Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery

"Eric Ives has provided the first full-scale account of one of the most surprising sequences of events in the politics of Tudor England. It is an engrossing tale, here presented in incisive style by a scholar who has an instinctive grasp of how to bring the surprises back to life."
–Diarmaid MacCulloch, Author of Reformation, Europe's House Divided, and A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years

In LADY JANE GREY:  A Tudor Mystery (Wiley-Blackwell; $29.95; £19.99; October 2009) Eric Ives introduces all of the characters of the “whodunit” style mystery revolving around the untimely death of the Tudor king during the tumultuous summer of 1553. Upon his death, young king Edward VI (heir to Henry VIII), left behind a highly nuanced (and contested) will naming his successor to the crown. With no apparent male heirs, did Lady Jane Grey, his “legitimate,” cousin (who shared his Protestant convictions), or his “illegitimate” and Catholic cousin Mary Tudor, inherit the rightful claim to the throne? Eric Ives, master historian and storyteller, depicts the chaotic aftermath, which culminated in the dramatic rejection and political betrayal of the newly appointed queen, Lady Jane Grey.

For the first time, Ives opens up the mind of Jane Grey, and peers behind her reputation as history’s hapless victim and status as England’s first Protestant martyr. What is revealed is an unrivaled portrait of a deep-thinking and devout “blue-stocking” reformer, who died for her place in the royal accession, and was ultimately forced to surrender the throne to her cousin and foe, Mary Tudor (PART III: The Protagonists: Father and Daughter), soon to become the notorious “Bloody Mary.”

In LADY JANE GREY:  A Tudor Mystery (Wiley-Blackwell; $29.95; £19.99; October 2009) Ives unravels the mystery of history’s elusive queen, analyzes the writings from her “prayer book” as she was confined in the Tower of London, prior to her shameful beheading (PART IV: Consequences: The Tower; Nemesis; and The River of Jordan). Ives skillfully dissects the actions and motives of the “suspects” of the 1553 crisis (most of whom were members of Edward’s powerful court and eventually convicted of high treason, as outlined in PART IV: Consequences). The author also carefully and compellingly analyzes Edward’s last will and testament to read between the lines of the young King’s intentions and plans.

• The King himself (Part II: The Protagonists: Edward)
• The pious and self-righteous Mary Tudor (PART III: Thirteen Days: The Rebellion of Mary Tudor)
• The newly interpreted John Dudley (Duke of Northumberland and Jane’s father-in-law, depicted in PART II: The Protagonists: John Dudley) who was once a respected and obeyed figure in Henry’s court, but was ultimately overpowered in his goal to retain Jane as queen, and died as a despised reminder of Henry’s former glory PART III: Thirteen Days)
• Jane’s new husband Guildford Dudley (whom Jane denied the status of co-ruler as King, as portrayed in PART III: Thirteen Days: Jane the Queen)
• Jane’s loyal father Henry Grey (Duke of Suffolk, depicted in PART II: The Protagonists: Family Priorities), who later formed the conspiracy against Mary in Jane’s defense, which ultimately led to Jane’s execution.

Ives’ account eclipses all previous biographies in its depth, range, and the gathering momentum and suspense with which he depicts the unfolding of events.

Ives’ LADY JANE GREY:  A Tudor Mystery (Wiley-Blackwell; $29.95; £19.99; October 2009) moves beyond the often fictionalized portrayals of Jane Grey depicted in paintings, poems, and films (PART IV: Consequences: Afterlife), in an effort to rescue her from obscurity. For the first time we see Jane Grey as the young woman who impressed her contemporaries with her scholarly accomplishments (PART I: The Scene: Jane Grey in Context; PART II: The Protagonists: Jane the Person) and as a long-standing symbol of personal integrity and faith. The former visage of Jane as the marginalized victim of political intrigue and greed, and “irrelevance” as the “nine-days’ queen,” quickly falls away to reveal a story of moral triumph, and provides unparalleled insights into the inner workings of the Tudor court.

LADY JANE GREY:  A Tudor Mystery

By Eric Ives

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4051-9413-6; 416 pp.; $29.95; £19.99; October 2009

About the Author

Eric Ives is Emeritus Professor of English History at the University of Birmingham and author of The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn: ‘The Most Happy’ (Wiley- Blackwell). He has written widely on Tudor history, the history of law, and on the development of modern higher education. In 2001 he was awarded the OBE for services to history and the University of Birmingham.

About Wiley-Blackwell

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