Lady Frances Brandon
Encyclopedia
Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk (16 July 1517 – 20 November 1559), born Lady Frances Brandon, was the second child and eldest daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
and Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France. She was the mother of Lady Jane Grey
, who was briefly Queen of England
, and older sister to Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln
and Eleanor Clifford, Countess of Cumberland. Her brother predeceased her.
Her paternal grandparents were Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. Her maternal grandparents were King Henry VII of England
and Elizabeth of York
.
Her maternal uncle was King Henry VIII of England and her maternal aunt was Queen Margaret of Scotland
. She had a strong claim to the throne of England that would be seized upon in 1553 by opponents to the accession of Mary I of England
.
and spent her childhood in the care of her mother. She was close to Catherine of Aragon
, first wife of her uncle King Henry VIII
. She was a childhood friend of her first cousin, Princess Mary (later Mary I of England
). Frances' mother Mary was opposed to the annulment of the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine in 1533 and never accepted Anne Boleyn
as a legitimate wife or Queen of England
.
Frances received permission from her maternal uncle, Henry VIII
to marry Henry Grey, Marquess of Dorset in 1533. They were married in Southwark
, London
.
Her first two pregnancies resulted in the births of a son and daughter who both died young. These were followed by three surviving daughters:
Frances is considered to have been a strong and energetic woman. Her residence at Bradgate
was a minor palace in Tudor style. After the death of her two brothers, the title Duke of Suffolk
reverted to the crown, and was granted to her husband as a new creation. She had high expectations for her daughters and made certain they were educated to the same standards as their cousins, the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth (later Mary I
and Elizabeth I
, respectively). Her daughters were associated with both Princesses on relatively equal terms.
. It was through her friendship with the Queen that Frances's husband Henry, Duke of Suffolk secured a wardship for their daughter. There, Jane came into contact with Prince Edward (later Edward VI of England
), son of Henry VIII and half-brother of Mary and Elizabeth.
In 1546, the Imperial ambassador, van der Delft, wrote that there were rumours that Henry would divorce Catherine Parr in favour of her close friend, Catherine Willoughby
, Duchess of Suffolk. Catherine Willoughby was Frances's stepmother.
Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547, and Edward succeeded to the throne. Jane followed the Queen Dowager
, Catherine Parr, to her new residence and was soon established as a member of the inner circle of the young King. Edward VI was only nine years old at the time of his accession. He would die in 1553 unmarried and childless. Frances found herself during the reign of King Edward VI, third-in-line for the English throne, following the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth. Her daughters followed her in line for the throne: Jane (fourth-in-line), Catherine (fifth-in-line) and Mary (sixth-in-line). Henry VIII's elder sister, Margaret Tudor descendants had been removed from the succession. This took place legally under the terms of the Will of King Henry VIII which laid out the succession to the throne. It was only after the Greys were discredited and the death of Elizabeth I that it was possible for the heir to Margaret Tudor's line, James VI of Scotland, to succeed to the English throne as King James I in 1603.
Catherine Parr married again, to Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley
and Lord High Admiral. Jane followed the Queen Dowager to her new household. Frances and her husband soon started scheming with Baron Seymour on the prospect of arranging a marriage between Jane and the King. The two adolescents were reportedly already close. If any offspring were born to such a union, the success of this scheme would secure the succession of Edward VI. The Greys would as a result gain further influence at court. The Lord Protector
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
was seeking a Queen Consort for Edward VI among the daughters of Francis I of France
and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
.
Catherine Parr gave birth to her daughter, Lady Mary Seymour, on 30 August 1548. Complications resulted in her death and that of her daughter on 5 September 1548. Frances did not trust her eldest daughter Jane alone with Baron Seymour and recalled her home. Baron Seymour, on the other hand, pressed the Greys with demands that he held Jane's wardship and she should be returned to his household. The Greys surrendered to the inevitable and Jane returned to Seymour's household and moved in to the late Catherine Parr's apartments. Seymour still planned to convince Edward VI to marry Jane, but the King had become distrustful of his two uncles. An increasingly desperate Seymour invaded the King's bedchamber in an attempt to abduct him, and shot Edward's beloved dog when the animal tried to protect its master. Not longer after Seymour was tried for treason and executed on 10 March 1549.
The Greys convinced the Privy Council
of their innocence in Seymour's scheme. Jane was again recalled home. The Greys lost hope of marrying their eldest daughter to Edward VI
who was sickly and thought likely not to live. For a time it is claimed they contemplated marrying her to Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford
, son of the Lord Protector and Anne Stanhope. However, the Lord Protector fell from power and was replaced by John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
.
The Greys soon declared their allegiance to the new Lord Protector, who successfully arranged for Jane to be married to his youngest son Lord Guildford Dudley
. It has been claimed since the early 18th century that Jane was brutally beaten and whipped into submission by Frances. However, there is no historic evidence for it. Guildford was, as a fourth son, not the greatest match for the eldest daughter of royal descent, and William Cecil
, another close friend of the Greys claimed the match was brokered by Catherine Parr's brother and his second wife. According to Cecil, they promoted the match to Northumberland who responded rather enthusiastically.
The Greys didn't favour the match much, since it would have meant to pass the crown out of their family and to Northumberland. However, since Dudley claimed to have the king's support in the matter, they finally gave in. The only historic proof of some family quarrel concerning the marriage is written down by Commendone as "the first-born daughter of the Duke of Suffolk, Jane by name, who although strongly depreciating the marriage, was compelled to submit by the insistence of her mother and the threats of her father“.
. His half-sister, Mary, was an equally firm believer in those of the Roman Catholic Church
. Her accession would end the Protestant Reformation
in England. Northumberland arranged for the will
of the dying King to exclude both Princesses Mary and Elizabeth under the pretext of both being bastards, on the grounds that Henry VIII had his marriages to their respective mothers Catherine of Aragon
annulled and Anne Boleyn
executed for high treason (though at the time both daughters remained in the line of succession). Their removal from the succession would make Frances the heiress presumptive
of the King. Edward changed his will concerning the succession, passing Frances over. Frances and especially Henry Grey were at first outraged, but eventually, after a private audience with the king, Frances had to renounce her own rights to the throne in favour of Jane. The throne would pass to Jane and any male issue from her marriage to Guilford.
Edward VI died on 6 July 1553. Jane was declared queen regnant
on 10 July. Frances joined her for the proclamation and during her stay in the Tower. She had been fetched when Northumberland realised Jane's confusion and overwhelming feelings, and she managed to calm her daughter down. Since she had seen the king himself and spoken to him about the succession, she could convince Jane that she was the rightful queen and heir. Their success was short-lived. Jane was deposed by armed support in favour of the Princess Mary who was proclaimed Queen on 19 July 1553.
Northumberland paid for his failed machinations with his life on 22 August/23 August 1553. Henry, Duke of Suffolk was arrested, but released days later thanks to Frances' intervention. The moment she heard of her husband's arrest, Frances rode over to Mary in the middle of the night to plead for her family. Despite all odds, not only did Frances manage to be received by the Queen, but also could secure him a pardon by placing all the blame on Northumberland. While in his household, Jane had fallen sick of food poisoning and had suspected Northumberland's family. Frances now used Jane's suspicions and her husband's sickness to accuse Northumberland of having tried to kill her family. Therefore, Mary was willing to pardon her first cousin's husband. Mary also intended to pardon Jane once her coronation was complete, thus sparing the 16-year-old's life.
Thomas Wyatt the younger
declared a revolt against Mary on 25 January 1554. Suffolk joined the rebellion, but was captured by Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon
. The revolt had failed by February. The plot ringleaders had wished to supplant Mary with her sister Elizabeth, although Elizabeth played no part in the matter. Jane was now becoming too dangerous for Mary and was beheaded on 12 February 1554 with her husband. Jane's father was convicted of high treason and was executed eleven days later on 23 February 1554. With two young daughters barely in their teens and her husband a convicted traitor, Frances literally faced ruin. As a wife, she held no possessions in her own right. As such all her husband's possessions would be returned to the Crown, as usual for traitors' property. She managed to plead with Queen Mary to show mercy, which meant at least she and her daughters had the chance of rehabilitation. The Queen's forgiveness meant some of Grey's property would remain with his family, or at least could be granted back at some later time.
. It was a safe marriage for her, since any children from it would be considered too low-born to compete for the throne. Also, her childhood friend and stepmother Catherine Willoughby
had married her gentleman usher, so Frances moved on familiar ground. She and Stokes married in 1555, .
Two children were born to the couple:
Frances died on 20 November 1559. She was buried at Westminster Abbey
at the expense of Elizabeth. Her daughter Catherine acted as chief mourner. Four years after her death, her husband crowned the grave with Frances' effigy which still remains. The inscription on her grave reads in Latin:
As the centuries passed on, the view on Frances Brandon changed dramatically. At the beginning of the 18th century, the myth of Frances as evil woman and cruel mother emerged. It was mainly due to the changing public attitude towards her daughter Jane. The Nine Days Queen was slowly yet steadily transformed into an almost angelic being, an example of innocence and passivity, a chaste child-martyr. To outline her perfection, she needed an antagonist, and it was Frances who fell victim to this need. A portrait of the harsh-looking Lady Dacre and her son was re-labeled and claimed to be Frances with her second husband Adrian Stokes. Thanks to the physical attributes of Lady Dacre, Frances was soon regarded as a female version of her uncle, King Henry VIII: ambitious, cruel and lustful.
Another reason for Frances' growing unpopularity was the quotation from Jane to Roger Ascham: From this passage it was – and still is – deduced that Frances and Henry Grey had mistreated their daughter.
However, it needs to be noted that Ascham wrote these words years after the actual meeting, and to promote the idea that children learned well under a kind tutor. Also, his view might have been influenced by the later events concerning the Greys. The letter he wrote to Jane just a few months after the visit speaks admiringly of her parents and praises both Jane's and their virtues. James Haddon, chaplain of the Greys, told his acquaintance Michel Angelo Florio how Jane was following in her parents' footsteps concerning piety, and how close she was to her mother Frances. Jane's age also most certainly played a role in her words. At the age of fourteen and highly aware of her brightness and people's admiration of it, it couldn't sit well with Jane to still have to submit to her parents' authority. The Tudor times demanded, of all virtues, obedience, and Jane was spirited enough to even make her beloved teacher Aylmer agree with her parents that it was necessary to "provide bridles for restive horses." At a difficult age, with a developing sense of her own personality, yet obliged to obey as if she was still a child, Jane was as bound to clash with her parents as any other teenager.
There still is historic evidence that Frances wasn't the archetype of female wickedness the last two centuries claim her to be. While Jane was already with her husband Guildford Dudley, under the supervision of his parents, she heard news that Edward VI was changing his will to exclude her mother from the succession and name Jane as his heir instead. Jane, startled by the news, asked her mother-in-law permission to visit her mother, yet was met with refusal. Ignoring her, Jane sneaked out of the house and went back home. The evil mother from the myth was accused of having beaten Jane into submission to marry Guildford Dudley and certainly would not have taken kindly to her daughter running away from her husband. However, if Frances' claim of having opposed the match from the beginning on is true, Jane fleeing to her makes perfect sense.
In fact, Frances was noted for her hospitality and generosity. When her brother-in-law's children Thomas, Margaret and Francis Willoughby were orphaned, the Greys took them under their wings. Thomas soon joined Henry and Charles Brandon at college and his siblings went to live with their uncle George Medley. However, during the Wyatt rebellion, Medley was imprisoned and taken to the Tower. At the time he was released, the imprisonment had taken its toll on him and he couldn't take care of the children any longer. Frances had already lost her eldest daughter, her husband and a considerable part of her lands. Nevertheless, she once more resumed care of Francis and Margaret Willoughby, organized a place in school for the boy and took the girl to court, along with herself and her surviving daughters. Their elder brother was placed as ward under a Councillor's care. Since Thomas was his father's heir, the councillor had control over the Willoughby fortune during Thomas' minority. Therefore, Frances' decision to take care of the younger siblings certainly wasn't made for profit's sake. Also she did her utmost to realize her daughter Catherine's wish to marry the man she loved.
The discrepancies between these facts and the legend of the bullying, intimidating woman are hard to overlook. As Leanda de Lisle puts it:
in 1986 film Lady Jane
and by Julia James in a 1956 episode of BBC Sunday-Night Theatre.
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG was the son of Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. Through his third wife Mary Tudor he was brother-in-law to Henry VIII. His father was the standard-bearer of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond and was slain by Richard III in person at...
and Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France. She was the mother of Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, who was briefly Queen of England
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
, and older sister to Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln
Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln
Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln was the youngest child and second son born to Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Mary Tudor, Queen of France, who was a daughter of Henry VII of England. Thus Henry Brandon was nephew to Henry VIII of England...
and Eleanor Clifford, Countess of Cumberland. Her brother predeceased her.
Her paternal grandparents were Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. Her maternal grandparents were King Henry VII of England
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York was Queen consort of England as spouse of King Henry VII from 1486 until 1503, and mother of King Henry VIII of England....
.
Her maternal uncle was King Henry VIII of England and her maternal aunt was Queen Margaret of Scotland
Margaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots. James died in 1513, and their son became King James V. She married secondly Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of...
. She had a strong claim to the throne of England that would be seized upon in 1553 by opponents to the accession of Mary I of England
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
Early life and first marriage
Frances was born in Hatfield, HertfordshireHatfield, Hertfordshire
Hatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
and spent her childhood in the care of her mother. She was close to Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, first wife of her uncle King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. She was a childhood friend of her first cousin, Princess Mary (later Mary I of England
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
). Frances' mother Mary was opposed to the annulment of the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine in 1533 and never accepted Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
as a legitimate wife or Queen of England
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
.
Frances received permission from her maternal uncle, Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
to marry Henry Grey, Marquess of Dorset in 1533. They were married in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Her first two pregnancies resulted in the births of a son and daughter who both died young. These were followed by three surviving daughters:
- Lady Jane GreyLady Jane GreyLady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
(12 October? 1537 – 12 February 1554). - Lady Catherine GreyLady Catherine GreyLady Catherine Grey , Countess of Hertford, was the younger sister of Lady Jane Grey. A granddaughter of Henry VIII's sister Mary, she was a potential successor to her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England, but incurred Elizabeth's wrath by her secret marriage to Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford...
(25 August 1540 – 26 January 1568). - Lady Mary Grey (1545 – 20 April 1578).
Frances is considered to have been a strong and energetic woman. Her residence at Bradgate
Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, just northwest of Leicester. It covers 850 acres . The park lies between the villages of Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston, Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland. The River Lin runs through the park, flowing into Cropston...
was a minor palace in Tudor style. After the death of her two brothers, the title Duke of Suffolk
Duke of Suffolk
Duke of Suffolk is a title that has been created three times in British history, all three times in the Peerage of England.The third creation of the dukedom of Suffolk was for Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, in 1551. The duke also held the title Baron Ferrers of Groby...
reverted to the crown, and was granted to her husband as a new creation. She had high expectations for her daughters and made certain they were educated to the same standards as their cousins, the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth (later Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
and Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, respectively). Her daughters were associated with both Princesses on relatively equal terms.
Scheming for her daughters
Frances was active at the court of Henry VIII and was on friendly terms with his sixth wife Catherine ParrCatherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
. It was through her friendship with the Queen that Frances's husband Henry, Duke of Suffolk secured a wardship for their daughter. There, Jane came into contact with Prince Edward (later Edward VI of England
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
), son of Henry VIII and half-brother of Mary and Elizabeth.
In 1546, the Imperial ambassador, van der Delft, wrote that there were rumours that Henry would divorce Catherine Parr in favour of her close friend, Catherine Willoughby
Catherine Willoughby
Catherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk, suo jure 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby , was an English noblewoman living at the royal courts of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI and later, Queen Elizabeth I...
, Duchess of Suffolk. Catherine Willoughby was Frances's stepmother.
Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547, and Edward succeeded to the throne. Jane followed the Queen Dowager
Queen Dowager
A queen dowager or dowager queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a deceased king. In the case of the widow of a deceased emperor, the title of empress dowager is used...
, Catherine Parr, to her new residence and was soon established as a member of the inner circle of the young King. Edward VI was only nine years old at the time of his accession. He would die in 1553 unmarried and childless. Frances found herself during the reign of King Edward VI, third-in-line for the English throne, following the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth. Her daughters followed her in line for the throne: Jane (fourth-in-line), Catherine (fifth-in-line) and Mary (sixth-in-line). Henry VIII's elder sister, Margaret Tudor descendants had been removed from the succession. This took place legally under the terms of the Will of King Henry VIII which laid out the succession to the throne. It was only after the Greys were discredited and the death of Elizabeth I that it was possible for the heir to Margaret Tudor's line, James VI of Scotland, to succeed to the English throne as King James I in 1603.
Catherine Parr married again, to Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley
Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley
Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, KG was an English politician.Thomas spent his childhood in Wulfhall, outside Savernake Forest, in Wiltshire. Historian David Starkey describes Thomas thus: 'tall, well-built and with a dashing beard and auburn hair, he was irresistible to women'...
and Lord High Admiral. Jane followed the Queen Dowager to her new household. Frances and her husband soon started scheming with Baron Seymour on the prospect of arranging a marriage between Jane and the King. The two adolescents were reportedly already close. If any offspring were born to such a union, the success of this scheme would secure the succession of Edward VI. The Greys would as a result gain further influence at court. The Lord Protector
Lord Protector
Lord Protector is a title used in British constitutional law for certain heads of state at different periods of history. It is also a particular title for the British Heads of State in respect to the established church...
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
was seeking a Queen Consort for Edward VI among the daughters of Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
.
Catherine Parr gave birth to her daughter, Lady Mary Seymour, on 30 August 1548. Complications resulted in her death and that of her daughter on 5 September 1548. Frances did not trust her eldest daughter Jane alone with Baron Seymour and recalled her home. Baron Seymour, on the other hand, pressed the Greys with demands that he held Jane's wardship and she should be returned to his household. The Greys surrendered to the inevitable and Jane returned to Seymour's household and moved in to the late Catherine Parr's apartments. Seymour still planned to convince Edward VI to marry Jane, but the King had become distrustful of his two uncles. An increasingly desperate Seymour invaded the King's bedchamber in an attempt to abduct him, and shot Edward's beloved dog when the animal tried to protect its master. Not longer after Seymour was tried for treason and executed on 10 March 1549.
The Greys convinced the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
of their innocence in Seymour's scheme. Jane was again recalled home. The Greys lost hope of marrying their eldest daughter to Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
who was sickly and thought likely not to live. For a time it is claimed they contemplated marrying her to Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford
Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford
Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baron Beauchamp of Hache and 1st Earl of Hertford, KG was the son of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, by his second wife Anne Stanhope....
, son of the Lord Protector and Anne Stanhope. However, the Lord Protector fell from power and was replaced by John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, KG was an English general, admiral, and politician, who led the government of the young King Edward VI from 1550 until 1553, and unsuccessfully tried to install Lady Jane Grey on the English throne after the King's death...
.
The Greys soon declared their allegiance to the new Lord Protector, who successfully arranged for Jane to be married to his youngest son Lord Guildford Dudley
Lord Guildford Dudley
Lord Guildford Dudley was the husband of Lady Jane Grey who, declared as his heir by King Edward VI, occupied the English throne from 6/10 July till 19 July 1553. Guildford Dudley enjoyed a humanist education and was married to Jane in a magnificent celebration about six weeks before...
. It has been claimed since the early 18th century that Jane was brutally beaten and whipped into submission by Frances. However, there is no historic evidence for it. Guildford was, as a fourth son, not the greatest match for the eldest daughter of royal descent, and William Cecil
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
, another close friend of the Greys claimed the match was brokered by Catherine Parr's brother and his second wife. According to Cecil, they promoted the match to Northumberland who responded rather enthusiastically.
The Greys didn't favour the match much, since it would have meant to pass the crown out of their family and to Northumberland. However, since Dudley claimed to have the king's support in the matter, they finally gave in. The only historic proof of some family quarrel concerning the marriage is written down by Commendone as "the first-born daughter of the Duke of Suffolk, Jane by name, who although strongly depreciating the marriage, was compelled to submit by the insistence of her mother and the threats of her father“.
Mother to a Queen Regnant
The marriage of the Lady Jane to Lord Guildford Dudley occurred on 15 May 1553. Northumberland had a greater scheme in mind. Edward VI was dying and was considering the matter of his own succession. The young King was a firm believer in the practices of AnglicanismAnglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
. His half-sister, Mary, was an equally firm believer in those of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Her accession would end the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in England. Northumberland arranged for the will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
of the dying King to exclude both Princesses Mary and Elizabeth under the pretext of both being bastards, on the grounds that Henry VIII had his marriages to their respective mothers Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
annulled and Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
executed for high treason (though at the time both daughters remained in the line of succession). Their removal from the succession would make Frances the heiress presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
of the King. Edward changed his will concerning the succession, passing Frances over. Frances and especially Henry Grey were at first outraged, but eventually, after a private audience with the king, Frances had to renounce her own rights to the throne in favour of Jane. The throne would pass to Jane and any male issue from her marriage to Guilford.
Edward VI died on 6 July 1553. Jane was declared queen regnant
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
on 10 July. Frances joined her for the proclamation and during her stay in the Tower. She had been fetched when Northumberland realised Jane's confusion and overwhelming feelings, and she managed to calm her daughter down. Since she had seen the king himself and spoken to him about the succession, she could convince Jane that she was the rightful queen and heir. Their success was short-lived. Jane was deposed by armed support in favour of the Princess Mary who was proclaimed Queen on 19 July 1553.
Northumberland paid for his failed machinations with his life on 22 August/23 August 1553. Henry, Duke of Suffolk was arrested, but released days later thanks to Frances' intervention. The moment she heard of her husband's arrest, Frances rode over to Mary in the middle of the night to plead for her family. Despite all odds, not only did Frances manage to be received by the Queen, but also could secure him a pardon by placing all the blame on Northumberland. While in his household, Jane had fallen sick of food poisoning and had suspected Northumberland's family. Frances now used Jane's suspicions and her husband's sickness to accuse Northumberland of having tried to kill her family. Therefore, Mary was willing to pardon her first cousin's husband. Mary also intended to pardon Jane once her coronation was complete, thus sparing the 16-year-old's life.
Thomas Wyatt the younger
Thomas Wyatt the younger
Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger was a rebel leader during the reign of Queen Mary I of England; his rising is traditionally called "Wyatt's rebellion".-Birth and career:...
declared a revolt against Mary on 25 January 1554. Suffolk joined the rebellion, but was captured by Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon
Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon
Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon, KG was the eldest son of George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon, the ex-mistress of Henry VIII....
. The revolt had failed by February. The plot ringleaders had wished to supplant Mary with her sister Elizabeth, although Elizabeth played no part in the matter. Jane was now becoming too dangerous for Mary and was beheaded on 12 February 1554 with her husband. Jane's father was convicted of high treason and was executed eleven days later on 23 February 1554. With two young daughters barely in their teens and her husband a convicted traitor, Frances literally faced ruin. As a wife, she held no possessions in her own right. As such all her husband's possessions would be returned to the Crown, as usual for traitors' property. She managed to plead with Queen Mary to show mercy, which meant at least she and her daughters had the chance of rehabilitation. The Queen's forgiveness meant some of Grey's property would remain with his family, or at least could be granted back at some later time.
Life at court
Frances and her two surviving daughters settled in court, serving the queen. Mary I made a point of placing them by her side, favoured but kept under the observation of the queen. They were still regarded with some suspicion and in 1555 the Spanish ambassador wrote of a possible match between Frances and Edward Courtnay, a Plantagenet descendant. Once again, their children would have had a claim to the throne, but Frances escaped the marriage by another, much safer match. She married her Master of the Horse, Adrian StokesAdrian Stokes (Master of Horse)
Adrian Stokes was an English courtier and politician.Stokes was Master of the Horse to Lady Frances Brandon, daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and married her on 1 March 1555, a year after the executions of Frances' first husband, Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk and her daughter...
. It was a safe marriage for her, since any children from it would be considered too low-born to compete for the throne. Also, her childhood friend and stepmother Catherine Willoughby
Catherine Willoughby
Catherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk, suo jure 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby , was an English noblewoman living at the royal courts of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI and later, Queen Elizabeth I...
had married her gentleman usher, so Frances moved on familiar ground. She and Stokes married in 1555, .
Two children were born to the couple:
- Elizabeth Stokes (16 July 1555 – 7 February 1556).
- A son (December, 1556), stillborn.
Frances died on 20 November 1559. She was buried at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
at the expense of Elizabeth. Her daughter Catherine acted as chief mourner. Four years after her death, her husband crowned the grave with Frances' effigy which still remains. The inscription on her grave reads in Latin:
Nor grace, nor splendour, nor a royal name, Nor widespread fame can aught avail; All, all have vanished here. True worth alone Survives the funeral pyre and silent tomb. |
A slandered reputation
Another reason for Frances' growing unpopularity was the quotation from Jane to Roger Ascham: From this passage it was – and still is – deduced that Frances and Henry Grey had mistreated their daughter.
However, it needs to be noted that Ascham wrote these words years after the actual meeting, and to promote the idea that children learned well under a kind tutor. Also, his view might have been influenced by the later events concerning the Greys. The letter he wrote to Jane just a few months after the visit speaks admiringly of her parents and praises both Jane's and their virtues. James Haddon, chaplain of the Greys, told his acquaintance Michel Angelo Florio how Jane was following in her parents' footsteps concerning piety, and how close she was to her mother Frances. Jane's age also most certainly played a role in her words. At the age of fourteen and highly aware of her brightness and people's admiration of it, it couldn't sit well with Jane to still have to submit to her parents' authority. The Tudor times demanded, of all virtues, obedience, and Jane was spirited enough to even make her beloved teacher Aylmer agree with her parents that it was necessary to "provide bridles for restive horses." At a difficult age, with a developing sense of her own personality, yet obliged to obey as if she was still a child, Jane was as bound to clash with her parents as any other teenager.
There still is historic evidence that Frances wasn't the archetype of female wickedness the last two centuries claim her to be. While Jane was already with her husband Guildford Dudley, under the supervision of his parents, she heard news that Edward VI was changing his will to exclude her mother from the succession and name Jane as his heir instead. Jane, startled by the news, asked her mother-in-law permission to visit her mother, yet was met with refusal. Ignoring her, Jane sneaked out of the house and went back home. The evil mother from the myth was accused of having beaten Jane into submission to marry Guildford Dudley and certainly would not have taken kindly to her daughter running away from her husband. However, if Frances' claim of having opposed the match from the beginning on is true, Jane fleeing to her makes perfect sense.
In fact, Frances was noted for her hospitality and generosity. When her brother-in-law's children Thomas, Margaret and Francis Willoughby were orphaned, the Greys took them under their wings. Thomas soon joined Henry and Charles Brandon at college and his siblings went to live with their uncle George Medley. However, during the Wyatt rebellion, Medley was imprisoned and taken to the Tower. At the time he was released, the imprisonment had taken its toll on him and he couldn't take care of the children any longer. Frances had already lost her eldest daughter, her husband and a considerable part of her lands. Nevertheless, she once more resumed care of Francis and Margaret Willoughby, organized a place in school for the boy and took the girl to court, along with herself and her surviving daughters. Their elder brother was placed as ward under a Councillor's care. Since Thomas was his father's heir, the councillor had control over the Willoughby fortune during Thomas' minority. Therefore, Frances' decision to take care of the younger siblings certainly wasn't made for profit's sake. Also she did her utmost to realize her daughter Catherine's wish to marry the man she loved.
The discrepancies between these facts and the legend of the bullying, intimidating woman are hard to overlook. As Leanda de Lisle puts it:
Ancestry
Titles
- The Lady Frances Brandon
- Lady Frances Grey
- The Most Honourable Marchioness of Dorset
- Her Grace The Duchess of Suffolk
- Her Grace The Dowager Duchess of Suffolk (she didn't cease to use her highest title even after remarriage, just like Lady Katherine NevilleLady Katherine NevilleKatherine Neville or Catherine de Neville was the eldest daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort , daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by his mistress Catherine de Roet.Katherine was married firstly to John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk...
was styled Dowager Duchess of Norfolk even though she remarried three times after the death of the Duke)
Dramatic representation
She has been portrayed by Sara KestelmanSara Kestelman
Sara Kestelman is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Lady Frances Brandon, Lady Jane Grey's mother, in Lady Jane.-Biography:...
in 1986 film Lady Jane
Lady Jane
"Lady Jane" is a Rolling Stones' song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards featured on their 1966 album Aftermath.In America Lady Jane was the B-side to "Mother's Little Helper", but "Lady Jane" reached #24 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart...
and by Julia James in a 1956 episode of BBC Sunday-Night Theatre.
In fiction
- Frances was fictionalized in the 2007 historical fiction book Innocent TraitorInnocent TraitorInnocent Traitor is a historical novel by Alison Weir, published in 2007. It is the story of Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for 9 days in 1553.-Summary:...
by author Alison WeirAlison Weir (historian)Alison Weir is a British writer of history books, and latterly historical novels, mostly in the form of biographies about British royalty.-Personal life:...
.