LADY KATHERINE GREY

? LADY KATHERINE GREY ?

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? Lady Katherine Grey’s story is probably one of the saddest among many tragic tales of Tudor women.

Katherine was born on the 25th August 1540, at Bradgate Park, Leicestershire.
She was the second daughter of Henry Grey – Ist Duke of Suffolk and Frances Brandon.

Katherine’s mother Frances, was the daughter of Henry VIII’s younger sister, Mary Tudor Dowager Queen of France and Charles Brandon.

? Katherine had an elder sister Jane, and a younger sister Mary.
Katherine and her sisters, benefited from a fashionable Humanist education, and learnt Latin, Greek, French and music.

Her father was one of the most committed followers of the Reformed faith, and his daughters were brought up practicing this.

? In 1547, King Henry VIII died.
His will bequeathed the throne first to his legitimate son Edward VI, then his daughters Mary and Elizabeth.

If these three died without heirs, Katherine’s older sister Jane was to succeed, followed by Katherine herself, then the youngest Grey sister, Mary.

? However, Edward VI’s reign was short, and as the young king was dying, he changed the succession to bypass his Catholic sister Mary, and settle the crown on the firmly Protestant Jane Grey.

Jane was queen for less than two weeks, before Mary triumphed, and dispatched her to the Tower.

? Katherine’s father and sister were exEcuted but Katherine, by then 14, was given a place of honour in the Queen Mary’s Privy Chamber.

Sometime in 1558, Katherine met Edward Seymour, the nephew of Henry VIII’s third wife, Jane.

He and Katherine fell in love, but before she could ask for consent to marry, Queen Mary died.

? The new queen Elizabeth I, neither liked Katherine personally, nor, politically.
Elizabeth didn’t need a young fertile woman, sneaking up behind her to snatch her throne.

Elizabeth did not want to show any honours to a possible heir.

? Katherine only wish was she wanted to marry Seymour, live a comfortable life and raise a family.

After a year of surreptitious meetings, the two were secretly married.
Shortly after, Seymour was sent abroad on government business.

? While he was away, Katherine discovered she was pregnant.
She eventually confessed her dark secret to Elizabeth’s favourite, Robert Dudley, begging him to intercede for her.
Elizabeth was incandescent with rage.

? Katherine was taken to the Tower of London, and Seymour was recalled to join her.
They were not housed in the same apartments, they were to be kept strictly apart.

However, their guards had sympathy for the couple and turned a blind eye to two meetings, which resulted in another pregnancy.

Elizabeth’s rage knew no bounds and Seymour was fined £15,000 for “deflowering a royal virgin”.

? After the birth of Katherine’s second child in 1563, the enraged Queen ordered her permanent separation from her husband and elder son.

Katherine was sent to a country house in Essex, while
Seymour and their eldest son remained confined in London.

Over the next five years Katherine was moved to a succession of houses, with different custodians.

? Katherine continued to plead with Elizabeth for mercy, but it was refused.
Katherine gave into despair which fatally damaged her health.

She died on 26th January 1568, aged only 27.
Katherine was interred at the Cockfield Chapel in Yoxford Church, Suffolk.

? Seymour survived Katherine by more than 50 years. They were finally reunited when their grandson had her remains moved to lie beside his, in Salisbury Cathedral.

Together again, at last.

? Portrait of Lady Katherine Grey with her son Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp 1562.
Attributed to Levina Teerlinc.
Currently at Hever Castle.