Henry VIII’s desire for a son drove him to have his first marriage annulled, execute his second wife and overturn the entire religious life of England. Yet his ‘precious jewel’, Edward VI, only reigned for six years, so the future of the Tudor dynasty hung on its female members. In this talk, Tracy compares and contrasts the queenship of the three women who succeeded Edward: the ‘Nine Days’ Queen’, Lady Jane Grey, his notorious elder half-sister, ‘Bloody Mary’, and Elizabeth I, who defied the contemporary prejudice against female rulers to become the most successful of all the Tudor monarchs.
Tracy Borman is a best-selling author and historian, specialising in the Tudor period. Dr Borman has presented a number of history programmes for Channel 5. She is a regular contributor to BBC History Magazine and gives talks on her books across the country and abroad. She works part-time as joint chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces and as chief executive of the Heritage Education Trust.
Browse all episodes in our Tudor Royal Women Masterclass with Tracy Borman