The My Lady Jane Book Ending Has A Fantastical Twist

A new series about Royal Family history is here, but it’s not a straightforward dramatization like The Crown.

Prime Video’s My Lady Jane is based on Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows’ 2016 novel of the same name. The book follows the adventures of Lady Jane Grey, who reigned as queen for nine days before she was deposed and executed by her cousin, Mary Tudor. But don’t expect such a grim ending to screen Jane’s life. As the authors write in the preface to My Lady Jane, “This is how we think Jane’s story should have gone.”

So, what does that revised story look like? Here’s a recap of the My Lady Jane book ending and plot summary for a peek ahead as you tune into the new series, which premiered on June 27.

A Plot For The Throne

Believed to be dying, a very ill King Edward VI is asked about his succession plan in 16th-century England. At Lord Dudley’s urging, he agrees that his cousin, Jane Grey, should be the next monarch and that she should marry Dudley’s son, Gifford (aka G).

In this version of the story, Edward isn’t sick but is slowly being poisoned by those who want to control the throne, including his own sister, Mary Tudor. However, his other sister, Elizabeth (aka Bess) helps him flee the palace to safety.

Oh, There’s A Wild Twist

After Jane marries G, she is surprised to learn that he is an Edian, a person who is capable of taking on an animal form (in his case, a horse). Edward is also one, but only realizes this as he flees his tower to escape his own death. He’s a falcon!

Jane has an affinity for Edian culture, though Mary is very much against it. The tension between Edians and Verities, who did not support shape-shifting, seems to be a stand-in for the real-life religious conflict that characterized this period of history.

As Mary’s forces invade the palace to claim the throne, G escapes with Jane, who learns she is an Edian who takes on the form of a ferret.

Lost and needing help away from the castle, Edward forges a relationship with a girl named Gracie, an Edian in fox form. They finally cross paths with G and Jane, and team up to take on Mary and her forces back at the palace. They overcome Mary, and Edward appoints his sister as queen — aka, Queen Elizabeth I.