Books 2022 – on sale now a book that features Lady Jane….


Interpreting the Death of Edward VI: The Life and Mysterious Demise of the Last Tudor King by Kyra Krammer


(c) Pen and Sword Books


‘King Edward VI tends to be glossed over in the historical narrative of the Tudor dynasty. His achievements during his brief time on the throne are eclipsed by the tumultuous and fascinating reigns of his grandfather, father and two half-sisters. This does a great disservice to the precocious and remarkable boy-king. Even with his early death, his effect on English history is undeniable – if he had lived, he would have almost certainly have been considered the greatest of the Tudor monarchs. What killed this impressive young man before he could deepen his mark on history? Moreover, is that medical mystery connected to the premature deaths of the other Tudor male heirs? Interpreting the Death of Edward VI is an exploration into the life, illness and unusually early death of Henry VIII’s overshadowed son. The author uses her expertise in Tudor medical history to investigate and provide an in-depth analysis of the prevailing theories of what might have killed the otherwise healthy young Tudor before he reached adulthood.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Pen and Sword Books

Further details – Amazon.co.uk



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A good reason to buy All About History Magazine…


(c) All About History Magazine


Issue 120 of ‘All About History Magazine’ has an article by Tracy Borman that has the briefest of mentions of Lady Jane.

‘Mary vs Elizabeth’ looks at ‘how the battle between the queens reshaped the English monarchy.’



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Books 2022 – on sale today – Henrietta Maria: Conspirator, Warrior, Phoenix Queen by Leanda de Lisle


(c) Chatto and Windu


‘A myth-busting biography of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, which retells the dramatic story of the civil war from her perspective

Henrietta Maria is one of British history’s most reviled queen consorts. Condemned in her lifetime as that ‘Popish brat of France’, an adulteress and traitor, she remains in popular memory the wife who wore the breeches and turned her husband Catholic, so causing a civil war, and a cruel and bigoted mother.

This biography unpicks the myths and considers Henrietta Maria’s point of view, setting her story as a royal consort alongside that of her mother and sisters. A witty conversationalist, she was a patron of the arts and a champion of the female voice, as well as a mediatrix for her persecuted co-religionists. No bigot, her closest friends included ‘Puritans’ as well as Catholics, and she led the anti-Spanish faction at court that was linked to the Protestant cause in the Thirty Years War.

When civil war came, even the queen’s enemies agreed that Charles would never have survived as long as he did without his She Generalissimo. Seeing events through her gaze reveals the truth behind the black legend of her as a mindless fanatic, and explains her estrangement from her son Henry. Also swept away is the image of the Restoration queen as an irrelevant crone. Henrietta Maria rose from the ashes of her husband’s failures as a ‘phoenix queen’, still wielding influence in religion and politics, while her court was judged to have ‘more mirth’ even than that of the Merry Monarch, Charles II.

It is time to look again at this despised woman and judge if this reviled queen consort is not in fact one of our most remarkable.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Chatto & Windus

Further details – Amazon.co.uk



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Books 2022 – on sale today – Two Houses, Two Kingdoms: A History of France and England, 1100–1300 by Catherine Hanley


(c) Yale University Press


‘An exhilarating, accessible chronicle of the ruling families of France and England, showing how two dynasties formed one extraordinary story

The twelfth and thirteenth centuries were a time of personal monarchy, when the close friendship or petty feuding between kings and queens could determine the course of history. The Capetians of France and the Angevins of England waged war, made peace, and intermarried. The lands under the control of the English king once reached to within a few miles of Paris, and those ruled by the French house, at their apogee, crossed the Channel and encompassed London itself.

In this lively, engaging history, Catherine Hanley traces the great clashes, and occasional friendships, of the two dynasties. Along the way, she emphasizes the fascinating and influential women of the houses—including Eleanor of Aquitaine and Blanche of Castille—and shows how personalities and familial bonds shaped the fate of two countries. This is a tale of two intertwined dynasties that shaped the present and the future of England and France, told through the stories of the people involved.

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Yale University Press

Further details – Amazon.co.uk



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Investigating Jane: Part 3 – Queen Jane’s arrival at the Tower


Welcome to the third part of ‘Investigating Jane.’ This article was written with Lee Porritt from Lady Jane Grey Revisited .


Queen Jane Enters the Tower
George Cruikshank
© Public Domain


Investigating Jane – Part Three – Queen Jane’s arrival at the Tower



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