Grey family

The Grey family (French pronunciation: [ɡʁɛ]) is an English family, descending from the Anglo-Norman de Greye family. The patriarch of the family was Anchetil de Greye, a Norman chevalier and vassal of William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, one of the few proven companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Greys were ennobled during the 13th century as Barons Grey of Codnor, of Ruthyn and of Wilton. Some members of the family were later elevated as viscounts, earls, marquesses, dukes, and in the 16th century, one member became monarch, albeit briefly.

Among them, King Edward VI declared his cousin Lady Jane Grey, "the Nine Days Queen", to be his successor as monarch of England and Ireland, and on his death, she reigned from 10 July through 19 July 1553 (according to her claim as the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII via her parents Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, daughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France), until she was deposed by her cousin Mary I, Queen of England, Ireland and Spain, known as "Bloody Mary". Notably, Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and abolished slavery in the British Empire in 1833.