LADY MARY GREY

.? LADY MARY GREY ?

.

? Lady Mary Grey, was the third and youngest surviving daughter of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Lady Frances Brandon.

Mary was born around 1545 at Bradgate Park near Leicester.

She was the younger sister of Katherine Grey, and the ill fated Lady Jane Grey ‘the nine day Queen of England’.

? Her father Henry Grey, was the son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, and her grandfather Thomas Grey, was the grandson of Queen Elizabeth Woodville, by her first marriage to Sir John Grey of Groby.

? Her mother Frances Brandon, was the eldest daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Mary Tudor, the younger sister of King Henry VIII.

The three Grey sisters derived their claim to the English throne through their maternal grandmother, Mary.

? The early life of the Grey sisters could be described as idyllic.
Bradgate had extensive gardens where the girls could walk and play.

Their mother loved to hunt and the girls would have observed and even participated in the hunts in the woods surrounding the castle, riding on horseback.

Mary would have been taught cooking, sewing, dancing, music and how to run a household.

Female education was encouraged and popular in the Tudor era and the Greys gave their girls the finest education.

The Grey family were practicing the new Protestant religion, and Mary, Jane and Katherine grew up to be disciplined and obedient.

? Mary was often described as “that poor little creature for whom nothing could be done: for she was a dwarf, and very unattractive of face”.

Only a little over four feet tall, with red hair and freckles, her small height in those days, was considered enough of a physical deformity.

? Forced to become the new Queen of England after Edward’s death, Mary’s Sister Jane, would come to a tragic end after Mary I took hold of the Crown……
Jane was to reign for only nine days.

In November of 1558, Mary I died and she named her half Sister Elizabeth, as her successor.

Mary and her sister Katherine, were once again in line for the throne, and the newly crowned Elizabeth I, had them watched closely.

? In December 1560, without the Queen’s permission, Mary’s sister Katherine, secretly married Edward seymour.

The Queen was furious and separated the couple, keeping them in the Tower at first, and later under house arrest.

Despite the separation, the couple managed to meet in secret, and Katherine went on to have two children.

Due to Katherine’s continued separation from her husband, she fell into a depression and died in January of 1568.

Katherine’s death put Mary one step closer to the throne.

? Keeping Mary close, Queen Elizabeth made her a maid of honour at her court.

It was here, she met and fell in love with Thomas Keyes.

Keyes was a former soldier and held the post of Sergeant Porter at court, where he would have been in charge of palace security.

He was twice Mary’s age and, had several children from a previous marriage.

He was also of above average height, maybe as tall as six feet, eight inches!

Tall Thomas and short Mary, must have been a sight to see!

? Mary and Thomas were married in secret on the 10th August, 1565.

It didn’t take long for Queen Elizabeth to learn of the marriage.

Elizabeth was extremely angry, and ordered Mary and Thomas be thoroughly interrogated and then imprisoned.

Mary went to Windsor and Thomas was held in London.

Mary was in the guardianship of the High Sherriff of Buckingham, Sir William Hawtrey.

? Mary was kept in a twelve foot room at Chequers, still called “the prison room” to this day.

There are faded drawings and inscriptions that Mary made on the walls of the room.

Mary was not permitted to see anyone, was fed a meagre diet and was only allowed out into the garden no more than was necessary for her health.

? Thomas was sent to the notorious medieval prison “the Fleet”, and put in solitary confinement.

His large frame was crammed into a small room creating physical pain and agony.

Thomas would be released from prison in November of 1568.

He was given a job at Sandgate Castle near his home in Kent.

He sent requests to the Queen for permission to live with Mary, but Elizabeth did not allow it.

? In August of 1567, Mary was sent to live with her step-grandmother Katherine Willoughby.

Katherine reported that Mary was depressed and was refusing to eat.

Mary had very little in belongings and they begged the Queen to send some things to help out.

In June of 1569, she was transferred to the care of Sir Thomas Gresham in Bishopsgate in London.

? In the late summer of 1571, Thomas Keyes died due to the ill health of being imprisoned.

A distraught Mary, asked for permission to raise her step-children and to wear mourning.

? In the summer of 1572, Mary was finally given her freedom.

By February of 1573, Mary had enough money to hire several servants and acquire a house – which she furnished adequately.

In 1577 she was once again appointed Maid of Honor to the queen, although she was required to use her maiden name as a condition.

? Shortly after New Year 1578, plague broke out in London and Mary fell ill.

She died on 20th April 1578, aged 33.

The burial was performed on the 14th May, after a stately procession brought her body to Westminster Abbey.

The Queen had Mary’s remains placed in her mother, Lady Frances Brandon’s royal tomb.

? Lady Mary Grey

19th C
Photo credit: The Chequers Trust

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