Book Description

Historian James D. Taylor gathers in one volume all known historical information regarding Henry Grey, father of Lady Jane Grey. Descended from a distinguished and noble heritage that produced two queens, Henry Grey gave up a comfortable, quiet and leisurely life to become one of the most powerful and influential men in England next to the king. His influence was so strong that, working in alliance with the Duke of Northumberland, he was able to coerce the young King Edward VI, on his deathbed, to change the order of succession to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne when Edward died, making Henry Grey the father of the Queen. Documents trace the Grey lineage back as far as 1100 CE. This venerable family was intermingled with many other well placed and ambitious figures of medieval England, and these axes of power and influence all came into play upon the death of the young King Edward VI. Alliances and conspiracies first put Jane on the throne, then brought Henry VIII's daughter Mary to claim the crown herself. In the end, Henry Grey brought destruction upon his daughter and himself, as they were sent to the executioner within a week of each other. The tensions and emotions of this high-stakes game can be sensed from the documentary record. A genealogy of the Grey family, descriptive information on Henry Grey's wife Frances Brandon - an ambitious granddaughter of King Henry VII, a list of Knights made by King Edward VI and other historical documents accompany the text. The author also presents some dramatic narratives from the 1700s and 1800s which add flavor to the story.