Editing Lady Katherine Grey (section)

==Imprisonment==
Katherine concealed the marriage from everyone for months, even after she became pregnant; in her eighth month of pregnancy and on progress with the [[royal court]] to [[Ipswich]], she decided to ask someone to plead for her with the Queen. She first confided in [[Bess of Hardwick]], who refused to listen to Katherine and berated her for implicating her. Katherine then went to her late sister's brother-in-law, [[Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester|Robert Dudley]]. Visiting his bedroom in the middle of the night, she explained her dilemma. As Dudley's room adjoined the Queen's chambers, he was afraid they might be overheard or that he might be caught with a visibly pregnant woman at his bedside, and tried to get rid of Katherine as soon as he could. The next day he told Elizabeth everything he knew regarding Katherine and her pregnancy.<ref>Chapman, pp. 199–200.</ref>

[[File:Lady Katherine Grey and her son Lord Edward Beauchamp v2.jpg|thumb|Lady Katherine Grey with her elder son [[Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache|Edward, Lord Beauchamp]].]]

Elizabeth was infuriated that her cousin had married without her knowledge or consent. The marriage also upset Anglo-Scottish diplomacy, as the possibility of a union between Katherine and the [[James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran|Earl of Arran]], a young and unstable nobleman with a strong claim to the Scottish throne, had thereby been removed as an option.<ref>''Calendar State Papers Scotland'', vol. i, HMSO (1898), 483, [[Thomas Randolph (diplomat)|Thomas Randolph]] to Cecil, 23 September 1560</ref> Elizabeth also disapproved of her choice of husband and, still unmarried, also feared that Katherine's ability to bear male offspring could possibly facilitate a rebellion in support of Katherine as queen.<ref name="Chapman p. 200">Chapman p. 200</ref> To Katherine's misfortune, her claim to the throne was at the time argued by a book written by [[John Hales (died 1572)|John Hales]].<ref>Ellis, ''Original Letters'', 2nd series vol. 2, London (1827), 285, note citing British Library Ms. Lansdown, no. 102 art. 49.</ref>

Elizabeth imprisoned Katherine in the [[Tower of London]], where Edward Seymour was sent to join her on his return to England. Bess of Hardwick was also imprisoned, as Elizabeth had become convinced (not without reason) that the marriage was part of a wider conspiracy against the Crown.<ref>Chapman, pp. 200–201.</ref> [[Edward Warner (1511–1565)|Sir Edward Warner]], [[Lieutenant of the Tower of London|Lieutenant of The Tower]], permitted secret visits between Katherine and Edward. Warner reported that the furnishings of Katherine's room, which were provided from the Royal Wardrobe in the Tower, had been damaged by her pet monkey and dogs.<ref>Ellis, ''Original Letters'', 2nd series vol. 2 (1827), 274, note citing British Library MS. Lansdown no.7 art. 32.</ref> While imprisoned in the Tower, Katherine gave birth to two sons:

* [[Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache|Edward Seymour]] (1561–1612)
* Thomas Seymour (1562/3, [[Tower of London]] – 8 August 1600).<ref name="dnb">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Seymour, Catherine|volume=51|page=311}}</ref> Baptized on 11 February 1563, he married Isabel Onley (d. 20 August 1619), daughter of Edward Onley <small>MP</small>,<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/onley-edward-1522-82 |title = ONLEY, Edward (1522–82), of Catesby, Northants. &#124; History of Parliament Online}}</ref> of [[Catesby Priory|Catesby]], Northamptonshire.<ref name="dnb" /> The couple had no issue,<ref name="dnb" /><ref>Richard Harold St. Maur. ''Annals of the Seymours,'' K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., ltd., 1902. pg 161. [https://books.google.com/books?id=qw8XAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA161 ''Google eBook'']</ref><ref>Sir Bernard Burke. ''A Genealogical History of the Dormant: Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire,'' Harrison, 1866. pg 489. [https://books.google.com/books?id=K3MaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA489 ''Google eBook'']</ref> and were buried at [[St Margaret's, Westminster|St. Margaret's Church, Westminster]],<ref name="dnb" /> where there is a [[Memorial tablet|monument with effigies]] in their memory.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/thomas-seymour |title = Thomas Seymour}}</ref>

In 1562, the marriage was annulled and the Seymours were censured as fornicators for "carnal copulation" by the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]].<ref>Chapman, p. 214.</ref> This rendered the children [[illegitimate]] and thereby ineligible as successors to the throne. Nonetheless, this did not stop their being courted as potential heirs to the Crown.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Byrne |first=Conor |title=Lady Katherine Grey: A Dynastic Tragedy |date=13 July 2023 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=978-0750999700 |edition=1st |location=United Kingdom}}</ref>