The Children of Henry VIII

#4 - The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

After reading The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir, I knew I wanted to read her followup book, The Children of Henry VIII.  This book focuses on the period between the death of Henry VIII and the beginning of Elizabeth's reign.  Like Henry VIII's wives, his children, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Edward VI and his niece, Lady Jane Grey, have been meticulously researched by Alison Weir.

Before reading this book, I knew little about Lady Jane Grey, who claimed the throne after the death of 15-year-old Edward VI.  Unbeknownst to her, Edward VI had named her as his successor and she reluctantly accepted the crown.  A mere nine days later, Mary, after rallying thousands of supporters, took over the throne and Jane was arrested and taken to the Tower of London, where she was beheaded for treason seven months later.  I found her story very tragic and felt a great deal of sympathy for her.

Mary I was a tyrant who restored ties with the Roman Catholic Church and burned Protestant heretics at the stake, earning her the nickname 'Bloody Mary'.  I couldn't help but feel contempt toward Mary I as I read about her.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did The Six Wives of Henry VIII.  It dragged in places and at times was difficult to get through, seeming to focus more on the politics of the time than on the lives of the children themselves.