Lady Jane Grey is possibly the least well-known of the sixteenth-century English queens. Jane's royal title is seldom connected with her name, instead being replaced by the more easily recognized honorific prefix of 'lady.' Her brief rule, which lasted nine days in the summer of 1553, marked the end of England's first queen's reign. Jane's sovereignty was passionately opposed from the moment of her declaration, resulting in the 'nine day queen's' horrific death, cementing her status as one of Tudor history's most captivating and tragic individuals.
Jane Grey was a somewhat obscure woman in terms of our depth of knowledge; she was not a king's daughter, therefore the spotlight shone dimly on her. Furthermore, as a Tudor adolescent who died so young, she is unlikely to have left a significant mark on history, especially given her gender. Her exact date of birth is unknown, however she was most likely born around 1537 in Bradgate, Leicestershire.
However, it is believed with considerable certainty that a fast and articulate intellect was key to Jane's character. She had a voracious thirst for learning, which, when combined with a unique talent for such foresight, resulted in a formidable intellect in one so young. This was matched by a fierce and tenacious personality, with her steadfast adherence to her Protestant faith serving as possibly the clearest example. Ironically, her fervent devotion would play a key part in her ultimate fate.
Lady Jane Grey's narrative took place in the heart of the Tudor household. Henry VIII's reign, which was marked by a bloodbath of murders, bloodshed, and the Reformation, came to an end when he died in 1547. The throne was passed down to his young son, Edward VI, who was just 9 years old at the time of his coronation. Edward, of course, could not effectively rule as king at such a young age. Instead, until Edward attained adulthood, the realm was controlled by a regency council. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, was at the head of this council, a devoted supporter of the young monarch and a man with far-reaching, and ultimately deadly, grandiose plans.
Since 1550, Northumberland had been a key character and close counselor to the budding monarch.
The extent to which Northumberland influenced Edward has been the subject of considerable scholarly discussion and investigation, but one thing is undeniable: both men had an unwavering dedication to the Protestant religion. Whether Edward's religious beliefs were established on his own or primarily as a result of the duke's influence is essentially irrelevant; what is evident is that Edward was a devout Protestant, and Northumberland was well-liked among the king's entourage.
Edward was 15 years old when he became seriously ill in early 1553. During his lengthy and painful illness, he was compelled to think about the successor to his kingdom. Henry had stated in his will that Edward's half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, should succeed him, but Edward was anxious that this should not happen for various reasons. His fears centered on the possibility of a return to the former system of popery, which, if Mary were to gain the throne, would be the most plausible scenario in light of her staunch Catholic religion.
In light of Henry's previous Reformation of the Church, this would be a reversal of seismic proportions. Furthermore, suspicions of the two sisters' illegitimacy abounded, posing a substantial impediment to their succession. He and his Privy Council did not relish the possibility of Mary being Edward's successor. The veil of Protestantism was so thick inside Edward's Privy Council that the concept of reverting to prior Catholic theology was repulsive and should be resisted at all costs.
This presented the issue of Edward's succession to the throne; he had not reached the age of marriage or produced an heir of his own, thus the kingdom was on the verge of a major crisis. Edward had prepared a draft paper titled 'My Devise for the Succession' to this goal, a fascinating evidence that is still secure today in London's Inner Temple Library. The letter, written in Edward's handwriting, provides the groundwork for the eventual succession to the English crown. Edward's aims are quite clear: he wants to be followed by a Protestant-oriented ruler.
As a result, Edward began the process of excluding his half-sisters from the succession. He ignored Mary and Elizabeth's claims, putting the crown's future status on the head of his first cousin once removed, Lady Jane Grey, who was 16 at the time – or, at least, one of her male heirs. Jane had lately married the Duke of Northumberland's son, Lord Guildford Dudley. Guildford's father proposed the marriage, leading many to believe it was the result of his cajoling and manipulation of Edward; the basic reasoning here being that if Jane were to be crowned queen, her youth and perceived innocence would make her a malleable 'puppet' who could essentially be controlled by Northumberland.
Furthermore, Jane's ascension to the throne would ensure the continuation of Edward's Protestant views, which were so vital to him, given Jane's staunch Protestantism. In many respects, she embodied Protestant virtue — a king in this mold would ensure the continuation of a government already in place, as well as the futures of those inside the Privy Council and England as they had envisioned it.
The marriage provided a chance for Jane to produce a male heir who could replace Edward. This hope, however, was short-lived, as the events of June 1553 revealed Edward's sickness was fast worsening. The young king's health became a source of concern, especially when it became evident that he was critically sick and had only a little time left. His 'Devise for Succession' paper suddenly held enormous weight.
Northumberland's ambition grew with vigour during this crisis, and while the extent to which he manipulated the dying king is unknown, it is widely assumed that through his powerful religious arguments, he persuaded Edward to revise his succession plan, swaying it in favor of Jane, Northumberland's daughter-in-law. With his deteriorating health, the king added two words to his succession document: 'and her.' Despite their diminutive size, the words carried enormous weight.
The charter now ruled that Lady Jane was next in line to replace Edward following his impending death, which was evidently inserted in retrospect.
Edward's changes went against his father's Third Succession Act of 1543, which listed both of Edward's daughters as heirs if he died without a male heir. Henry had not renounced his daughters' legitimacy before to his death, therefore Edward excluded his sisters on the grounds of bastardy.
The succession of Edward's two half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, was now totally superseded and approved by the king's council, chiefs of nobility, and all major characters in the realm, who all signed the rule — pushed on by Northumberland vehemently. On July 1, 1553, the young monarch addressed his people for the last time from the window of his Greenwich Palace. His approaching mortality, as well as his pale and withered look, alarmed the audience. Even his subjects could see that King Edward VI was going to die soon.
'I feel faint,' Edward moaned on the evening of July 6th. With his life on the verge of extinction, he said his dying words: 'Lord, have pity on me and take my spirit.' The boy's agony had finally come to an end, albeit tragically prematurely. The English monarchy was now vacant, but the nobles who had planned to thwart Mary's succession and had been crucial in motivating and advising Edward had plans to crown Lady Jane Grey as England's first queen as soon as possible.
Jane was completely unaware of the events that were unfolding in her favor. It is widely assumed that she was fully unaware of the plot as it was being developed. The queen-in-waiting was first unaware of the king's death. Jane was sent to Syon House in West London, where 'they did notify me of the King's death,' as she put it. This would not be Jane's only piece of good news.
In the midst of Syon's opulence, the Duke of Northumberland proceeded to proclaim that the king had decided to delete his 'bad sisters' from the line of succession on his deathbed. The duke then delivered the shocking news that Jane would be the successor designated by His Majesty to accede to the throne. Jane was taken aback. She collapsed to the ground, the weight of the crown's load already hanging heavily on her shoulders. She screamed angrily, claiming that the throne was not hers and that 'Lady Mary is the true successor.' After a period of persuasion from the council and Northumberland, the girl ultimately gave in to their demands. Jane was suddenly the queen of the land, regardless of how forced and unwelcome the act was.
The news that the monarch had died had not yet been formally published, but many had guessed his death due to his frailties. London was in a chaotic and unsettled situation. On July 10, 1553, a proclamation proclaiming Jane as Queen of England was issued, thus confirming Edward's death. Because of her relative obscurity in the eyes of the populace – especially in compared to Mary Tudor – the proclamation statement is long, necessitating a detailed explanation of who England's new king was. Jane is said to be the genuine – Protestant – successor to the kingdom, contradicting Mary and Elizabeth's claims. Jane's announcement, on the other hand, appeared to do nothing more than disperse uncertainty on London's streets and produce a flood of approval for the outcast Mary, whom many saw as the true successor.
Mary, on the other hand, was unprepared to give up what she saw as her inheritance. When she learned of Edward's death, she escaped to East Anglia, where her support was strongest and, more importantly, where many Catholics lived. From here, Mary wrote to the Privy Council, demanding the council's support and announcing her declaration as Edward's lawful successor. Mary had a devoted following who awaited her ascension to the throne. She had always been well-liked, and despite her illegitimacy, she was still seen as Henry VIII's legitimate daughter and hence Edward's rightful heir. The fact that Northumberland was attempting to deprive Mary of what many in England saw as her birthright drew Mary even more sympathy in revenge for what she saw as an injustice.
The Privy Council's greatest worries were verified when Mary's letter arrived. Mary was not about to relinquish her throne humbly; worse, she had been informed of a 'aristocratic conspiracy aiming at her demise.' Mary gathered a sizable armed force at Framlingham Castle in Suffolk in just a few days. On the 14th of July, Northumberland met with Mary's men and was stunned to see that his forces were heavily outnumbered. With this, Northumberland's support dwindled, while Mary's became stronger, with any remaining support for Jane fading by the hour. Northumberland had made a big blunder, and by the 18th of July, only a few members of the Privy Council were faithful to him.
Jane was removed as queen on July 19, just nine days after her 'crowning.' Mary was declared queen, riding into London with her sister Elizabeth and a procession of over 800 lords and gentlemen on a wave of public enthusiasm and goodwill. Mary was ruthless in her use of the sword of power in the early wake of the failed coup attempt. Lady Jane Grey's followers were doomed to suffer the full impact of it.
The Duke of Northumberland was apprehended, and despite his pleas for compassion, he was the first to bear the brunt of her wrath. He was led to the scaffold to suffer as a traitor, and he was executed on August 22nd, amid scant sympathy, as a result of his heinous misdirected ambition.
Lady Jane and her husband were both imprisoned in the Tower, separated in different chambers as they awaited their treason trials. She couldn't believe the quickness with which she was dethroned as queen of the kingdom and imprisoned as a state prisoner within the Tower, which had once been her castle and was now imprisoning her as a common criminal.
The trial began in Guildhall in mid-November. Crowds lined the streets as the young girl who had lately, though briefly and grudgingly, reigned over them was led from the Tower to this site of reckoning that had before accounted for so many. Jane was the focus of attention for the most of the examining assembly, but she was accompanied by four other convicts on the mile-long trip, including Guildford, her husband of only a few months, and two of his brothers, all of whom were accused with high treason. Jane entered a guilty plea. She rightfully claimed that she had been the victim of a deception, but it didn't stop her from admitting that she'should not have taken the throne.' Because she and Guildford had both accepted their guilt, the inevitable conclusion was 'indictment and death.' The fates of Guildford and his brothers were revealed first:
Each of them should be dragged, hung, and set out decaying on the ground, and their internal organs should be pulled outside their bellies, and as they rot, they should be torched. Their heads should be cut off, and their bodies, or the bodies of any of them, shall be divided into four halves, and their heads and quarters should be deposited wherever the Queen desires. Jane's destiny was then revealed:
The said Jane be led off by the said Constable of the said Tower of London to the said Queen's jail within the said Tower, and then on the Queen's direction, led to Tower Hill and burnt, or the head cut off, as the Queen pleases.
Jane, a teenager, maintained her cool despite the sickening gratuity of the violence. Perhaps she hoped for a compassionate respite from Queen Mary, or perhaps she was just stunned. What was evident was that, despite her inexperience, the main instrument in Northumberland's plot was destined to suffer an unpleasant, traitorous death. But it wasn't long before it became clear that the terrifying certainty that awaited Jane wasn't quite as definitive as she had assumed. Despite the fact that she had been sentenced to death, no date had been set for the grim reality, and it appeared that Mary could yet be able to save her little cousin's life. Jane was eventually sympathetic to Mary, who saw her as nothing more than a pawn in Northumberland's excessively ambitious but futile mission.
Following the Protestant rulers, Queen Mary was keen to reconcile England with the Catholic Church, with Jane safely ensconced behind the Tower's great walls. Attending Protestant mass became illegal soon, and powerful Protestant leaders were sent into exile or faced severe consequences, including death, if they refused to reconcile themselves to the Catholic religion.
Along with her forced conversion to Catholicism's theology, Queen Mary was also active in secret, looking for a spouse who could help her produce a male successor to the kingdom. Mary examined potential English suitors but immediately dismissed them in favor of a prospective match with King Philip II of Spain. The prospect of a foreigner becoming King of England alarmed Mary's Council, and the proposed marriage sparked widespread panic among the Protestant population. Mary's original crowning as queen had been followed by a warm warmth of acceptance, which had now faded somewhat.
Mary's projected marriage with distant lands sparked more than simply a passionate protest among Protestants. In March 1554, a rebellion led by the anti-Spanish Thomas Wyatt began. He attempted to garner popular sympathy across England's counties with the help of several aristocrats and zealous supporters. Henry Grey, Lady Jane's father, was a prominent participant of the Wyatt uprising. The insurrection aimed to depose Mary and install her Protestant sister, Elizabeth, in her place. The revolt also wanted Lady Jane, the innocent puppet still imprisoned and blissfully ignorant of the wars raging outside her prison walls, to be released.
The insurgency would fail to fulfill its objectives. Wyatt surrendered and was killed along with many other rebels after being quickly crushed by the queen's superior soldiers. At this moment, Mary was convinced that imprisoning Jane and Guildford was risky and may lead to other revolts. All of Mary's political foes had to be destroyed at this point. Lady Jane's father had practically signed his – and his daughter's – death sentence for his role in the failed uprising.
Though Mary accepted that the little girl's soul would be eternally condemned in the fires of hell unless her Protestant faith was abandoned, she was bothered by the conviction that the young girl's soul would be eternally damned in the burning of hell unless her Protestant faith was abandoned. She re-enacted the execution for three days, each time with a different goal in mind. Queen Mary's personal priest paid Jane a visit on the morning of February 8, 1554, at her request. The Benedictine John Feckenham was entrusted with dislodging Jane's Protestant religion and replacing it with popish dogma; success here would – at least in Mary's opinion – allow Jane's soul to be saved.
Jane, on the other hand, remained committed to her ideas with admirable persistence and steadfast faith. 'It was difficult for Feckenham to persuade her,' according to reports. Jane, despite her delicate years, was aware of her own thinking and would not be influenced, even under the most rigorous and lethal inspection. All that was left was for the horrible death sentence to be handed down.
Jane's execution date was set on February 12, 1554. Jane's hazardous situation was to be brought vividly and cruelly to life immediately before her death. Guildford, her husband, was to be the first to die, the block on Tower Hill scarcely dry from his father's blood flowing. Guildford was led the short distance from the Tower to Tower Hill. He climbed the scaffold without complaint and laid his head on the block. The axe dropped, and Guildford's head was severed from his body in a single blow. Jane saw her husband's body on the cart as it was being transported back to the Tower, her route to her own dreadful end. 'Oh, Guildford, Guildford, Guildford!' she lamented. If Jane had any doubts about how her story would finish, they were evaporated immediately, their brutality proven right in front of her eyes.
Jane had a more quiet finish to her short life than Guildford, who died on the Hill in front of a large crowd. Tower Green is a modest enclosure within the Tower that appears to be a more dignified setting for royalty to meet their creators, away from the prying eyes of ghoulish onlookers and their animalistic baying. 'She turned towards those who stood by to see her die, and greeted them all, urging them to take her death as evidence of her innocence,' it was said as Jane approached the scaffold within the Green. Jane looked convinced that she would die valiantly and courageously, her dying hours marked by a striking lack of dread. She addressed the terrible world that had led her to this point as she stood bravely on the scaffold:
‘Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same. The fact, indeed, against the Queen’s highness was unlawful, and the consenting thereunto by me: but touching the procurement and desire thereof by me or on my behalf, I do wash my hands thereof in innocency, before God, and the face of you, good Christian people, this day. I pray you all, good Christian people, to bear me witness that I die a true Christian woman, and that I look to be saved by none other meane [sic], but only by mercy of God in the merits of the blood of his only son Jesus Christ: and I confess, when I did know the word of God I neglected the same, loved myself and the world, and therefore this plague or punishment is happily and worthily happened unto me for my sins: and yet I thank God of his goodness that he hath thus given me a time and respect to repent. And now, good people, while I am alive, I pray you to assist me with your prayers.’
Lady Jane Grey would be remembered for these words, a proclamation that proved her religious convictions, yet having prepared her spirit for death, doing the same for her body would result in one final heart-wrenching moment. A handkerchief was given to her to 'stitch about her eyes.' The executioner then kneeled in front of her and apologised for what he was going to do. She graciously forgave him with her usual kindness. Jane was next requested to stand on the straw, when she saw the block. ‘I pray you dispatch me quickly,’ she pleaded to the executioner.
Jane walked forward, blinded by the 'kerchief across her eyes,' groping for the block with her hands but failing to find it. The unfortunate occurrence was a very sorrowful and desolate sight to the few in attendance, as she gripped thin air numerous times. 'What must I do, where is it?' she cried out urgently, her serenity slipping away in the midst of the chaos. The horrifying image of the little girl desperately seeking comfort under this most terrifying of circumstances shocked everyone on the scaffold. She was eventually led to the block. 'Lord, into thy hands I surrender my spirit!' she said one last time as she rested her head on the beam.
The headsman raised his axe, and Lady Jane Grey's life, a terrible victim of misdirected ambition, was extinguished in a single stroke. Her final remarks, said just before she was put to death on the scaffold, showed both her personal dignity and fortitude, as well as symbolically recreating the catastrophic uncertainty that her nine-day reign had caused throughout England and inside herself.
Lady Jane Grey's execution marked the end of another chapter in Tudor history, as she was an innocent victim of others' actions. Jane's brief tenure as queen may not have taken her to the lofty heights of kings past and present, but this adds little to her narrative, which continues to inspire and intrigue far longer than the length of her reign.