Susan Higginbotham transforms the tragic story of Lady Jane
Grey into a seductive tale of cutthroat sixteenth-century
politics in her latest novel about the tragic nine day
Queen. HER HIGHNESS, THE TRAITOR is narrated by Frances
Grey, Lady Jane's mother and Jane Dudley, Jane's future
mother-in-law. Higginbotham magnificently weaves together
the events leading up to the disinheritance of two royal
princesses and the coronation of a young girl more to
devoted to books and prayer.
The novel begins shortly after the death of Henry VIII.
Since the new king is still a boy, the country is under the
control of King Edward's uncle, Edward Seymour. The
Protector's influence over the boy king soon creates unrest
among the English nobles as rumors begin to circulate that
the Protector plans to kill the king and take the throne for
himself. When the young king unexpectedly dies, he names
Lady Jane Grey, the boy king's cousin, as his heir to the
throne.
Higginbotham's novel is the story of Frances Grey and Jane
Dudley, as each family ruthlessly plots to put their
children on the throne of England. Frances Grey is the niece
of Henry VIII through her mother, Mary, Henry VIII's sister.
Frances is considered of the purest royal blood. The Lady
Mary and the Lady Elizabeth are the late king's daughters by
Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, but both daughters were
declared bastards by the king. The Lady Mary, however, has
never forgotten the heartache her mother suffered when lost
her husband to Anne Boleyn. When Frances Grey and Jane
Dudley triumphantly place Jane on the throne, they will find
that the Lady Mary can prove just as dangerous as her
father.
I loved how Susan Higginbotham narrated the story of lady
Jane Grey through the eyes of her mother and mother-in-law.
HER HIGHNESS, THE TRAITOR reveals the dangerous politics
operating behind the scenes as Edward VI lingered between
life and death. While the new twist on the nine day queen
was an interesting change, I found the portrayal of Lady
Jane unrealistic. Jane is depicted as a haughty, spoiled
brat. Ironically, Frances Grey is written as a sympathetic
mother who is inconsolable when her daughter's reign as
Queen of England is brought to a tragic end by the Lady
Mary. Higginbotham claims her portrayal of Jane and Frances
are based on recent research, but her arguments and
portrayals of both characters failed to convince me. I was
also disappointed to find the tiresome old slander about the
Lady Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour in this novel. I
appreciated how the author decided to have Frances Grey and
Jane Dudley narrate the book, but there were also many
aspects of this novel I disagreed with.
When Henry VIII dies, leaving behind his nine-year-old son as his heir, a deadly series of power struggles begins, transforming the lives of two women.
A daughter can be a dangerous weapon in the battle for the throne of England
Frances Grey harbored no dream of her children taking the throne. Cousin of the king, she knew the pitfalls of royalty and privilege. Better to marry them off, marry them well, perhaps to a clan like the Dudleys. Jane Dudley knew her husband was creeping closer to the throne, but someone had to take charge, for the good of the country. She couldn't see the twisted path they all would follow.
The never–before–told story of the women behind the crowning of Jane Grey, this novel is a captivating peek at ambition gone awry, and the damage left in its wake.
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