry's child) and Elizabeth until Elizabeth takes the thrown. The coverage of Elizabeth's life is equal in the time frame, but the time frame ends with the death of Mary. Just a brief epilogue foreshadows the actual reign of Elizabeth.(less)

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Jun 18, 2010 Erica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book right after I finished “The Six Wives of Henry VIII”, and was not disappointed. This book picks up right where the other one leaves off and is another example of a historical biography that reads like a novel. The court intrigue and tangle of personal relationships continues in the children’s reigns just as during that of their father (or great uncle in the case of Lady Jane Grey). I was more familiar with Mary I and Elizabeth I, and it was interesting to learn of the events lea...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read very little in the way of history books - I honestly cannot say when I last read a book of history before this one, so bear that in mind.

I found this book extremely readable in many, many ways. Weir does a very good job of moving things along at a pace that keeps the reader from feeling bogged down, and in such a way as I also did not end up feeling like things were rushed through in the book. It was quite interesting to see how much of a particular individual's personality Weir was ab...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Bookhode rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Even as a history loving nerd, who is especially fond of the Tudors era, I felt cheated after reading this book. The Children of Henry VIII runs for 400 pages, and it goes into great detail describing the years of Edward VI and his regents, followed by brief ascension of poor Jane Grey, and finally the entire rule of the (in)famous Queen Mary, but unfortunately the book ends at the moment that I was looking forward to the most, when Elizabeth I become the Queen of England.

Except for few notes in...more

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Jul 23, 2009 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone who is looking for a detailed read about the Tudors

Recommended to Jennifer by: Mom

Shelves: 2009, tudors, non-fiction, england, alison-weir, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm copying this from other posts I made on the Tudor group but thought I'd share here, as well.

July 15/09
"I'm really enjoying learning more about Jane in The Children of England, also by AW. Thought I'd share a little for anyone who, like me, doesn't know much about her.

The first part of the book takes place directly after the death of Henry VIII and goes into a lot of detail regarding Jane's feelings toward her parents and her preference to learning above all else, as learning was the only t...more I'm copying this from other posts I made on the Tudor group but thought I'd share here, as well.

July 15/09
"I'm really enjoying learning more about Jane in The Children of England, also by AW. Thought I'd share a little for anyone who, like me, doesn't know much about her.

The first part of the book takes place directly after the death of Henry VIII and goes into a lot of detail regarding Jane's feelings toward her parents and her preference to learning above all else, as learning was the only thing she could do safely, without fear of punishment. It also speaks of her betrothal to Lord Hertford being broken in favor of her parents' desire for higher position, as well as to fit the Duke of Northumberland's schemes to raise his family's stature by marry his own son, Guilford Dudley (younger brother of Robert) to Jane. AW states that Jane would have preferred to never marry at all but accepted that marriage was a part of her role as an one in line to inherit the throne. She did, however, 'hate the Dudleys' and refused to marry Guilford on the grounds of her previous betrothal. Her parents finally won that argument when they flogged Jane into submission. When reading about Jane, you can't help but feel for the sweet girl who would have preferred to sit with a book than sit on a throne. She was incredibly Protestant and very intelligent. It would have been interesting to see what sort of Queen she would have made or what sort of life she would have lived had she been able to follow through on either of these paths.

The second part of the book focuses on Jane and Mary after the death of Edward VI. I'll be reading that in about 10 pages or so. I'll write more when I learn it. I highly recommend reading the book :)

July 17, 2009

From what I've just finished reading, Edward's Lord Protector at the time of this death was the Duke of Northumberland, who was Robert Dudley's father. He overthrew Edward's uncle, Lord Somerset (Edward Seymour - Jane Seymour's brother) and took total control of the ruling. Northumberland convinced Edward to change the line of succession set forth in Henry VIII's will to skip over Mary, Elizabeth and Frances Brandon (Henry's niece by his sister Mary), which was illegal and traitorous to defy. However, Northumberland had so much power that the other advisors felt that they could not go against him for fear of their lives.

The doctors all deemed that nothing could be done for Edward, who was incredibly sick at the end. He was coughing up blood, he had boils, ulcers and bedsores (to name a few) and could barely get out of bed, write letters or even speak.

Northumberland was not yet prepared to let him die. He needed more time to set affairs into order in a way that would benefit him (by getting Jane on the throne, who was married to his youngest son, Guilford Dudley). Northumberland hired what AW calls a female 'quack' - a woman who fed aresenic to Edward, which apparently prolonged his life though to great suffering on Edward's part.

When the new line of succession was agreed upon (unwillingly) and sworn to by all advisors in front of Edward himself, Northumberland no longer had a need to keep him alive and got rid of the 'quack', ending the poisoning. Interestingly, this woman was never seen or heard from again and some think that she was murdered. I have no doubt that Northumberland would not be above getting rid of a woman who helped him to poison a King!

Anyway, Edward, pre-illness, was really trying to participate and "do" more by way of ruling. He attempted to emmulate his father in all ways. If you look at pictures of him, he even stands like Henry did, feet apart and hands on hips. He wasn't as athletic as Henry but enjoyed watching sport and loves the masques, etc. When his uncle was Lord Protector he did not let Edward take part in many decisions. This led Edward to hate his uncle.

Northumberland was smart even to realize that he needed to at least make Edward believe that decisions were his to make but was also smart enough to know how to make Edward's decisions mirror his own.

July 22/09
Mary, for all of her good qualities, of which she apparently possessed many, was a brutal queen, relentless in her persecution of the Protestant heretics. She was very much a maternal figure. She acted as mother to Elizabeth at a young age and wanted nothing more than to be a mother and provide a son for Phillip and for England. Obviously, this was not destined to happen. Mary was older when she married Phillip and probably in the beginning stages of menopause. She probably suffered from what is known as a phantom pregnancy; wanting so badly to be pregnant that she convinced herself and her body that she was.

The worst part of this section of the book was reading about the burnings. So many men and women died as a result of heresy. During Mary's 'pregnancy', she convinced herself that in order to safely deliver a child, she must first rid England of all the heretics and she increased the persecution at this time. One woman was burned when she was 8 months pregnant. While burning, she delivered the baby. The executioner picked up the baby and threw it back in the fire! I can't imagine what it must have been like to have lived during a time like this, always in fear of your life and the lives of your friends and family.
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Feb 09, 2011 Claire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction

One of Alison Weir's most popular books does not disappoint. Its material flies off the pages and makes you really think about what happened between Henry VIII's death and Elizabeth I's succession. I thought that I would already know a lot of what was in this book, having read a multitude of other books on this period, but I was very, very wrong.

Firstly is Edward VI's succession. A man hailed as 'the next King Solomon' - as such a young boy when he came to the throne (9 years old) he was manipu...more One of Alison Weir's most popular books does not disappoint. Its material flies off the pages and makes you really think about what happened between Henry VIII's death and Elizabeth I's succession. I thought that I would already know a lot of what was in this book, having read a multitude of other books on this period, but I was very, very wrong.

Firstly is Edward VI's succession. A man hailed as 'the next King Solomon' - as such a young boy when he came to the throne (9 years old) he was manipulated and pushed by his advisors to agree to everything they ever wanted. Consequently, he rarely made any of his own decisions. But he pushed England to such a fervour of Protestantism, he was prepared to write his own sister out of the succession. Putting Lady Jane Grey in her place.

Jane Grey, also manipulated and incredibly ill-treated by her parents, was forced to take the crown, but she was not forced to die. After Mary took the throne, she did not want to kill her cousin, and gave her many chances to take up the Catholic faith, but Jane was a fierce protestant, and, you could say she had a hand in signing her own death warrant. She wanted martyrdom, or at least she would not be persuaded to follow Catholocism.

Queen Mary's reign started with happiness and support from her people, but such misery and horrific atrocities were performed during her reign, (300 people burned at the stake within 4 years) that when she died, the English people were glad to see the back of her. Marrying King Philip of Spain was a desperate decision for a 38 year old woman who had never allowed herself any pleasures of the flesh. She was a sad and melancholy woman, trying to convert England back to Catholocism for her own selfish pleasure. Thinking God would punish her if she did not.

After Mary's death, there is a small part on Queen Elizabeth I, as the next book in the series is 'Elizabeth the Queen' - which I have already read, and is also fantastic. Weir is brilliant. I really cannot fault this book. (less)

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Feb 26, 2012 Loryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, awesome, books-i-own, biography, family-disfunction, historical-non-fiction, historical-fiction, historical, history, makes-you-think, non-fiction, religious-ties, renaissance, sisters, english-history, 16th-century

This was good. It's about my favorite family in all of history! Nothing beats the Tudors. Except maybe the Borgias.... but I like the nitty gritty of Henry's really wild life/successors. The book itself was dry at times. Got kind of bored and found myself skipping paragraphs. I wish they had touched at ALL on Elizabeths reign. Lady was queen for almost 50 years! And she gets two pages. Felt bad for pathetic Mary..... basically lived for Phillip of Spain (her hubby) and neglected ruling and resto...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Kristin Strong rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not sure this book lives up to the author's pitch for it in the introduction, but it's as close as sixteenth-century history can come to a page-turner.
In the intro, Alison Weir states that the book is the first to examine the relationships between the children of Henry VIII (and a cousin, Lady Jane Grey). There's some of that here, but it didn't quite give me what I expected. Weir uses (among other sources, of course) personal and diplomatic communications to establish and discuss the royal...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an incredibly detailed account of the fate of the legitimate heirs of Henry VII. Quotes from source materials are used generously, which adds to the veracity of the book as whole. History can be dry, but Ms. Weir includes accounts of the states of mind of the people she is writing about, and faithfully records all facets of their lives, from the clothes they wear, to the illnesses that they suffer, to the food that they eat. Most people know the general story of Henry VII, but not as man...more

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Jun 07, 2010 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-books

This is a wonderful book that covers the lives of the children of King Henry VIII. The most fascinating part is the long neglected story of the children between the time period when their father died and Elizabeth I became queen. I especially enjoyed reading about King Edward VI. I had always heard he was sickly and died young. Edward did die young but was not a sickly child. The story of the fate of the Seymour clan is interesting. Their desire to complete the Protestant Reformation beyond what...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Gianna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As I have come to expect of her other non-fiction books, Alison Weir weaves a compelling story while, at the same time, she employs numerous excerpts from authentic chronicles and letters. I loved reading, for example, the excerpt documenting the household expenses of Mary's court during Philip's first visit. The political tensions and religious struggle for power after the death of Henry VIII are depicted well. I know Weir has written about Elizabeth elsewhere in detail, but I couldn't help thi...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, death-and-dying, faith-and-religion, war-and-murder

The positive: I felt so sad for Queen Mary, which was unexpected. The "Bloody Mary" moniker, while not undeserved, is far less fitting than, like, "Sad Mary." She had a douchey husband, phantom pregnancies, a lot of crap talked about her...it's just sad. And Lady Jane Grey, already a tragic figure in the haze of my bad memory, became such a disastrously sad person, too. Even Edward, in his dying horror, made me sad. Only Elizabeth emerged without much of my pity -- sure, she was messed up and te...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Jamie Revell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

(NB: the edition I have is actually called "Children of England" - Goodreads is apparently unaware of this version).

Another fascinating and engaging Tudor biography from Alison Weir, in this case covering the lives of the children of Henry VIII after the king's death in 1547. While it's a biography, not a history book, it naturally covers quite a lot of history along the way, given the central characters' pivotal role in events.

The focus is primarily on Mary and Edward, although Elizabeth also h...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: european-history, non-fiction, 16th-century-euro, own-read

A good book about exactly what the title says - the children of King Henry VIII. As a teacher of A.P. European History, I knew the basic story of Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth but this book obviously contained a wealth of information that added to my knowledge. Weir writes her narrative in a way that mixes history and storytelling well.

I would probably have given this book five stars if it weren't for two things. First, following the names of English aristocrats at this time is very difficult. Th...more

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Oct 05, 2010 Erin Germain rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, tudors, biography, non-fiction, four-stars

Virtually everyone knows about Elizabeth I and her long reign. Many have heard of Mary I ("Bloody Mary"), who ruled before her. But how many know about Edward VI or the Nine-Day Queen, Lady Jane Grey? These were the children (and great-niece, in the case of Jane Grey) of Henry VIII. The book begins with Henry's death and the Council who ruled in the young Edward's name, his assertion for power, and the political and religious wrangling that happened after his early death. It provided a nice map...more

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May 12, 2013 Mary Bloodworth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alison Weir makes history accessible for non-academics like myself. In this book she tried to focus on Edward, Jane Gray, Mary, and Elizabeth as the children of Henry VIII, not just as rulers of England. She succeeded in this, though it became very clear how sad their lives were. They could never trust anyone because people always had an ulterior motive. Edward in particular was a royal twit, but he was nine years old and the king! No adult was raising him, because they were all too busy trying...more

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Nov 14, 2010 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

A fascinating book that deals with each of his children in turn. This book was very good in tackling subjects which usually get dealt with as a chapter in a book on the individuals. As someone who finds the period fascinating, it was academic enough not to be boring if you know a fair amount about the main characters, but not daunting if you dont. Alison Weir puts the chronology together well, and examines the four characters relationship with each other, how those relationships were manipulated...more

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Jan 24, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I recommend reading this book after Alison Weir's "the Six Wives of Henry VIII" as this picks up right where that left off. At his death in 1547, King Henry VIII left four heirs to the English throne: his only son, the nine-year-old Prince Edward; the Lady Mary, the adult daughter of his first wife, Katherine of Aragon; the Lady Elizabeth, the daughter of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, and his young great-niece, the Lady Jane Grey. Weir examines the relationship between Edward and Mary, Edward an...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Rae rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, history-everything-else

A very readable account of Henry's children on the throne: Edward, Mary and Elizabeth. Lady Jane Grey, who was not one of Henry's children, is also included with her controversial reign as queen for just nine days.

After reading this, I feel like I have a much better grasp on this period of history. Weir's writes well and includes lots of minor characters and gossipy tidbits.

My only issue with the book is that it ends with Mary's death - with only an epilogue regarding Elizabeth. Perhaps this is...more

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May 02, 2013 Alyssa Tobin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chapter-books-for-class

This book tells the life of Henry VIII's three children and his niece. The book is very length but tells a great story instead of just giving you information. The main story is about the fight for the reign and how each one of them gained it. The story also tells about how each child died or ended their reign.

This book would be a great resource for a project on Henry Viii. Mi would not have any of my students read the entire book, but they could check the chapters for information. The book is ve...more

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About Alison Weir

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Alison Weir (born 1951) is a British writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens. She currently lives in Surrey, England, with her two children.

Before becoming an author, Weir worked as a teacher of children with special needs. She received her...more

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