My Lady Jane

My Lady Jane is inspired by the real figure of Lady Jane Grey, who lived from 1536 or 1537 until her execution in February 1554. As in the book, the real Lady Jane Grey was Henry VII’s great-granddaughter through his youngest child, making her cousin to the Tudor monarchs Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

The authors take inspiration from elements of the real Lady Jane’s life. She was incredibly well-read, having received an elite humanist education. She was a pious Protestant who engaged keenly with religious texts. She was married to Guildford Dudley (Gifford in the book) in 1553, a younger son of Edward’s closest advisor at this point, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. Shortly after this, a dying Edward wrote his will to override that of his father, Henry VIII: He bypassed his two sisters, Mary and Elizabeth (Bess in the book), to give the throne to Jane and her male heirs. Edward was a devout Protestant like Jane, and during his reign he had strengthened the Church of England’s position as the state religion, work that his Catholic sister Mary would undo. As in the book, the real Jane’s reign was short-lived. She was on the throne for nine days, as Mary rapidly gathered support, not only from Catholics but also from those who believed in an inherited divine right to rule. Historically, Mary initially wished to spare Jane, but eventually executed her as protection from future plots.

This broad historical outline is the narrative inspiration for the first part of the book, though this is transposed onto a fantastical alternate reality in which people can turn into animals. My Lady Jane uses the animal concept as a rough stand-in for the religious divide in England: The Ethians and those that sympathize with them are aligned with Protestantism, and the Verities are aligned with Catholicism. This allows the authors to use this history in their plot in a more accessible and entertaining way, without requiring theological or historical analysis.

The second part of the book diverges completely from real history. The authors use the literary device of direct address to point out the inaccuracies and fantasies of the first part, and to emphasize that the second part then deviates entirely. Their alterations create a more hopeful story appropriate for a young adult readership: Edward survives his illness because it was actually poison, and Jane and Gifford escape execution. The authors prioritize the story of these characters as individual people over representing them with historical accuracy.

The authors also use small details from historical accounts to round out their characters and their world. For example, Jane’s poor relationship with her mother reflects the real Jane’s distance from her parents, who were socially ambitious and reportedly treated her poorly. Her reaction to learning of Edward’s death and her inheritance also draws from accounts of the real Jane’s distress at this news, with her eventually accepting the crown on idealistic grounds after prayer. There were also suggestions that Guildford Dudley liked drinking and womanizing. The authors comically subvert this: He only gets drunk because he is nervous, and his apparent womanizing is actually a cover for his love of poetry. Overall, they take history as a source of inspiration but adapt it freely as a vehicle through which to explore their themes.