The Forgotten Tudor Heir - Part 1 | Lady Katherine Grey

it was the aftermath of a horrific and bloody execution that of Lady Jane gray and just moments before her young husband Guilford Dudley but despite this tragedy it wasn't the end of the story for the gray family her sister's lady Catherine and Lady Mary had to go on Living Through The Fallout and survive the consequences new Gallows were built at all the gates to London ready to hang traitors to the crown who had been involved in Wyatt's Rebellion sadly for Catherine and Mary amongst the rebels was their own father Henry gray the Duke of Suffolk it must have been hard for their mother Francis she had lost her eldest daughter was about to lose her husband and would have to navigate what came afterwards keeping her two remaining daughters safe on the 17th of February 1550 for just five days after Jane's death Henry was led to his trial at Westminster Hall the charge was high treason for inciting War for opposing Mary's upcoming marriage to Philip II of Spain and for attempting a plan which would have meant Mary's death although the rebels had only ever planned to capture Mary and put her in the Tower of London he apparently took his sentence cheerfully denying the charge and stating he was not guilty as he was merely a peer who had tried to defend his country from strangers a 16th century term for anyone born outside England but it didn't wash with the judges who were well aware of Henry Gray's vehement protestantism and knew this was the real reason behind his actions but despite how dark everything looked several Rebels held prisoner were pardoned by the crown just a few days earlier there might perhaps be a chance for Henry to be pardoned for a second time Mary had failed to save Jane with a conversion to Catholicism and she was determined not to make the same mistake this time on the evening of the 22nd of February the night before his execution she sent two of her priests to see Henry hoping to convert him and so allow him a pardon but Henry was as steadfast as his daughter had been and he wasn't moved by their religious arguments Francis will have already known Henry's fate was sealed and she had to focus her efforts on her children Brad Gate House was returned to the crown along with Henry Gray's lands leaving France's destitute with two surviving daughters she and Queen Mary still had the bond of being cousins and Francis used this to petition Mary to at least forgive Suffolk publicly even if she would not pardon him and save his life this would mean later the possibility of some of the lands being returned and being allowed back at court one day but it must have been difficult despite being family and having once been close Mary had ordered the death of her daughter even if in the context of the day the Queen's will was law it likely wouldn't have dampened a mother's grief the next morning at nine o'clock Henry found himself being led along the same doomed path as his daughter had walked a few days earlier to the scaffold one of Queen Mary's chaplains was sent to go with him but as they approached the scaffold he began to give a sermon attacking Protestant beliefs it would see Mary's heart had changed from her recently given Proclamation stating people should worship as they saw best and the path forward was to return England to the papacy of Rome Henry gray was sowing Fury created by this speech that when the chaplain went to follow him up the stairs to the scaffold he pushed him back and the two men fell into a tussle at the base of the steps it only stopped when the chaplain shouted that it was the Queen's wish that he be present once at the top of the scaffold Henry gray turned to face the crowd across the railing regaining his dignity he started Masters I have offended the queen and her laws and am justly condemned to die he then begged Queen Mary's forgiveness and was told she had already given it and was praying for him Henry nelton prayed before rising and handing his cap and scarf to the Executioner giving his forgiveness to the Executioner when asked for it Henry added and when thou Dost thine office I pray thee do it well and bring me out of this world quickly and God have mercy to thee it would seem Henry gray had accepted his fate as his daughter Jane had he laid his head on the Block and he died with a single blow it would appear the gloves were now off for Queen Mary and she took no chances more executions were lined up for those who had been involved with the Grays or who had once helped plot with Thomas Seymour for Elizabeth's hand in marriage the young princess Elizabeth herself was brought to the Tower of London to become its latest Royal prisoner although her rooms were lavish they were also a reminder of her mother's death Anne Berlin had spent her final days in the tower and it must have crossed Elizabeth's mind that it might be her fate also Francis gray and her remaining daughters Catherine and Mary now had to tread a very careful line despite James martyrdom and her plea to Catherine in her final letter to take on the cause of protestantism it would have meant certain death instead Francis told her girls to be publicly Catholic we have no proof of how they they felt in private but it would make sense that even if they were deeply Protestant at least seeming to have converted to Catholicism was a necessary survival mechanism they would not have been alone and Francis had lost enough family Jane's Legacy did live on however through the letter she had written to the family's former tutor Thomas Harding and the letter to her sister Catherine by becoming widely distributed throughout the kingdom it was a dangerous assault on Queen Mary's Reign and it was best for Francis Catherine and Mary Gray to keep their heads down but francis's earlier attempts at softening Mary's feelings towards them did work as in April she was re-grounded some of the Estates Henry gray had held including bow Manor near Brad gate and just a few months later she and her daughters were once again permitted to be at court now part of of the Queen's privy chamber and appearing to be Catholic their future seemed to be safe for now Court life would have been very routine Queen Mary liked her ladies to be dressed and ready for duties by nine in the morning meals were at noon and in the evening and the rest of the day would be spent finessing the skills required of a noble lady singing dancing sewing reading and playing games such as cards Sundays were the only change to the routine in that it was the day Queen Mary and her retinue of ladies went to the Royal Chapel to hear petitions from the people lady Catherine might well have been wary in this new life with Jane's letter reminding her of her duty to protestantism lingering in her mind but she was nevertheless a young Noble woman and Catherine's thoughts probably dwelt more on marriage than piety but the marriage that would have been uppermost in most people's thoughts was that of Queen Mary herself on the 20th of July her betrothed Philip of Spain arrived on England's Shores it was a marriage that Mary was delighted with Philip less so she was gaining a husband something that had been held from her for far longer than it should have and a chance to create an heir for her kingdom he was young handsome and making the best rest of a situation which left him with no power in England married by contrast was a decade older and seemed older still her face lined with the anxiety life had put upon her despite the rich gowns of crimson velvet and demasks she adorned herself with the wedding took place at Winchester Cathedral on the 25th of July 1554 a suitably grand Affair the entire Cathedral covered in cloth of gold Mary herself sparkled clothed in Gold trimmed with diamonds and a white satin curtle embroidered with silver and more gold Philip complimented her in white leather and silver embroidery his Castilian Jewels glittering alongside the collar of the Garter he had been given when arriving in England a public symbol perhaps of his now loyalty to both countries the beginning of Mary and Phillips Reign together was marked by entertainments and masks and physical competitions between the young noblemen such as jousting all seemed well in the wake of this merriment however came Queen Mary's Revival of her father's old heresy laws many around her advised against it but she was so fearful of the threat to her religion and her Protestant subjects who might wish to overthrow her that soon after the horrific burnings which became synonymous with her rule began although the punishments were originally intended only for heretic priests it soon spread to ordinary people who were not willing to hide their religious beliefs Catherine along with other members of her family maintained links with other families who had to hide their protestantism she struck up a friendship with Lady Jane Seymour the daughter of the Elder Edward Seymour the protector of England during Edward's Reign this friendship would lead to other relationships most notably that of Jane Seymour's brother the 19 year old Edward Seymour Catherine herself was now 18 and the beauty of her family although she had the same opportunities for education as Jane had had Catherine had been less interested in refining her mind blonde blue-eyed and slim she fitted the 16th century version of beauty perfectly and Edward Seymour was just as interested in her as she was in him he himself had inherited his mother's good looks but the possible Union between Catherine and Edward went beyond being a handsome couple through his mother Edward Seymour was descended from Edward III a fact that by itself did not make his claim any stronger but it would strengthen Catherine's and if the two were married and had a son together it would seriously have rivaled the princess Elizabeth's claim to the throne that summer Edward Seymour seems to have asked his sister about brokering the idea of marriage to Catherine his mother also trying to keep her head under the radar after The Misfortune to her family had no no intention of encouraging the dangerous match and was horrified tried to talk her son out of it but Edward was stubborn and ignored his mother's advice but soon the status quo was to change in October 1558 just five years after she had finally won her crown Mary the first fell deeply ill with influenza it was clear she would not live for long before she went she had been somewhat forced to name her half-sister princess Elizabeth as her successor after Mass on the 17th of November England's first crowned Queen Mary the first died she left behind her a new Legacy one of queenship in a queen's own stead much like Jane gray had planned to Mary Had relegated her husband to the status of consort allowing him no real Powers over England however her connection threw him to Spain had dragged many of England's youth into fighting Spain's Wars across the sea as Elizabeth stepped into her sister's Shadow it must have been a reminder that any husband she chose would have some interest in the civic affairs of her state that everything down to his religion could create war or peace on the 13th of December a grand ceremony marked the final passage of Mary the First's body as it was conveyed to her final resting place at Westminster Abbey Catherine was no doubt amongst those in the procession behind the carved image of the queen that graced The Chariot carrying the coffin all present dressed in deepest black after the funeral rites were done and Mary the first body laid to rest it was time for a new era Elizabeth the first was to make her entry into London to await her coronation for the coronation itself from Francis and Mary Gray were not invited France says possibly because of her ill health Catherine gray was invited but Elizabeth had not forgotten her distant cousin was sister to a dead usurper and instead of being in the privy chamber Catherine was pushed down to the presence chamber to which all the upper nobility could be present it was a cold snowy day when Elizabeth made her way into London Catherine was present for this but she would have been very much aware of her lowered position the Grays it seemed were to be pushed quietly into the shadows for the time being next in line or not but the procession of which she was a small part was a grand sight the important men of the city the alderman Knights Lords archbishops and servants for all of them led the way to the sound of trumpeters announcing Elizabeth imminent entry the new Queen followed them on a litter covered in cloth of gold lined with pink satin her hair was loose about her shoulders over a mantle of cloth of silver a symbol of Chastity and regality suitable for a young unmarried Queen it was clear that already Elizabeth understood the power of a fabulous display to wow the crowds into being on her side following the queen was her favorite Robert Dudley despite the baggage attached to his family name Elizabeth seemed to favor the young handsome Noble with dark curling hair and a trim figure as soon as Elizabeth's coronation was over the question of her marriage came immediately she pushed back at her advisors making it clear she was not considering it for the immediate future she was after all rumored to be in love with Robert Dudley who was already married this triggered rumors she could not have children and eyes once again fell on Catherine gray if she were to marry and have a child it would make it very precarious for Elizabeth who was well aware of this the queen reacted By ignoring Catherine and snubbing her courtiers around Elizabeth who wanted her favor had to show interest in only who she liked and so Catherine was pushed further back into the shadows of court she confided in the counter farrier the Spanish Ambassador sent by Philip II that Elizabeth did not wish her to succeed and that she was frustrated and angry at this Whispers at court told of Catherine openly losing her temper with her cousin in the presence chamber public family Rouse for all to see Catherine was in a position dangerously close to that of her dead sister the next in line for the crown but becoming more disliked by the moment while Elizabeth the first remained unmarried and without an heir no matter how much she snubbed her Catherine gray as her closest relative and Protestant was her expected successor this was about to be proven in a scheme created by Philip II of Spain himself having now returned to Spain Philip could see how he could use this to his Advantage Queen Elizabeth had ended England's Aid in fighting France and if she instead arranged an alliance with Henry II the French King it would be dangerous for Spain's Holdings in the Netherlands Spain Maine needed to remain on friendly terms with England but her marriage Alliance had been turned down flat by Elizabeth on the grounds Philip had been married to her sister but a marriage Alliance wasn't entirely out of the question but to whom after her confessions to Ferrier the Ambassador had decided that Catherine gray was the perfect candidate with her royal connections English stability and being turned against the queen By Elizabeth's own actions farrier himself deeply disliked and distrusted Elizabeth she was as Protestant as Mary had been Catholic and Catherine informed farrier that she was Catholic through and through Catherine convinced Faria that her family hated her for the choice of remaining Catholic how true this might have been is difficult to tell the Gray's early lives had been marked by their steadfire vast adherence to the new Faith but since then they had declared themselves Catholic and now flipped back except for Catherine it seems to being Protestant this could have been genuine or this could have been politically smart the reason for Catherine's declaration to the Spanish Ambassador was linked to matters of the heart Edward Seymour Hood cooled towards her in recent months and perhaps Catherine saw an opportunity to make him jealous as teenage girls might even then farrier promised her he could perhaps set up a marriage through the aid of his King maybe to a Habsburg relative and in return Catherine swore she would not marry without ferrier's knowledge it is possible that Catherine being young and lacking her sister's sharpness thought this was little more than talk but in Spain the information fed back was taken seriously and plans were made to kidnap the young girl and marry her to Spain's Advantage a small number of ships would make their way up the Thames and Catherine would be smuggled on board one of them being made off with to Spanish Shores however before anything could come of these plans the French King Henry II died from a horrific jousting accident a splinter from a lance entering his eyeball up to his Temple Philip II paused his plans on hold has Henry's Heir the weaker Francis II came to the French throne it was now unlikely that France would invade England and risking Elizabeth's wrath over a marriage no longer seemed like a sensible option the kidnapping plan was abandoned quietly Catherine gray of course having thought it little more than a game had no idea of anything that had been planned for her future in Spain she was with the rest of the Court as Queen Elizabeth made her way around her palaces pausing at eltham a Royal Palace near Greenwich there Catherine finally met once again with Edward Seymour who appeared to have resisted his mother's warnings and once again the two of them were in each other's company the pair later said this was the summer in which they fell deeply passionately in love with each other the following year in October 1559 Edward Seymour finally made his intentions plain to Catherine's Mother Francis Francis had remarried in 1555 herself making a safe match not to to a nobleman but to her master of the horse Adrian Stokes it was a love match but it offered her family safety as it removed her from the English Crown's line of succession although a marriage between Edward and Catherine would have been risky Francis had been ill for some time and was only getting worse no doubt before she died she wanted to see her eldest remaining child happily married and she liked Edward Seymour however unfortunately for the family their opinion was not the only one that mattered Queen Elizabeth had the final say on whom her courtiers married especially though she was related to for the obvious reason that it could change everything in the line to the throne at this time Catherine strengthening her position would not have been seen by many as a threat to Elizabeth but as a Counterpoint as Elizabeth's Protestant Heir against Mary Queen of Scots a combination of everything England rebuked at that time Scottish French and Catholic but Elizabeth was not one of them nevertheless Adrian helped his wife draw up a letter to Elizabeth in which she begged the queen to allow the happy Union of her daughter and Edward Seymour stating it was the only thing that she desired before her death and should be an occasion to her to Die the more quietly first however Francis had to speak to Catherine about the marriage and ascertain it was really what her daughter wanted Catherine's response was that she was very willing to marry her beloved but the news soon turned cold Seymour had been advised by friends to put off asking the Queen about the marriage while she was being courted by Prince Eric the heir to the Swedish Throne instead he set about making friends with Eric's brother the Duke of Finland in case it proved useful in the time the young couple waited Francis gray grew ever more ill and it became clear she didn't have much time left on the 20th of November surrounded by her daughter's husband and close friends Francis passed quietly away at her home Queen Elizabeth grateful at francis's careful second marriage that had never threatened her position immediately offered to take on the expenses of the funeral Francis was buried with a procession and balance befitting her royal lineage at Saint Edmund's Chapel in Westminster Abbey Catherine was chief mourner for her mother following behind her mother's coffin with a great black train behind her dress as well as grieving for the loss of her mother she must have been wondering what she would do without her mother's protective common sense and advice after her mother's death it would seem Elizabeth the first had a change of heart about how she treated Catherine perhaps her cousin's death had reminded her that blood was thicker than water or perhaps it was simply a shrewd move to keep a close eye on the young woman Catherine was promoted to wait on Elizabeth personally and rumors abounded at court that the queen was considering adopting her in order to smooth Catherine's path as her Heir for the time being everything seemed to have turned itself around Catherine gray had gone from being the daughter of an executed traitor to a Catholic lady in waiting to a Protestant heir to be Elizabeth seemed to finally be showing her young cousin favor and Young Love blossomed between Catherine and Edward Seymour but if Catherine felt secure in her future it was all about to fall apart in spectacular fashion and once again the gray family's name would be dragged through the mud if you enjoyed this video don't forget to like And subscribe so you don't miss any new documentaries foreign [Music]

Channel: History's Forgotten People

Views: 37,277

Keywords: lady jane grey, lady katherine grey, lady katherine gray, lady catherine grey, lady catherine gray, elizabeth I, tudor history, tudor heir

Id: ozSDAC-745Y

Length: 26min 18sec (1578 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 30 2022