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Leanda De Lisle
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The Sisters Who Would Be Queen Hardcover – January 1, 2009

by Leanda De Lisle (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 373 ratings
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The Sisters who would be Queen: The Tragedy of Mary, Katherine & Lady Jane Grey Lisle, Leanda de
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper Press
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    6.26 x 1.42 x 9.45 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0007219059
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0007219056
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Press; First Edition (January 1, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0007219059
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007219056
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.54 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.26 x 1.42 x 9.45 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 373 ratings

About the author

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Leanda De Lisle

Leanda De Lisle

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I was born in Westminster, London and read History at Somerville College, Oxford University, before taking up national newspaper and magazine columns, and later publishing best selling Tudor and Stuart history.

After Elizabeth: The Death of Elizabeth & the Coming of King James, was runner up for the Saltire Society's First Book of the Year award. My next book, the New York Time best selling biography, The Sisters Who Would be Queen; The tragedy of Mary, Katherine & Lady Jane Grey, provided the non-fiction basis for Phillippa Gregory's 2017 novel The Last Tudor, and was described by Professor John Guy as 'gripping' and 'an unrivalled account'.

Tudor; The Family Story (1437-1603), was a Sunday Times top ten best-seller and reader reviews average over four stars on both Amazon and Goodreads. It is recommended by the Times to discover the true history behind the Wolf Hall trilogy. My latest book, White King, is a biography of Charles I and his loss of three kingdoms. Based on my new manuscript discoveries, with many never before seen royal letters, it describes the descent of his kingdoms into failed states, and the true role of his remarkable and maligned queen. It won the Historical Writers Association Fiction Crown.

I regularly write and speak on matters historical for TV, radio, and a number of publications including the Times, the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, the Daily Express, BBC History magazine, History Today, the Literary Review, the New Criterion and the Spectator. I ALSO HOPE YOU ENJOY MY MONTHLY PODCAST '10 MINUTE TUDORS' AVAILABLE ON ITINES AND SOUNDCLOUD

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
373 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amy M. Bruno
5.0 out of 5 stars an exemplary account of the lives of the Grey sisters
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2010
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Author Leanda de Lisle has written an utterly captivating account of the lives of, Mary, Katherine and Lady Jane Grey in The Sisters Who Would Be Queen. Seriously, this is how non-fiction is done!

The fate of the Grey sisters exemplifies the danger of being born perilously close to the throne of England. All three would eventually fall victim to the English crown, though in different ways.

Lady Jane, the most notable of the Grey sisters, was born the eldest and as such was the one the family vested much time and money in. In a sense, she was the son they never had and she was ever mindful of the responsibility placed upon her. She was deeply religious and had a passion for learning.

One thing that de Lisle opened my mind to was that perhaps Jane wasn't the total helpless pawn when she was offered the throne. Although Jane was very hesitant to take the crown and bypass Mary and Elizabeth and even her own mother, she nonetheless saw this as the only way to keep the Catholic Mary from ruling England and destroying everything that her brother, the Protestant Edward had done. Jane was just as strong in her religious convictions as Mary was, which was proved when after the plot to place Jane on the throne failed and Jane was give a chance to spare her life by converting to Christianity, she drew strength from her own faith and was executed on February 12, 1554.

De Lisle then goes on to tell the stories of Katherine and Mary, whose own lives would prove just as tragic as their sisters'. The remaining Grey sisters would dare to defy queens of England for love and would spend the rest of their lives suffering the consequences. One thing is for sure, Tudor queens are not to be messed with!

I highly recommend The Sisters Who Would Be Queen to anyone who enjoys an exquisitely researched and well-written historical account, and of course, lovers of the Tudors!! I really enjoyed de Lisle's writing style and was entranced in the story of the remarkable, yet heartrending, Grey sisters.
8 people found this helpful
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Deborah Hawkins
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Look at Tudor Culture and Politics
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2014
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THE SISTERS WHO WOULD BE QUEEN,

Mary, Katherine, and Lady Jane Grey, A Tudor Tragedy

by Leanda De Lisle

Lady Jane Gray was but seventeen years old when her cousin Mary Tudor ordered her execution on February 12, 1553. Often referred to as “The Nine Days Queen,” Jane’s brief reign began on July 10, 1553, and ended on July 19, when the people of England rose in Mary’s favor.

Leanda De Lisle weaves an entertaining tale of Jane and her two younger sisters, Katherine and Mary, that is difficult to put down. My favorite books about history are the ones that bring the past vividly to life, and Ms. De Lisle does not disappoint.

Jane, Katherine, and Mary Grey traced their claims to the English throne through their mother, Lady Frances Brandon, the daughter of Henry VIII’s younger sister, Mary, who married Henry’s favorite Charles Brandon, First Duke of Suffolk, after her first husband, the King of France died. Jane, and her sisters were great-granddaughters of Henry VII and grandnieces of Henry VIII.

As the eldest, Jane received the most education and attention. The Greys were fiercely Protestant, and Jane was groomed to wed her first cousin Edward VI. She was regarded as the ideal wife for the young Protestant monarch. Jane was extremely intelligent, well-educated, and comfortable as a leader. She felt that her divine destiny was to foster the cause of the Protestant church in England and to prevent a return to Catholicism and Rome.

However, when it became clear Edward VI had not long to live, Jane was married to Guildford Dudley, the youngest son of the Duke of Northumberland. One of the factors swaying the English people in Mary Tudor’s direction, despite the fact Mary was Catholic, was the populace’s perception that Northumberland intended to set himself up as king though Jane and Guildford.

Although Katherine and Mary are mentioned throughout the book, Katherine does not take center stage until after her older sister’s execution. Katherine, by all accounts longer on charm than brains, fell madly in love with Edward Seymour, the First Earl of Hertford, and married him without Queen Elizabeth’s permission. Elizabeth not only disliked Hertford, the Queen was threatened by Catherine’s claim to the throne and by the fact she had produced two baby sons, also in line for the crown. Elizabeth’s solution was to separate Katherine, her husband, and children and keep them imprisoned in various noble houses. Unable to bear the separation from her family, Katherine finally starved herself to death.

Mary, the third Grey sister, fared no better that her siblings. She, too, married without Queen Elizabeth’s consent, and was imprisoned for many years. Moreover, Elizabeth feared Mary’s claim to the throne because Katherine’s two sons had been declared illegitimate. However, eventually, Mary was allowed to live independently again and was summoned to court to be a Maid of Honor. Mary died of the plague in 1578.

I have always been greatly puzzled by Elizabeth’s I’s decision to declare Catholic Mary Stuart’s son, James, her heir. But Ms. De Lisle explains Elizabeth’s actions. Elizabeth, like her father and her sister, believed that kings rule based upon the direct authority of God. However, during Elizabeth’s reign, the question of the succession greatly troubled Parliament, and that body had strong opinions about who should inherit the throne should Elizabeth fail to produce an heir. Parliament favored the Protestant Grey sisters over Catholic Mary Stuart and her son, James. Elizabeth bitterly resented the idea that Parliament would have a say in something that she regarded as her divine right as sovereign to determine. Thus, she stubbornly gave the nod to a Catholic heir, rather than the Protestant Greys, whose claim to the crown was actually much stronger than that of James.

Although the title is apt - the three Grey girls’ lived tragic lives - I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. De Lisle’s book and would recommend it to anyone curious about Jane and her sisters.
6 people found this helpful
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Catherine
5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly and a superb read
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2010
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I thought I knew it all when it came to Lady Jane Grey. Wrong! Leandra de Lisle has written a sound, scholarly yet fascinating historical read of the Grey sisters. She has gone to great lengths over many years to authenticate, as much as possible, her sources to produce a great read based on exceptional research. This book comfortably melds popular historical fiction with academic soundness - in enjoying the story there is confidence in its historical accuracy - refreshing indeed.

As other reviewers have pointed out, one of its main strengths is its treatment of the two younger Grey sisters, Katherine and Mary. It really fleshes out their story. The analysis of their importance to the succession provides a much more balanced (accurate?) view of the behaviour of Elizabeth I towards them, given they are usually completely ignored in other works on Elizasbeth's reign and given Elizabeth has become almost God-like in popular Tudor historical fiction - her calculating coldness to the Grey sisters is certainly exposed, balanced with discussino of theb wisdom of the marriage decsions of the sisters, partciularly in view of the fate of their older sister.

Overall a geat read - I was 'told off' by friends while on holiday in Italy for not wanting to put it down. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who would like to get below the tradional fluffy historical fiction that is usually dished up about this fascinating period of history and I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author.
4 people found this helpful
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Hiyauriah
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read, but...
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2014
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This would have been a much better read had the writer not been so ardently pro-Catholic. She seems to almost deify Mary I (commonly known as Bloody Mary), whilst casting aspersions on the character of not only Jane Grey (a 16 year old), but also King Edward VI (also 16) and several well known Reformers.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Carmen
5.0 out of 5 stars Arrived quickly, fully satisfied
Reviewed in Germany on November 28, 2022
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Will buy again books on the same period.
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Anne_Boleyn
5.0 out of 5 stars "I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born."
Reviewed in Canada on January 12, 2012
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I liked this book. Finally an author who does quality research, writes well, backs up her ideas with sources, and left me feeling I had learned something about the Grey sisters. I knew quite a bit about Lady Jane before reading this book, but I did not know anything about Katherine and Mary, and this is the main reason for purchasing de Lisle's book.

My favorite aspect of the book is de Lisle's juxtaposition of the sisters, their personalities, and fates. Jane is often viewed as the most intelligent and rebellious of the lot, but Katherine and Mary's own life choices show they too took on the world themselves, and did not follow the conventions of the day. Alas, the choices of the Grey sisters all ended in heartbreak.

I found De Lisle's analysis of Elizabeth a little more critical than other historians. However, I am not sure if this was an intentional rebuking of Elizabeth's actions, or to allow the reader to see the high price there was to pay for being a potential heir to the English Throne.

Having said that, Elizabeth's fear of her own mortality and the consequences of naming an heir come across nicely in De Lisle's writings. Elizabeth's treatment of Katherine and Mary are in response to Elizabeth's own interpretation of their behaviors, and how they are her subjects to her laws.Elizabeth had many good points, but her cruelty is well documented. Her father's temper comes across in her treatment of those who betrayed her. According to this Katherine and Mary marrying without royal consent (and being potentially in line for the throne) did not bode well with Elizabeth.

Frankly, Katherine and Mary were not the only ones to face Elizabeth's wrath. Like Henry VIII, Elizabeth wanted to be in full control of her kingdom. For the Grey sisters, it was their closeness to the throne (rather than anything else) that cost them their lives. In the end, Shakespeare had it right "I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born."
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KenA
4.0 out of 5 stars It Didn't Pay to be too Closely Related to the Monach in 16th Century England
Reviewed in Australia on December 31, 2015
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Well written and interesting story of the Grey sisters during the latter years of Henry VIII through to the reign of Elizabeth I. There is plenty here for those interested in the Tudor period from a different perspective from that provided in most other books. Royal politics and religion (it was the time of the Renaissance) played a major part in the lives and fate of the three Grey sisters.

Lady Jane Grey was the 9 day Queen of England. She was overthrown by Mary, her first cousin (once removed), eldest daughter of Henry VIII. Because of the threat she posed to the throne (due to her position and protestant religion) she was condemned to death for treason (Britain was in turmoil at the time). Lady Jane's two younger sisters both fell foul of Queen Elizabeth I because of their position and more importantly because they both secretly got married and 'Good Queen Bess' had concerns about any consequences such actions might have regarding succession to the throne. A good read. Recommended.
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Ms. R. L. Norton
5.0 out of 5 stars Really interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2010
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I'd read other books about Jane Grey so probably had the 'usual' perception of her. This book really lifts the lid on Jane and shows her in a better context. I always found it difficult to believe that she was a passive pawn as history depicted her. Her parents also came over in a more believeable light. The family trees were very helpful in negotiating the various people around the court, most of whom were related in some way or other to the royal family. It also helped to put the Dudley family into perspective particularly in relation to the Elizabeth I - Dudley relationship. I felt that if Dorset in particular had more backbone his daughter's fate might have been avoided. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I didn't know much about the younger Grey sisters except that they fell victim to the 'Tudor curse' and both died relatively young. Katherine was more frivilous than the serious Jane and therefore more reckless. Katherine and Edward Seymour were warned off marrying but did it in secret anyway which spelled their doom. Their eldest son was born in the Tower, a possible male heir for Elizabeth except that Elizabeth didn't want it and soon had their marriage declared invalid and the child illegitimate. She didn't want the second son, conceived and born in the Tower either. However, this time it couldn't be declared illegitimate as Katherine and Edward had declared their marriage to the Archbishop of Canterbury which meant their marriage was now valid. This didn't stop Elizabeth from claiming both sons were illegitimate and therefore barred from the throne. I thought it unfair to separate the parents and the sons but perhaps that is a modern day thinking. Any hope Katherine and Edward had of being together were dashed by the actions of other people, whether they supported them or not and in particular Hales' book clarifying Katherine's right of succession sealed their fate. It seemed that various people had an axe to grind and did so with venom.

Now it was Mary's turn in the limelight. She was reputed to be tiny. The man of her affections was Thomas Keyes, a porter at court who was the biggest man at court. It is suggested that Mary thought if she married a commoner like her mother her marriage would be allowed. However they didn't tell the queen and married in secret. Mary and Thomas were imprisoned. The callous treatment of the two sisters and their husbands shows Elizabeth in a particularly vindictive light. It also shows that Elizabeth was fighting for her life against nobles and parliament that tried to control her against a backdrop of events that threatened her at every turn. She knew that as soon as she named a heir her life would be forfeit. She played this game for years, unfortunately people got caught in the fallout. The Grey sisters were two such people. Katherine died in impovish and sad circumstances in 1568 aged 28. Edward was released but not reunited with his sons. In 1569 Thomas Keyes was released from jail but Mary Grey remained a prisoner, wretched and alone. In 1671 Thomas Keyes died without seeing Mary. In 1572 Mary was released but was now poverty stricken. She died of the plague in 1578.

This book was interesting, informative and revealing. I would heartily recommend it whether you are a fan of the Tudors or not.
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EleanorB
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent piece of work
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2017
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This is an extremely detailed account of the three granddaughters of Henry the Eighth's sister, Mary Tudor, whose lineage which placed them in succession to the English crown. As the fanatically Protestant boy king Edward's short reign ended, religious factionalism created difficulties as many influential people around the throne wanted a return to the old Catholic religion and just as many wanted to retain the newer form of worship, which kept England out of Papal control. The Duke of Suffolk's faction moved swiftly to crown his eldest child, Lady Jane Grey as queen but her short reign was swiftly ended by a rebellion which resulted in the old King's firmly Catholic heiress, Mary, taking the throne and immediately making moves to secure a marriage with Philip of Spain.

Jane herself is presented by this author as something more than a mere cypher of her powerful father, and from her research it appears that although reluctant in the first instance, this learned and highly intelligent girl embraced the challenge. The fallout from her brief reign was catastrophic for her whole family: execution followed execution as vengeance was exacted and old scores settled. Bloody Mary, as she became known, was followed to the throne by her half sister Elizabeth the First. Jane's sisters, Katherine and Mary both survived the debacle of their sister's brief queenship, but neither had happy lives, having just enough Tudor blood to be a perceived danger to a woman who refused repeatedly to name her heir apparent.

The author's research is extremely thorough, and her interpretation of events and personalities is skilful and interesting. This is an excellent read which I recommend.
9 people found this helpful
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