I have read/seen both and must admit that neither is my favourite work about Lady Jane Grey, who I am very interested in. Alison Weir's novel is a great book and did in a way spark my interest in the Tudor period – the film irritated me because of the 1980s hairstyles and the ridiculous romantic stuff, though again it was an all right story. But after reading Leanda de Lisle's 'The Sisters who would be Queen' about the Grey sisters, I am afraid that my opinion of both has slipped, since they're so historically inaccurate. Both rely heavily, almost solely, on the Victorian stereotypes of Frances Grey being a female Henry VIII and everyone picking on poor Jane who never wanted to be Queen. This is horribly far from the truth and Frances was a perfectly ordinary woman and Jane was a driven Protestant fanatic who was willing to usurp her cousin's (who had always been very friendly to her) claim to the throne and could be very rude when she wanted to. That said, she's still one of my favourite historical figures! It's just annoying to see so many silly myths included in 'popular' history, and Jane presented as a victim when she had a will of her own.

The movie Lady Jane is pretty old now – 80's and looks dated. It looked pretty dated at the time, I thought, being rather corny and was not exactly true to fact. Helena Bonam-Carter was all sweetness and Guildford was dashing and romantic. Probably pretty way off the mark. But the scenery and costumes were beautiful.

The thing to remember about movies is the characters have to be strong and clear-cut. Movie goers don't like complex, wishy- washy characters. Jane was in fact a very interesting person in real life, and had a hard, stubborn side to her character as well as being someone who was very well-educated and probably genuinely put upon and exploited by both her parents and by John Dudley.  She was young – at a time when being 15 years old was still considered very young – much younger than it seems to us today. So she was not expected to have too much say in the political designs she became caught up in. She was also very brave, I think. Her final letter to her father shows a forgiveness and a genuine nobility of spirit which has inspired poets, writers and painters over the centuries. And rightly so. The elevation of Jane to heroine status reached its apogee in the Victorian era. See:

http://www.squidoo.com/jane-grey

when her innocence became synonymous with many other perceived forms of lost innocence. But recently, too, novelists have taken up her case – such as Alison Weir, and also non-fiction in the very latest Ives book. So Jane is making something of a comeback. Not quite as racy as Anne Boleyn, and no juicy scandal attached to her story, but she is a tragic and heroic figure, for all that. She deserves to be remembered, I think.

So am I as long as The Lady Elizabeth is concerned, Rochie. i think the complex relationship between Mary and Elizabeth was axactly as it is described in it. is Innocent Traitor as good?Thanks!