Lady Katherine Grey, 1540 - 1568Lady Katherine Grey was born in August 1540, the middle child of Lad

Lady Katherine Grey, 1540 - 1568Lady Katherine Grey was born in August 1540, the middle child of Lady Frances Brandon and Henry Grey, the Duke of Suffolk and grandchild through her mother, to Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor, Queen of France. Their eldest child was the Lady Jane Grey, who would become Nine Days Queen and is the most well known of the siblings. Katherine, and even more with the youngest daughter Mary, have often been obscured by Jane’s story.On 25th Mary 1553, Lady Jane Grey was married to Guildford Dudley, as part of the plot to put Jane on the throne by the Lord Protector, John Dudley. On the same day Katherine was married to Henry Herbert, son of the Earl of Pembroke to secure a further family alliance. When Jane’s reign ended suddenly, the Earl of Pembroke distanced himself from the marriage and had it annulled on the basis of non consummation. This break would likely have been hard for Katherine, as she had been living with the Herbert’s and afterwards she was shunned by them. After Jane’s death, Katherine was next in line to the throne after Elizabeth, according to Henry VIII’s will, and as such was seen as a danger particularly later,  by Elizabeth I. Mary and Katherine Grey had to wait upon Mary I, the Queen who had executed their sister, but who showed them favour and then Elizabeth I, who was much colder towards them.In 1558, Katherine met Ned Seymour through being friends with his sister Jane, they were the children of Queen Jane Seymour’s brother. Katherine fell in love with Ned and despite the danger they were secretly married after two years in 1560, without asking the Queen’s permission. As Katherine was so close to the throne and the Seymour family were an important family, the match would likely not have been allowed. The marriage could not be kept secret for long, as Katherine soon became pregnant. With Elizabeth I’s temper, Katherine was nervous about facing her and so asked Robert Dudley to inform her instead. By this time Katherine was heavily pregnant, about eight months, and Ned was out of the country on a mission. Elizabeth I was furious, especially as Katherine may be seen as a more desirable heir to the throne when she had shown she could bear an heir. Katherine was immediately imprisoned in the Tower and Ned was imprisoned on his return. In 1561 in the Tower, Katherine gave birth to a son, who she named Edward Seymour, his descendants include Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, the present Queens Mother. At this time Elizabeth ordered a Church commission to investigate the marriage hoping to have it disproved, as the only witness to the marriage had died, they were successful in declaring the marriage invalid. Although Ned and Katherine were supposed to be kept in separate rooms and have no contact with each other, Katherine became pregnant again around 1562,  because sympathetic wardens had let the couple see each other. Katherine gave birth to another son, Thomas Seymour, and Elizabeth took the news badly. She imprisoned the Lieutenant of the Tower and had Ned and Katherine sent to separate country house imprisonments, Ned was sent with their eldest son and Katherine with the younger.In January 1568, after years apart spent in despair, Katherine died, aged 28. Ned survived and was eventually freed in 1571, now the threat of his taking the throne was gone with Katherine. Ned lived for another 50 years after Katherine died. After his death, their grandson had Katherine disinterred and had them buried together in Salisbury Cathedral. Katherine and Ned were finally reunited.  -- source link
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