This miniature is of Katherine Grey with her son, Edward Seymour.
Katherine was the second daughter of Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, and Lady Frances Brandon, whose mother was a
sister of Henry VIII and whose father was Charles Brandon one of Henry VIII's closest friends. After her elder sister
Lady Jane Grey's execution, according to the Will of Henry VIII, Katherine was third in line to the throne of England and because of this the subject of who she should marry was of great importance.
In 1560 Katherine married, in secret, the nephew of Henry VIII's third wife Jane Seymour, and when the queen found out she was furious. She imprisoned the pregnant Katherine and her husband in the Tower of London, on the 24th September 1561, Katherine gave birth to a son Edward. Elizabeth immediately announced her intention to have Edward 'declared a bastard by Parliament'
Queen Elizabeth had no liking for the Grey family and I've never really known why, they were the children of her cousin and had Tudor blood in their veins surely they were a better option for the throne than that of her 'rival' and cousin Mary Queen of Scots.
At this point in time, Elizabeth was a mixture of emotions, she was fiery, quick-tempered, and vain and had a jealous
streak that ran through her, and who could blame her? No real choice of husband for her, she wanted to marry Robert Dudley, but royal duties and her heart's desire were not compatible and in the end, she chose not to marry.
Was jealousy the reason for Elizabeth's anger against Katherine's marriage? Did she ask herself why her cousin should be able to marry for love and without her permission, and have a son and heir too?
Whilst in the Tower of London Katherine Grey gave birth to another son which enraged Elizabeth even more causing her to order Katherine's separation from Seymour and her younger son. Katherine, although released from the tower was never really free, for a while she was in the care of her uncle, Sir John Grey. After being in the care of two more 'jailers' she died aged twenty-seven in 1568.
What of Katherine's sons?
Elizabeth refused to recognise Katherine's marriage as valid or to recognise Katherine's two boys as legitimate therefore Edward, the baby in the miniature was passed over as Elizabeth's heir.
sister of Henry VIII and whose father was Charles Brandon one of Henry VIII's closest friends. After her elder sister
Lady Jane Grey's execution, according to the Will of Henry VIII, Katherine was third in line to the throne of England and because of this the subject of who she should marry was of great importance.
In 1560 Katherine married, in secret, the nephew of Henry VIII's third wife Jane Seymour, and when the queen found out she was furious. She imprisoned the pregnant Katherine and her husband in the Tower of London, on the 24th September 1561, Katherine gave birth to a son Edward. Elizabeth immediately announced her intention to have Edward 'declared a bastard by Parliament'
Queen Elizabeth had no liking for the Grey family and I've never really known why, they were the children of her cousin and had Tudor blood in their veins surely they were a better option for the throne than that of her 'rival' and cousin Mary Queen of Scots.
At this point in time, Elizabeth was a mixture of emotions, she was fiery, quick-tempered, and vain and had a jealous
streak that ran through her, and who could blame her? No real choice of husband for her, she wanted to marry Robert Dudley, but royal duties and her heart's desire were not compatible and in the end, she chose not to marry.
Was jealousy the reason for Elizabeth's anger against Katherine's marriage? Did she ask herself why her cousin should be able to marry for love and without her permission, and have a son and heir too?
Whilst in the Tower of London Katherine Grey gave birth to another son which enraged Elizabeth even more causing her to order Katherine's separation from Seymour and her younger son. Katherine, although released from the tower was never really free, for a while she was in the care of her uncle, Sir John Grey. After being in the care of two more 'jailers' she died aged twenty-seven in 1568.
What of Katherine's sons?
Elizabeth refused to recognise Katherine's marriage as valid or to recognise Katherine's two boys as legitimate therefore Edward, the baby in the miniature was passed over as Elizabeth's heir.
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