Jane bore Henry his longed-for son, Edward VI, and both her brothers achieved prominence through her. Her brother Edward was central to Henry’s activities in Scotland and became Lord Protector for the young king, his nephew, a hugely powerful position. Thomas married Henry’s sixth wife, Catherine Parr, and after her death in 1548 aimed to marry Princess Elizabeth (the future Elizabeth I), with whom he had flirted when she was in Catherine’s care, and for this he was executed for high treason. Edward fell foul of his fellow councillors and was also executed. Edward’s son was restored to the title of Lord Hertford by Elizabeth I, but was sent to the Tower when it emerged that he had secretly married Jane Grey’s sister, Catherine, who was Elizabeth’s protestant heir. Both her marriage and pregnancy were an affront to the queen.
This is the epic rise and fall of the family at the heart of the Tudor court and of Henry VIII’s own heart; he described Jane as ‘my first true wife’ and left express orders to be buried next to her tomb at Windsor Castle. The family seat of Wolfhall or ‘Wolf Hall’ in Wiltshire is long gone, but it lives on as an icon of the Tudor age.
- 'Clearly written and enjoyable' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE
- First ever history of the infamous Seymour family
- Author is a renowned expert on the Tudors; Hilary Mantel acknowledges her debt to the work of Professor Loades in her bestselling books and provided a glowing endorsement for his last book, Thomas Cromwell
- Wolf Hall, a six-part BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels, aired in Spring 2015 to critical and commercial success
- The final part in Mantel's series, The Mirror and the Light, is eagerly anticipated by both the press and public. Jane and her brothers Thomas and Edward are likely to feature extensively in this book, as they did in both the first two novels and the consequent TV adaptation