The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: Mary, Katherine, and Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Tragedy

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The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: Mary, Katherine, and Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Tragedy

by Leanda de Lisle

3.84 · rating details · 455 ratings · 97 reviews

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...moreMary, 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.(less)

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published October 13th 2009 by Ballantine Books (first published 2009)

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Dec 08, 2009

Lesley rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: those-wacky-tudors

Most Tudor-philes are familiar with Lady Jane Grey, the tragic "9 Days Queen" bullied by her parents and in-laws into usurping the crown from Mary Tudor. The story is far more complicated however; Jane and her 2 younger sisters were considered the true heirs by a significant portion of the British population, and Jane's accession was the honest intent of the young King Edward. The Grey sisters had three advantages over Henry VIII's daughter Mary: they were unquestionably legitimate, th...more

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Oct 30, 2011

Jan rated it

· review of another edition

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...moreI 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.(less)

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Jun 21, 2011

Syrdarya rated it

Shelves: digitalspy-book-group, history, memoirs-and-autobiographies, england

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 revo...more

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Mar 23, 2011

Caroline rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: english-history, medieval-history

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 educ...more

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Jun 19, 2011

Orsolya rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: queens, mistresses-royalty, tudor-england, library, history

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 is titles about "sisters" then you expect more. Yes, the book DID dwelve into some background int...more

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Dec 09, 2010

Claire rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction

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,...more

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Jan 08, 2010

Starling added it

Shelves: history, non-fiction

I'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...moreI'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. (less)

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Sep 24, 2010

Sarah Wagner rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

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 Gre...more

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Jul 12, 2011

June Louise rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-the-best, history-of-the-monarchy, favorites

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 histor...more

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Nov 21, 2011

Rebecca rated it

· review of another edition

I read this book over a weekend, I found it very fascinating. I've read quite a bit about Tudor history, Lady Jane Grey has always come across as somewhat of a doormat. Reading this book has definitely changed my view of the Grey sisters and their family.
For all of us who have viewed the movie, "Lady Jane', we knew Frances Brandon as being quite the enforcer and very power hungry woman. Frances and her husband, Suffolk, are treated as being good parents who actually loved their chil...more

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Jan 19, 2010

Kimm rated it

This is the first audio book I’ve ever listened to. I bought an iPod for Christmas and decided to try my hand at listening to books, in addition to reading them. I wasn’t sure if picking a non-fiction book such as The Sisters Who Would Be Queen was the wisest choice, but it was available from the library and I already had it on my reading wish list. I listened to a daily segment and eventually worked my way through over ten hours worth of audio! Now, I celebrate that accomplishment!

L...moreThis is the first audio book I’ve ever listened to. I bought an iPod for Christmas and decided to try my hand at listening to books, in addition to reading them. I wasn’t sure if picking a non-fiction book such as The Sisters Who Would Be Queen was the wisest choice, but it was available from the library and I already had it on my reading wish list. I listened to a daily segment and eventually worked my way through over ten hours worth of audio! Now, I celebrate that accomplishment!

Lady Jane Grey is my favorite historical figure. Naturally, I took to de Lisle’s book with great enthusiasm. I learned a great deal more than I anticipated, not only about Lady Jane, but also about her sisters, Catherine and Mary. de Lisle strips away the image of Jane as an innocent victim of political manipulation. Of course, political games were to be expected, even at her young age, Jane was in the game as well as everyone else and had her own agenda. She was intelligent, for exceeding today’s standards. She was schooled in a multitude of languages and had a deep understanding of religion and its associated beliefs. She was an evangelical to the core, refusing to compromise her own beliefs, even in the face of death.

Jane’s sisters had their own resilient personalities. Both were locked up for displeasing the Queen (Elizabeth I) by secretly marrying men they had formed attachments to. This was a crucial faux pas in that each sister was still in consideration as an heir to the throne—seeing as how Elizabeth refused to name a line of succession until years later when she was dying. Whom they married and what children they bore only increased their chances of getting the crown. After all, England was still seeking a male heir and their children could “upset the apple cart.”

Both sisters married for love and each lost their love during imprisonment. It seems that Catherine starved herself. She never could get over losing her husband and eldest son (they had two sons together). Mary lost her husband after he gained his freedom, but she had yet to do so. After his death, she was eventually released and went on to serve in Queen Elizabeth’s court once again. – I don’t know how I could have done that myself, but I suppose it came down to survival in uncertain times.

The book covers a great deal of information and is an essential read for those who have an interest in The Tudors. We learn about the Grey family (as well as several other families whose histories are intertwined with them) through their relationships with the monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, (Jane), Elizabeth I and finally James I. Quite a bit of historical information to be gleaned for sure! I think I’ll be searching for more of de Lisle’s writings…
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Feb 16, 2011

Jen rated it

Shelves: english-history, european-history

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 religio...more

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Oct 26, 2011

Melinda rated it

· review of another edition

This book blew everything else that I have read about the Grey sisters completely out of the water. De Lisle dug up little known tidbits about each of the girls and dispelled much of what I had earlier discovered about them. It was refreshing to notice that Jane's mother, Lady Frances Brandon, was not as cruel, heartless and power-hungry as other books had presented her. Actually, all three sisters, even Mary, grew up in a loving, stimulating household, where both parents displayed concern an...more

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Mar 20, 2011

Charli rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: tudor-non-fiction

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 h...more

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Dec 05, 2009

Misfit rated it

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 ...more

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Feb 18, 2010

Sbaird rated it

· review of another edition

It is rare to find a book about the Tudor era that covers substantial new ground, but Leanda de Lisle achieves it quote notably in The Sisters Who Would Be Queen. Beyond the myth of Lady Jane Grey, you have three sisters who were at times pawns and at times role models. Although much has been written about Jane, her sisters Katherine and Mary are even more fascinating with clandestine marriages, imprisonment, redemption and in one case survival.

The Stuart vs. Tudor/Brandon claims...more

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Apr 13, 2010

Pete daPixie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: history-tudor

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 m...more

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Sep 29, 2009

Connie rated it

· review of another edition

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 b...more

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Oct 31, 2011

Rio (Lynne) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: historical-biography

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...more

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Jan 17, 2010

Meaghan rated it

Shelves: history, biography, read-in-2010, tudors

An EXCELLENT book, one of the best Tudor histories I've ever read. I thought I knew quite a lot about Lady Jane Grey, but this book taught me many things and totally changed my perspective on Jane. I like my new perspective better -- Jane seems more real, more human now, than she did when she was just a poor innocent martyr with no control over her life. The stories of her sisters, Katherine and Mary (both extraordinary women in their own right) are tragedies of a most Shakespearean kind.
...more

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Jan 02, 2010

Jodi rated it

· review of another edition

It is common for Lady Jane Grey to be the subject of a book but to include her two sisters was intriguing. The book was well-written, informative and as balanced as it could be between the three sisters (the youngest sister was pretty neutralized by the politics of the day so there aren’t many primary sources available on her). No huge surprises for me about the facts but I did enjoy the ‘separate’ coverage of each sister instead of the usual works which discuss Katherine, at least, in the cont...more

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Mar 22, 2011

Tracey rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: bios-autobios-memoirs

Another book to feed my Tudor obsession. The author disagrees (rather vehemently) with the common wisdom about Jane and, especially, her mother. Jane is often mythologized as an innocent pawn of her uncle Northumberland and her ambitious parents, but I've read in other books as well as this one that Jane was an enthusiastic evangelical and so was willing to side with the people who wanted to keep Mary from becoming queen. I knew absolutely nothing about Jane's sisters, so the parts about their s...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Barbara Meerveld rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: history, elizabethan

I was longing to read this book and was in for a big nasty surprise.
I was expecting to read a book about the Grey sisters and yes they are in there somewhere but in some chapters you really have to search for them. I understand that a book about them means you have to tell something about the politics and kings and queens of that time but come on at times I had to remind myself about whom the book was supposed to be.
Even though the author gives a lot of notes the most important ones ...more

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Oct 03, 2010

Anna rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: tudor, non-fiction, read-in-2010, 4-stars, british-royalty

Jane, Katherine and Mary Grey were grandaughters of Mary, younger sister of Henry VIII. Henry's will stated that after his own children and their heirs, the next in line to the throne were Mary's heirs.

The story of Lady Jane Grey is as famous as it is tragic. But what happened to her younger sisters, also heirs to the throne?

This biography details Jane's short but significant life, which is so well known, and then moves on to Katherine and Mary.

With Henry's will sta...more

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Jul 24, 2010

Karen Duff rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: history, library, non-fiction, real-book

Very interesting read, paints a very different picture of Lady Jane Grey. Far from being an innocent pawn in the fight for the crown after being persuaded to accept it she actually becomes determined to remain queen as the alternative would be a catholic as queen and seemingly that would be a bad thing. This is a young woman who would rather die than take the catholic mass.

The way Elizabeth deals with Jane's sisters Katherine and Mary after they marry without royal approval makes her...more

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Jun 11, 2010

Bookworm1858 rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: read-2009, history-or-general-nf

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 li...moreI 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.(less)

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Jun 03, 2010

Amber rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone who loves Tudor history and wants to learn more about the Grey sisters.

I really enjoyed reading and learning more about the Grey sisters - in fact, before this book, I barely knew of the existence of the younger two Grey sisters. I know a good deal of information about the big players in the Tudor era, but not the less prominent ones. I’m quickly trying to remedy that by now actively seeking out books about all of the “side characters” of this time period.

Lady Jane Grey’s story is well-known, but that is what a lot of it is…story. The facts have been tw...moreI really enjoyed reading and learning more about the Grey sisters - in fact, before this book, I barely knew of the existence of the younger two Grey sisters. I know a good deal of information about the big players in the Tudor era, but not the less prominent ones. I’m quickly trying to remedy that by now actively seeking out books about all of the “side characters” of this time period.

Lady Jane Grey’s story is well-known, but that is what a lot of it is…story. The facts have been twisted and manipulated to fit particular time periods and particular ideas of women as a type of propaganda. Lady Jane was not the beautiful, obedient, malleable young woman with uncaring, cruel parents who thought nothing of her safety. Jane was plain, highly intelligent, and devout in her Protestant faith. She never sought the throne, but once it was offered to her through Edward VI’s will and the Privy Council, she took it as God’s will and vowed to her best. Her mother, Frances Brandon, was not intentionally cruel to Jane or her other daughters but is immortalized as such throughout history since she pleaded her case with Queen Mary and removed herself from overt Protestant faith, and that of her daughter’s cause, in order to appear conservative and to protect her other young daughters from a similar fate.

Lady Mary Grey was the youngest of the sisters. She served Queen Elizabeth and eventually fell in love with a man of lesser rank than her. They married without the queen’s consent and were imprisoned and separated from each other for the rest of their lives.

It was the middle sister’s, Katherine Grey’s, story which resonated with me the most. Hers was the most romantic and heartbreaking. She, too, served Queen Elizabeth, her cousin. She was kept close to ensure she wasn’t after the throne. Eventually, she fell in love with Edward Seymour, the Earl of Hertford (who was the elder son of Edward Seymour, Lord Protector). Both had links to the blood royal and both of their father’s has been executed for treason. They were well-matched in age and heart. Queen Elizabeth, as well as others, warned them to stay away from each other. Yet, they could not and decided to marry secretly. The queen was unaware until Katherine was almost at the end of her pregnancy with her first son. The queen looked for danger everywhere, and the joining of the Seymour and Grey lines, especially with a male heir, greatly threatened her throne, even though Katherine and Hertford did not desire it. The Council, Cecil in particular, approved of Katherine as heir to Elizabeth and constantly pushed the issue and it was always possible that others would rise in rebellion to place Katherine and Hertford on the throne because female rule was an unnatural thing and Elizabeth was cleverly sidestepping every suitor presented to her. Katherine and her husband ended up in the Tower but lived. They were eventually placed on house arrest separately from each other and were never allowed to see each other again.

I’ll now leave you with the last paragraph of the book proper which remains etched in my mind:

Bradgate remains one of the most romantic places in Leicestershire and deeply evocative of its Tudor past. If the house still stood it would surely be thick with the history of later times: eighteenth-century portraits of bewigged grandees, mementos of men who died in the Great War, fading photographs of children who have grown. Instead, there is little more than the crumbling brick the sisters would have known and the deer picking through the trees in the park, as quiet as ghosts (page 280).

You can see the original review here.(less)

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Jul 20, 2010

Amy rated it

Shelves: historical-non-fiction, read-in-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...moreAuthor 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.

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Aug 27, 2010

Anna rated it

Shelves: biographies-and-memoirs, british-history

The story of the eldest Grey sister, Lady Jane, "the Nine Days Queen", is famous. Her younger sisters, Katherine and Mary, however, disappeared behind the shadow of Jane's execution.

This book tells the story of all three sisters - and unlike what I thought before reading, Jane does not get the spotlight! Their political lives were difficult and filled with technicalities (which succession was 'more lawful' - Henry VIII's or Edward VI's? Was Jane an usurper? Who was Elizabe...more

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Jul 02, 2011

Kim rated it

· review of another edition

So when I was in junior high school, I challenged my history teacher when he jumped from Edward as King (Henry's son) to Mary as Queen....skipping right over Jane Grey...I challenged him and he didn't believe me...so I brought in literature proving Jane Grey was crowned and was indeed Queen.

So of course, one of the few moments in my life where I got to be right about something in the face of superior intellect naturally makes me appreciate historical accountings of the Lady Jane Grey...more

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About Leanda de Lisle

Leanda de Lisle was educated at St Mary’s Convent Ascot. In 1982 she graduated from Somerville College Oxford having read history and in 1990 she completed an MBA – her thesis was on political marketing.

Leanda has written columns for Country Life, the Sunday and Daily Express, The Spectator, The Guardian, the Daily Mail, the Sunday Telegraph, the New Statesman.

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After Elizabeth: The Rise of James of Scotland and the Struggle for the Throne of England

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title link	preview: The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: Mary, Katherine, and Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Tragedy
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The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: Mary, Katherine, and Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Tragedy

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