Rating the Monarchs of Britain: Now Disc. George III

It's very plausible that we don't have enough data to completely understand Henry's motives

 

He wanted an heir, plain and simple. He did not have the time to wait for a divorce and actual murder, rather than legal murder via execution, seems to be something he didn't want.

He did misjudge the public's reaction to the execution and how adroitly Anne Boleyn played her PR cards.

One needs look no further than the British royal family of today to see how important a male heir is. Prince Charles was pushed into a marriage with Princess Diana, who dutifully became pregnant on their honeymoon and produced an heir. When Prince Harry was born, the headline was "The heir and a spare."

To quote a line from "The Lion in Winter," "such is the role of sex in politics."

 

Didn't Charles, and Queen Elizabeth, change the rule a few years ago so that now the oldest child inherits the throne, whether that child is a boy or a girl? Seems like that happened sometimes between 2000 and 2004.

If I'm right, it should be interesting to see what happens. I think Diana, and Charles and Di's marriage, changed the set up of the royal family forever. The fact is that it's no longer acceptable, not in 21st century industrialized countries, for one's parents to choose a spouse for their child, not if they expect the marriage to work.

I've always thought that if it weren't for the old rules of the British royal family, Charles and Di would not have married in the first place, and Andy and Fergie's marriage would have lasted.

Charles should have been allowed to marry Camilla in the early 70s.

 

He wanted an heir, plain and simple. He did not have the time to wait for a divorce and actual murder, rather than legal murder via execution, seems to be something he didn't want.

He did misjudge the public's reaction to the execution and how adroitly Anne Boleyn played her PR cards.

The thing is though that he had incredible power at his disposal and he was completely amicable to divorce later on. Why he would prefer legal murder as opposed to something else is a bit odd -- I mean this wasn't a man particularly hung up on the forms of convention, right? He took England away from the Catholic Church for the want of his marital difficulties, after all. And I'd think if anything execution would have been not only more demeaning but also possibly more painful: her original death sentence was for Anne to be burnt at the STAKE. Frankly if he wanted her gone more expediently or quietly for her sake posion would have been better or even just an 'average' murder. She was beheaded because Henry sort of commuted the means of death, but I highly doubt he engineered the entire thing merely with the intention of making Anne die in a specific manner before the law and planned the entire time to commute the burning at the stake.

For me there's just too many alternatives at Henry's disposal and his behavior generally seems to have been a man who would have been disposed to take them. To have planned this rationally and with calculation seems too hodge-podge for the case brought against her, and what he's getting out of it seems like taking the rather long way around.

I'm not saying Henry wasn't solely a cold-blooded politician in this, that may well be the case. It just doesn't seem to fit the rest of the history or the logic of Henry's position and the other avenues that were open... avenues he ended up taking with some of his other wives.

In fact, shortly before her execution, wasn't Bolyn's marriage to Henry dissolved and rendered invalid? Couldn't this have been done without all the fuss?

 

Gout will make people say and do terrible things. I've seen it happen.

 

He looked stupid, and he blamed her. Granted, if they hadn't had to wait 7 years, she might have pulled it off. However, remember, she was born in 1501. She was 35 years old, elderly for women by the standards of the day, and losing her looks.

 

Henry VIII:

Description: Very tall, red-headed, pale-skinned. Athletic when young, ran to fat later

House: Tudor

Born: 1491, at Greenwich Palace

Death: 1547 (age 55)

Ruled: 1509-1547

Father: Henry VII

Mother: Elizabeth of York

Henry at age 45: [image=http://www.embroidery-methods.com/images/blackwork-henry-viii-hans-holbein.jpg]

Wife (3): Jane Seymour, (1508-1537) m. 1536

Children: 1 son

Successor: His son, Edward VI

Part Two: Jane Seymour

Age 27: by Lucas Horenbout: [image=http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/seymourhorenbout1.jpg]

Age 28: by Hans Holbein:
[image=http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/exhibitionist/390px-Hans_Holbein_d._J._031.jpg]

Description: Jane Seymour had fair, a pale complexion and she was of medium height, with a fairly large nose. Holbein was a merciless realist, and his portrait shows the plainest of Henry VIII's wives.

Descent: "Jane Seymour was the daughter of Sir John Seymour of Wiltshire and Margery Wentworth. Through her maternal grandfather, she was a distant descendant of King Edward III of England and also the Percy family. Because of this, she and King Henry VIII were fifth cousins three times removed.[citation needed] She was a second cousin to her predecessor Anne Boleyn through their mutual great-grandmother, Elizabeth Cheney.[1]"

The Situation: That Henry would marry her at all was surprising (the Kings of France and Spain would NEVER marry a commoner, and even the King of Scotland thought better of himself), but the Tudors did tend to 'low' marriages. Henry married a Spanish Infanta, and his two sisters, the Kings of Scotland and Frances respectively. But on their second go-rounds, they all married commoners--Margaret was also divorced from her second husband, and wanted to divorce her third. Mary's second husband wasn't even particularly aristocratic, and he was certainly unworthy of her. This particular tendency was probably inherited from their grandfather, Edward IV.

Henry probably felt he couldn't wait to negotiate a foreign marriage, he was 45 and he wanted a son as soon as possible. So he ran for cover, choosing an Anglo version of Catherine of Aragon, a chaste, well-respected, tough matron type. Jane's attractiveness consisted to her difference on nearly every point from Anne Boleyn. In particular, she was submissive, or at least, was wise enough to appear so (she was expertly coached by her ambitious and highly intelligent elder brother, Edward Seymour).

His Character during his marriage to Jane: Henry was becoming more and more incapable of tolerating opposition.

Her Character: Jane was a devout Catholic, and tried to persuade Henry to lighten up on the Church. This was her only mistake; Henry's reaction was so ferocious that she never tried again. To her credit, she tried hard to reconcile Henry to his elder daughter, Mary.

Irony #1: Jane's son was a devout Protestant.

Irony #2: Henry had himself buried with Jane, even though he had three other wives after her.

 

Isn't Jane Seymour the one wife that Henry VIII truly loved, the one out of his 6 wives who he thought of as his "true" wife?

(BTW I really enjoy reading this thread, I don't have much to comment on because I'm not as educated in English history as I want to be, but I've been reading all the updates!)

 

Henry being buried with Jane Seymour makes sense - of the 6 women he married she was the only one who died still his wife. Of the remainder, 4 had annulments (including Boelyn and Howard prior to their executions) and it was during his 6th marriage to Catherine Parr that he died (afterwhich she promptly married her earlier betrothed).

Some people here are using the term 'divorce'. That's not correct - Henry always had his marriages ended by annulment. The primary difference between them is that a divorce still recognises that the couple were married beforehand, whereas an annulment is completely retroactive (ie. the marriage never existed in the first place).

Because of his annulments, Henry was technically only married twice (to Seymour who died as his wife, and Parr who outlived him).

 

Ah.

 

On the royal family changing the line of succession to the oldest child in 2000, even if that child was female...I thought that was changed during Henry VIII's time which enabled his daughter by Anne Bolyen (Elizabeth I) to inherit the throne.

Camilla never wanted to marry Charles back in the 60's & 70's. She couldn't handle the "goldfish bowl" lifestyle. Or so I've heard.

This is a great thread, btw, and I have learned a great deal about English history thru it.

 

On the royal family changing the line of succession to the oldest child in 2000, even if that child was female...I thought that was changed during Henry VIII's time which enabled his daughter by Anne Bolyen (Elizabeth I) to inherit the throne.

Are you sure it wasn't that females could only inherit the throne if there wasn't already another male child?

That would make sense. Henry had only three surviving children: Mary, Elizabeth and Henry Jr. in order of age. It went to Henry Jr. first. Henry Jr. died. Then it went to Mary, then Elizabeth.

With the new rule it would have just gone to Mary, then Elizabeth, and Henry Jr. dies never having ascended. Which is pretty much identical to real life if you consider historical significance.

 

Henry, Jr.'s name was Edward.

And the fact that he reigned about six years would have tremendous signifigence.

It goes eldest male, younger male, daughter at present.

 

Significant when compared to his sisters and father? Not really. One left the Catholic Church, one coined the term "Bloody Mary" and the other is often considered to be the greatest ruler England ever had. Edward who?

And the name was misremembering.

 

He also switched lives with a look-alike pauper for a while.

 

So they didn't change it yet?

You would think after most of Britain's best monarchs being Queens, and living in the 21st century, that the rule would be changed.

 

No, they haven't changed it yet. Several other countries have, however.

 

Henry VIII:

Description: Very tall, red-headed, pale-skinned. Athletic when young, ran to fat later

House: Tudor

Born: 1491, at Greenwich Palace

Death: 1547 (age 55)

Ruled: 1509-1547

Father: Henry VII

Mother: Elizabeth of York

Henry at age 49: [image=http://www.great-american-fortunes.com/images/uploads/HenryVIII.JPG]

Wife (4): Anne of Cleves, (1515-1557) m. 1540

Children: None

Successor: His son, Edward VI

Part Four: Anne of Cleves

Age 23: by Hans Holbein: [image=http://monsalvat.globalfolio.net/eng/dominator/anne-of-cleves/_images/anne-of-cleves.jpg]

Age Unknown by Hans Holbein: [image=http://collection.aucklandartgallery.govt.nz/collection/images/display/M1982/M1982_1_3_263.jpg]

The fatal miniature: [image=http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/clevesholbein2.jpg]

Age Unknown: [image=http://www.btinternet.com/~j.larmouth/sarah-jayne/wives/CLEVES3.JPG]

Her sister, Sybilla of Saxony: [image=http://www.geocities.com/lady_anne_of_cleves/sybilla_of_cleves.jpg]

Description: "Anne was described by the French ambassador, Charles de Marillac, as tall and slim, "of middling beauty, and of very assured and resolute countenance".[3] She was dark haired, with a rather swarthy complexion, appeared solemn by English standards, and she looked old for her age. Holbein painted her with high forehead, heavy-lidded eyes and a pointed chin.[4]"

Descent: She was descended from Edward I and Eleanor of Castile.

The Situation: Within a month of Jane's death, Henry was considering another marriage, but since he had his son, he was willing to negotiate a foreign one this time. He tried Christina of Milan (age 16), who said she would accept had she had two necks. Marie de Guise hastily married Henry's nephew, James of Scotland (she was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots). The English had heard of the famous looks of Anne's elder sister, Sybilla, and tried the court of Cleves, on the Dutch-German border.

Henry sent Hans Holbein to paint a miniature of Anne and her younger sister, Amelia. Holbein, a man of great rectitude, was later accused of flattering Anne. If so, she would the only one he ever flattered. Henry choose Anne, but when he met her, he didn't like her, in fact, he was angry. Historians have pointed out that he knew all of his previous wives well before he married them; it was not true of Anne. Since some of his previous (and subsequent) wives were not particularly beautiful, his revulsion was curious.

Henry's Character during his marriage to Anne: Henry showed his worst side here. He whined, he made excuses, he tried to weasel out of it. Francis of France, who himself had to marry two women for political reasons--one a cripple, the other older and barren, thought Henry was behaving like a child. But Henry wanted his way and so he immediately decided on an annulment, so that Anne was Queen of England for only six months. To Henry's happy surprise, Anne made no difficulty about the annulment, and in fact, was absolutely co-operative. It never occurred to Henry that she was even more horrified by him--he was now 48 years old and hugely fat--than he was by her. He did treat her generously (after he insulting her infamously in front of the whole of Europe), giving her a very good income, Richmond Palace, Hever Castle, and several other manors, and status and precedence as his 'sister.' Anne enjoyed a wealthy lifestyle and would get on well with Henry thereafter, and remain friends with his daughters.

But *someone* had to take the fall, and so the arranger of the marriage, Thomas Cromwell, was accused of treason (untrue) and executed without a trial. Yet another judicial murder.

Her Character: Bystanders agree that she was a pleasant, good-natured woman. Once she learned English and started dressing in the English style, it was agreed her looks improved.

Irony #1: She survived all of Henry's other wives.

Irony #2: She attended Henry's marriage to Katherine Parr.

Irony #3: She was a Lutheran when she married Henry; her stepdaughter, Mary, converted her to Catholicism.

 

Henry VIII: (Pt. 5)

Description: Very tall, red-headed, pale-skinned. Athletic when young, ran to fat later

House: Tudor

Born: 1491, at Greenwich Palace

Death: 1547 (age 55)

Ruled: 1509-1547

Father: Henry VII

Mother: Elizabeth of York

Henry at age 50: [image=http://keidahl.terranhost.com/Spring/EUH3501England/Images/HenryVIII6.jpg]

Wife (5): Katherine Howard, (1525-1542) m. 1540

Children: None

Successor: His son, Edward VI

Part Five: Katherine

Reputed to be Katherine: by Hans Holbein: [image=http://www.britannia.com/bios/images/khoward.jpg]

Reputed to be Katherine: by Hans Holbein: [image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Catherinehoward.jpg]

Description: "Catherine grew into a merry and vivacious girl, not conventionally beautiful but graceful and charming."

Descent: She was descended from Edward I through his second son, Thomas of Norfolk

The Situation: "Catherine Howard was the fourth child of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper. Her siblings (not in chronological order) were as follows: Ralph, George, Henry, Charles, Mary, John, Isabel, Joyce and Margaret.[citation needed]

She was the niece of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, and therefore a first cousin to Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, and to Anne's sister Mary, Henry's one-time mistress.

Catherine's family, therefore, had an aristocratic pedigree. But her father, a younger son, was not well-off owing to primogeniture and the large size of his family, and he often begged for handouts from his more powerful relatives. His niece, Anne Boleyn, Catherine's cousin, got him a government job working for the King in Calais in 1531.[citation needed]

At this point, young Catherine was sent to live with her step-grandmother, Agnes Tilney, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.

At Lambeth, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk ran a large household that included numerous female and male attendants, along with her many wards, usually the children of aristocratic but poor relatives who could not afford to support their families. While sending young children to be educated and trained in aristocratic households other than their own was common for centuries among European nobles, supervision at Lambeth was lax. The Dowager Duchess was often at Court and took little interest in the upbringing and education of her wards and young female attendants.

Consequently, Catherine was not as well educated as Henry's other wives, though her mere ability to read and write was impressive enough for the time.[2] Her character is often described as vivacious, but never scholarly or devout. The casual upbringing in the licentious atmosphere of the Duchess' household led to Catherine's music teacher, Henry Manox, starting a sexual relationship with her around 1536, when she was between the ages of 11 and 16. When she became Queen, Manox was appointed as a musician in her household. He later gave evidence in the inquiry against her.

Manox and Catherine both confessed during her adultery trial that they had engaged in sexual contact without intercourse: "At the flattering and fair persuasions of Mannox, being but a young girl, I suffered him at sundry times to handle and touch the secret parts of my body which neither became me with honesty to permit nor him to require," she said.

This adolescent affair came to an end in 1538, when Catherine was pursued by a secretary of the duchess's household, Francis Dereham. They became lovers, addressing each other as "husband" and "wife". Dereham also entrusted Catherine with various wifely duties, such as keeping his money when he was away on business. Many of Catherine's roommates among the duchess's maids of honor and attendants knew of the relationship, which was apparently ended in 1539 when the Dowager Duchess caught wind of the matter. Despite this disapproval, Catherine and Dereham may have parted with intentions to marry upon his return from Ireland, agreeing to a "precontract," as it was then known. If indeed they had exchanged vows of their intention to marry before having sexual intercourse, they would have been c

 

Henry VIII: (Pt. 5)

Description: Very tall, red-headed, pale-skinned. Athletic when young, ran to fat later

House: Tudor

Born: 1491, at Greenwich Palace

Death: 1547 (age 55)

Ruled: 1509-1547

Father: Henry VII

Mother: Elizabeth of York

Henry at age 56: [image=http://www.marileecody.com/h8bw.jpg]

Wife (6): Katherine Parr, (1512/14-1548) m. 1543

Children: None

Successor: His son, Edward VI

Part Six: Katherine Parr

Katherine Parr: [image=http://www.somegreymatter.com/janekath.jpg]

Katherine Parr: [image=http://www.kimiko1.com/research-16th/FrenchHood/1540/images/KatharineParrLHorenbout.jpg]

Katherine Parr: [image=http://tudorhistory.org/parr/parr1.jpg]

Description: Not described as beautiful, she was attractive.

Descent: She was descended from Edward III

The Situation: "At the age of seventeen in 1529, she became the wife of Edward Borough, 2nd Baron Borough of Gainsborough. He died in the spring of 1532.

In the summer of 1534, she married John Neville, 3rd Baron Latymer of Snape, North Yorkshire. In 1536, during the Pilgrimage of Grace, Catherine was held hostage by northern rebels, along with her two stepchildren. John Neville died in 1543.

It was in the household of Henry's and Catherine of Aragon's daughter, Mary, that Catherine Parr caught the attention of the King. After the death of Catherine's second husband, the rich widow began a relationship with Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, the brother of the late Queen Jane Seymour, but the king took a liking to her and she was obliged to accept his proposal instead."

Her Character: Described as a 'girl guide captain'...not unfairly. Very dutiful, affectionate, and tried to mend Harry's fractured family, she was what everyone called a 'good' woman. So Henry came a full circle back to Catherine of Aragon.

You Know What Happens: At least once, Henry considered having her arrested (and presumably executed) for heresy. She managed to dodge it. She was undoubtedly a Protestant, which wasn't really true of Henry, despite the denial of the Pope.

Irony #1: She survived Henry and then made the only real mistake of her life--she married Thomas Seymour, brother of Henry's third wife Jane. Seymour was good-looking, charming and worthless, and he proved it by trying to seduce Katherine's 14-year-old stepdaughter, Elizabeth. Katherine died in childbirth--her first--shortly thereafter.

Irony #2: She was the most-married Queen of England.

And so ends the story of Henry VIII. As close to a real tyrant as England ever had, he never quite lost the regard of his people, who called him "Bluff King Hal".

He was the last King of England called Henry, though James I's eldest son was called Henry, and Charles I and George V had sons named Henry, and George II and Elizabeth II had/have grandsons named Henry.

The religious schism under his reign was the most long-lasting result of it. Would it have happened anyway? Probably. But it would have happened with a series of religious wars--as happened in France and Germany. But the religious wars were merely delayed; they would happen, but later.

Two of his wives, Anne of Cleves, and Katherine Parr survived him, though Katherine only by a year. Anne died during the reign of Mary I.

Depictions on the Screen: Charles Laughton ('The Private Life of Henry VIII'); Richard Burton ('Anne of the Thousand Days'); Robert Shaw ('A Man for All Seasons'); Charlton Heston ('The Prince and the Pauper'); on television, Keith Mitchell and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.

Irony: After all the fussing over an heir, none of Henry's three children had any children.

Rating: 8/10

 

Katherine Parr was also the most erudite of Henry's wives and the most published. She made serious learning for females fashionable in an age when teaching women to read and write was thought to lead them to writing love letters and other questionable past times.

 

Next: Edward VI:

Description: Short, slight, blonde with dark eyes

House: Tudor

Born: 1536, at Greenwich Palace

Death: 1552 (age 15)

Ruled: 1547-52

Father: Henry VIII

Mother: Jane Seymour

Edward VI: [image=http://www.londononline.co.uk/graphics/monarchs/edward_vi.jpg]

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Edward_VI_of_England_c._1546.jpg]

Wife: Unmarried

Children: None

Successor: His first cousin, once removed, Jane Grey

The Situation: Edward succeeded his father at the age of nine. "During Edward?s reign, the realm was governed by a Regency Council, because he never reached maturity. The Council was led from 1547 to 1549 by his uncle Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, and from 1550 to 1553 by John Dudley, 1st Earl of Warwick, who in 1551 became 1st Duke of Northumberland."

Edward Seymour: [image=http://tudorhistory.org/people/edseymour/edseymour2.jpg]

John Dudley: [image=http://www.britannia.com/history/ladyjane/bgp1.jpg]

The Reformation: "After 1551, the Reformation advanced further, with the approval and encouragement of Edward, who began to exert more personal influence in his role as Supreme Head of the church.[146] The new changes were also a response to criticism from such reformers as John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, and the Scot John Knox, who was employed as a minister in Newcastle under the Duke of Northumberland and whose preaching at court prompted the king to oppose kneeling at communion.[147] Cranmer was also influenced by the views of the continental reformer Martin Bucer, who died in England in 1551, by Peter Martyr, who was teaching at Oxford, and by other foreign theologians.[148] The progress of the Reformation was further speeded by the appointment of more reformers as bishops.[149] In the winter of 1551?52, Cranmer rewrote the Book of Common Prayer in less ambiguous reformist terms, revised canon law, and prepared a doctrinal statement, the Forty-two Articles, to clarify the practice of the reformed religion, particularly in the divisive matter of the communion service.[150] Cranmer's formulation of the reformed religion, finally divesting the communion service of any notion of the real presence of God in the bread and the wine, effectively abolished the mass.[151] According to Elton, the publication of Cranmer's revised prayer book in 1552, supported by a second Act of Uniformity, "marked the arrival of the English Church at protestantism".[152] The prayer book of 1552 remains the foundation of the Church of England's services.[153] However, Cranmer was unable to implement all these reforms once it became clear in spring 1553 that King Edward, upon whom the whole Reformation in England depended, was dying."

Character: Edward hasn't excited much interest from historians, despite the extreme importance of his reign. He kept a diary, and is often portrayed through it as a priggish, prissy fanatic. But he was only 15 when he died, and so a clear view of his personality is rather difficult. He had the two Tudor characteristics: he was very intelligent and he was very cool in temperment. Had he lived longer, he probably would have burnt Catholics in the same way Mary burnt Protestants. "After 1551, the Reformation advanced further, with the approval and encouragement of Edward, who began to exert more personal influence in his role as Supreme Head of the church.[146] The new changes were also a response to criticism from such reformers as John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, and the Scot John Knox, who was employed as a minister in Newcastle under the Duke of Northumberland and whose preaching at court prompted the king to oppose kneeling at communion.[147] Cranmer was also influenced by the views of the continental reformer Martin Bucer, who died in England in 1551, by Peter Martyr, who was teaching at Oxford, and by other foreign theologians.[148] The progress of the Reformation was further speeded by the appointment of more reformers as bishops.[149] In the winter of 1551?52, Cranmer rewrote the Book of Common Prayer in less ambiguous reformist terms,

 

Character: Edward hasn't excited much interest from historians, despite the extreme importance of his reign. He kept a diary, and is often portrayed through it as a priggish, prissy fanatic. But he was only 15 when he died, and so a clear view of his personality is rather difficult. He had the two Tudor characteristics: he was very intelligent and he was very cool in temperment. Had he lived longer, he probably would have burntAfter 1551, the Reformation advanced further, with the approval and encouragement of Edward, who began to exert more personal influence in his role as Supreme Head of the church.[146] The new changes were also a response to criticism from such reformers as John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, and the Scot John Knox, who was employed as a minister in Newcastle under the Duke of Northumberland and whose preaching at court prompted the king to oppose kneeling at communion.[147] Cranmer was also influenced by the views of the continental reformer Martin Bucer, who died in England in 1551, by Peter Martyr, who was teaching at Oxford, and by other foreign theologians.[148] The progress of the Reformation was further speeded by the appointment of more reformers as bishops.[149] In the winter of 1551?52, Cranmer rewrote the Book of Common Prayer in less ambiguous reformist terms, revised canon law, and prepared a doctrinal statement, the Forty-two Articles, to clarify the practice of the reformed religion, particularly in the divisive matter of the communion service.[150] Cranmer's formulation of the reformed religion, finally divesting the communion service of any notion of the real presence of God in the bread and the wine, effectively abolished the mass.[151] According to Elton, the publication of Cranmer's revised prayer book in 1552, supported by a second Act of Uniformity, "marked the arrival of the English Church at protestantism".[152] The prayer book of 1552 remains the foundation of the Church of England's services.[153] However, Cranmer was unable to implement all these reforms once it became clear in spring 1553 that King Edward, upon whom the whole Reformation in England depended, was dying. as many heretics as his sister Mary did, only they would have been Catholics.

Was something cut out here?

It's interesting that Mary gave her brother a Protestant funeral. What exactly was the relationship like between Edward and his two sisters?

 

The royal children had separate households, and there was quite an age gap between Mary (born 1516) and Elizabeth (b. 1533) and Edward (b. 1537). Mary was very good to both her younger siblings when she got the chance, and even stood up for Elizabeth during the disgrace of her mother, which was, given how Anne Boleyn treated her, remarkable. This ended with the trouble over Admiral Seymour when Elizabeth was 14. Mary concluded that Elizabeth was just like her mother and never trusted her again. She still loved Edward, but religion came between them. Edward had often shared a tutor with Elizabeth, and she was raised a Protestant, and he seemed fond of her, so the fact that he disinherited her as well as Mary is surprising. Probably Dudley was the cause: he had probably concluded that Elizabeth would not be malleable (undoubtedly correct). So he persuaded Edward that both his sisters were bastards. Remember Edward was cold by nature, and religion was all to him.

And Elizabeth paid Mary the same compliment when she died: she got a full Catholic funeral, even though by that time, she had been threatening to execute Elizabeth for years.

 

Next: Lady Jane Grey

[image=http://magicstatistics.com/wp-content/pictures/art/Lady_Jane_Grey.jpg]

[imagehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/entertainment_enl_1137508932/img/1.jpg]

Reign 6/10 ? 19 July 1553

Predecessor Edward VI

Successor Mary I

Spouse Lord Guilford Dudley [image=http://www.explore-parliament.net/nssMovies/03/0300/0300_02.jpg]

Father Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk

Mother Lady Frances Brandon

Born 1536/1537 (born in October, same month as Edward VI)

Died 12 February 1554 (aged 16)

Tower of London (executed) [image=http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~rghosh/index/classwork/The%20Execution%20of%20Lady%20Jane%20Grey.jpg]


Burial St Peter ad Vincula, London

Description: "A Genoese merchant, Baptista Spinola, who witnessed Jane's stately procession by water from Syon House to the Tower of London, describes her in these words, "This Jane is very short and thin, but prettily shaped and graceful. She has small features, and a well-made nose, the mouth flexible and the lips red. The eyebrows are arched and darker than her hair which is nearly red. Her eyes are sparkling, and reddish brown in colour."[12] He also noticed her freckled skin, and sharp, white teeth. On the day of her procession she wore a green velvet gown stamped in gold."

The Situation: While Edward VI lay dying, his Counsel was desperately trying to find a way out of the succession problem. Jane was the end to this means, but there were at least five other people with better blood claims to the throne--the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth; Mary, Queen of Scots; Margaret Douglas; and her elder son Henry, Lord Darnley (her younger son was not yet born). This spelled trouble. They were all, with the exception of Elizabeth, Catholics.

Descent: Jane was descended from Henry VIII's younger sister, Mary, first Queen of France and then Duchess of Suffolk. She had two surviving daughters, of whom Jane's mother, Frances Brandon, was the eldest. Jane was the eldest of three sisters herself. Henry VIII's will had appointed his heirs in this order: his son, his elder daughter, his younger daughter, Francis Brandon, her daughters in turn, Frances' sister, her son, cutting out the heirs of his sister Margaret, Queen of Scotland.

Character: Very intelligent, learned and religious (she was a Protestant), she depised her parents (apparently with reason), and was quite rebellious. Not rebellious enough, however, to refuse the throne when they ordered her to accept it. She did, however, refuse to make her husband, Northumerland's son, Guildford Dudley, king.

You know what happens: "Northumberland faced a number of key tasks in order to consolidate his power after Edward's death. Most importantly, he had to isolate and, ideally, capture Lady Mary in order to prevent her from gathering support around her. Mary, however, learned of his intentions and took flight, sequestering herself in Framlingham Castle in Suffolk. Within only nine days, Mary had found sufficient support to ride into London in a triumphal procession. Parliament declared Mary the rightful queen and denounced and revoked Jane's proclamation as having been coerced. Mary imprisoned Jane and her husband in the Gentleman Gaoler's apartments at the Tower of London, although their lives were initially spared. The Duke of Northumberland was executed on 21 August 1553."

"Jane and Lord Guilford Dudley were both charged with high treason, together with two of Dudley's brothers.[4] Their trial, by a special commission, took place on 13 November 1553,[4] at the Guildhall in the City of London.[2] The commission was chaired by Sir Thomas White, Lord Mayor of London,[2][14] and included Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby[15] and John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath.[16] The two principal defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death.[4] Jane's sentence was that she "be burned alive [the traditional English punishment for treason committed by women] on Tower Hill or beheaded as the Queen pleases."[2] However, the imperial ambassador reported to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor,