OOften called the first queen of England, Lady Jane Gray reigned for just nine days in 1553 at the age of 16. It was difficult from start to finish: when she took the throne, the country was fiercely divided between Protestants and Catholics.
A new historical fantasy series, My Lady Jane, premiering June 27 on Prime Video, imagine if these divisions occurred between normal humans – known as true humans – and Ethians, humans who can transform into animals and are seen as the lowest caste in their society. Lady Jane Gray (Emily Bader) frantically spends her short reign trying to promote unity by demanding respect for Ethians, especially since her husband Guilford Dudley (Edward Bluemel) is an Ethian who can transform into a horse.
TIME spoke to two of Lady Jane Grey’s biographers, Nicola Tallis and Leanda de Lisle, about what to know about the real Lady Jane who inspired the show.
Who is Lady Jane Grey?
Great-niece of Henry VIII, she was born in Bradgate, Leicestershire, England, in 1537.
In the show, she is portrayed as an extremely intellectually curious teenager, always reading about the medicinal uses of herbs for a book she wants to write. That’s why Guilford wants to marry her – he hopes she can find a cure that will stop him from turning into a horse at unexpected times.
The real Jane loved reading books, but she was more passionate about languages and theology than science. She spoke several languages, including Arabic and Hebrew, and loved exchanging letters with other educated people. “She was very, very academic,” says Tallis.
Lady Jane Grey’s real love life
My Lady Jane It portrays her as fiercely independent and determined never to marry. In the show, Jane marries English nobleman Guilford Dudley against his wishes. But the show implies that they fall in love, portraying Jane and Dudley experiencing instant attraction when they meet. Biographers say their royal marriage was far from a true love story.
“We know that Jane didn’t really want to marry him,” says Tallis, author of Blood Crown: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Gray.
In the show, Jane’s mother, Lady Frances Gray (Anna Chancellor), plans her wedding to Dudley’s father, the Duke of Northumberland, to ensure her family doesn’t have to worry about money again. But according to Tallis, “there is a source that says her mother was also very, very against this marriage to Guilford Dudley. And I think that’s probably true.”
The Duke of Northumberland was promoting the marriage from the start. As one of the king’s top politicians, he persuaded the dying Edward VI to name Jane as his heir in this will, so that when she ascended the throne, her son would be king. It’s true, as the program shows, that there was a rumor that the Duke of Northumberland (Rob Brydon) poisoned the king to hasten his son’s accession to the throne.
De Lisle argues that Edward VI was a bit “misogynistic” in that he wanted a married woman to be queen so that a man could do at least some of the work of governing. When explaining Edward VI’s thinking at that time: “Jane has a husband and her husband will basically be a king. That’s Edward’s opinion. [His] Sister Mary is not married.
What to know about The reign of Lady Jane Gray
The real Edward VI died of some kind of lung infection such as tuberculosis on July 6, 1553. In the show, his sister Mary is plotting to slowly poison him so she can get to the throne faster, but this plot is purely fictitious.
In real life, Edward VI wanted Jane to be his heir because he wanted a Protestant successor, and his older half-sister Mary became a staunch Catholic.
Maria was not “Mrs. Popular among the powerful because she was Catholic,” explains de Lisle. “England was a Catholic country. Protestantism was largely being imposed by the king and elites.”
But during Jane’s reign, it was discovered that her will was not legal because it had not been approved by Parliament. This meant that Mary was next in line, legally, and that was why Jane was removed after nine days. Maria assumed the throne on July 19, 1553.
Mary was more popular with the general public than Jane in general because she was the daughter of Henry VIII and was raised at court. “A lot of people are scared of the idea of a woman having power, especially a woman they don’t know,” says Tallis.
When Jane began speaking out against all of Mary’s Catholic reforms, describing communion at a Catholic mass as a satanic form of cannibalism. Furthermore, her family began organizing a campaign to depose Mary. Although Mary never wanted to execute Jane, she felt she had no choice. Mary saw Jane as “a potential lightning rod for rebellion,” as she says of Lisle.
Jane and Guilford Dudley were executed on February 12, 1554.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
