Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey Painting

Edward VI's 'devise for the succession'

PAUL DELAROCHE - Ejecución de Lady Jane Grey (National Gallery de Londres, 1834)

Lady Jane Grey letter as Queen

Tomb of Lady Jane Gray

Lady Jane Grey (1537 – 12 February 1554), also known as Lady Jane Dudley after her marriage and as the "Nine Days' Queen", was an English noblewoman and de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553. Lady Jane was the great-granddaughter of Henry VII through his younger daughter Mary, which made her a first cousin once removed of Edward VI. She was a key figure in the struggle for control of the English throne due to the manipulations of her powerful relatives and the shifting allegiances of the English nobility.

Early Life

Lady Jane Grey was born at Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, around October 1537. Her parents were Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and Lady Frances Brandon. Jane received an excellent education for a woman of her time, studying Latin, Greek, and Hebrew as well as contemporary languages, and became known for her piety and intelligence.

Claim to the Throne

Upon the death of Edward VI on 6 July 1553, Lady Jane was proclaimed queen by the Duke of Northumberland, who sought to maintain Protestant rule in England. Edward VI had named her his successor in his will, bypassing his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth, in an attempt to prevent the return of Catholicism to England. Jane's reign was short-lived, however, as Mary I quickly gathered support and deposed Jane, imprisoning her in the Tower of London.

Trial and Execution

After her deposition, Jane was initially spared, but following her father's involvement in the Wyatt's Rebellion, Mary I decided to execute her to prevent any further attempts to place Jane on the throne. Lady Jane Grey and her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley, were executed on 12 February 1554.

Legacy

Lady Jane Grey is remembered as a tragic figure, a pawn in the political machinations of her time. Her story has been romanticized in literature and art, symbolizing the brutality of Tudor power struggles. Despite her brief reign, she remains a significant figure in English history, emblematic of the tumultuous period of the mid-16th century.