September 30, 2020
Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk (16 July 1517 – 20 November 1559), was an English noblewoman. As the daughter of Mary Tudor and niece of Henry VIII, she was of royal lineage and in the line of succession. She was also the stepdaughter of Katherine Willoughby, and the mother of Lady Jane Grey, Lady Katherine Grey, and Lady Mary Grey. But mostly as the Kris Jenner of her age, she was a behind-the-scenes power player who dedicated her life to maintaining her family’s prestige even in the face of great odds.
Also apparently she’s long had a bad reputation among historians, almost definitely undeserved!!
References:
Elizabeth’s Women: Friends, Rivals, and Foes who shaped the Virgin Queen by Tracy Borman
Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir
Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey by Nicola Tallis
The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: Mary, Katherine, and Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Tragedy by Leanda de Lisle
The Death and Burial of Frances, Duchess of Suffolk by Susan Higganbotham
The Maligned Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk by Susan Higganbotham
Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk (The Freelance History Writer)
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