Friday Walk Through Sudeley Castle:

This week's walk through Sudeley takes us to land that would have been trodden by Katherine but filled with something she would never have expected to see. Between her chambers in the castle and St. Mary's Church, there is now a living sculpture showing the queen with her protege, Lady Jane Grey, and it's charming and chilling in equal measure.

The display has two models. One is of Katherine, hurrying to church, holding a prayer book. The shape is urgent, her head inclined towards the pages, her concentration total. Behind her is the upright Jane Grey, almost scurrying, looking somewhat ignored.

The impression I always get is of a willing pupil in thrall to her teacher. We know that Katherine was a huge influence on Jane's life and on her religious thinking. Katherine's Protestant views were shared by Jane who was overtaken by a passion for the new practices. But one issue I've always had with Katherine was how she failed to temper that inspiration in some of her pupils with the common sense to survive the dangers it brought with it.

For Lady Jane Grey's faith would, in part, be her undoing. No one can truly understand the inner workings of a human heart and Jane was smart enough to make her own decisions. But she was also young. She was enthused by Katherine's teachings while the queen found a pupil eager to absorb everything. However, unlike Kate, Jane wasn't able to talk her way out of the trouble it brought her. And that's why I find this pretty sculpture chilling as well as charming. It is a living, growing, ever changing reminder that Katherine's power had real consequences and it always makes me ask whether she truly thought through the impact she had.

Photos by Lydia Starbuck.