The compelling life story of England's "Queen of the Nine Days" (2024)

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Who was Lady Jane Grey?-

Lady Jane Grey was born circa 1537 to Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, and Lady Frances, duch*ess of Suffolk.

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Family-

Lady Jane Gray lived with her parents and her two sisters, Lady Katherine (L) and Lady Mary (R), at Bradgate House in Leicester.

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Ancestry-

Jane Grey’s mother, Lady Frances, was the daughter of Mary Tudor, King Henry VIII's youngest sister.

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Move to another household-

Back in Tudor times, it was common for aristocratic children to move into other high-class households, where they’d learn etiquette and advance their education.

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Move to another household-

Jane Grey moved to the Seymour household. Thomas Seymour (pictured), was the brother of Henry VIII’s third wife, the late Jane Seymour.

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A calculated union-

This made him the uncle of the young King Edward VI. Thomas Seymour’s plan for the future was to marry Jane to the king.

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Stepmother-

In 1547, Thomas Seymour married Henry VIII’s widow, Katherine Parr. An educated woman with an interest in art and music, Parr oversaw and had an influence on the upbringing of both Henry VIII’s children and Lady Jane Grey. Katherine Parr died in 1548.

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New reign-

Edward VI was just nine years old when he became king, so a Council of Regency led by Edward VI's uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (Thomas Seymour’s brother), was created.

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Dispute and death-

However, Thomas Seymour wanted the role for himself and one night he tried to break into Edward VI's chambers to get close to him. The action was not taken lightly by his brother, the King’s protector. Thomas Seymour was executed on March 20, 1549, and Lady Jane Grey was sent home, decreasing her chances of marrying the king.

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The downfall of Edward Seymour-

Despite his obvious dedication to the role, Edward Seymour’s regency was a failure. He ended up being executed at the Tower of London in January 1552. A collective governorship, led by John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland was put in place. But then, in January 1553, the 15-year-old king fell ill.

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Devise for the Succession-

Realizing he was terribly ill, the young king wrote his ‘Devise for the Succession,’ in which he stated that he wanted his successor to be a male Protestant. To do so, he disinherited his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth. Instead, he favored the male heirs of his cousin, Lady Frances Grey or indeed of her children.

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Second version of the Devise for the Succession-

By June 1553 none of the King’s cousins had a male heir, so Edward VI altered his ‘devise’ in favor of Lady Jane Grey, whose reign would be passed on to a male heir. If Lady Jane Grey died without having any male heirs, then the crown would go to the son of one of her sisters.

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Lady Jane Grey’s marriage and John Dudley’s masterplan-

The king’s protector, John Dudley, married his son Lord Guildford Dudley to Lady Jane Grey. This meant that when king Edward VI died, the couple would ascend to the throne.

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The king is dead, long live the queen-

Edward VI died on July 6, 1553, aged 15. Three days later, Lady Jane Grey was summoned to Syon House and informed that she was going to be crowned queen.

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Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed queen-

Lady Jane Grey described the surprising event in her own words: “Declaring to them my insufficiency, I greatly bewailed myself for the death of so noble a prince, and at the same time, turned myself to God, humbly praying and beseeching him, that if what was given to me was rightly and lawfully mine, his divine Majesty would grant me such grace and spirit that I might govern it to his glory and service and to the advantage of this realm.”

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Procession to the Tower of London-

The next day, Lady Jane Grey, together with her husband Lord Guildford Dudley, and other family members, entered the Tower of London on a procession of barges in anticipation of her coronation.

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Reluctant queen-

Lady Jane Grey was rather uncomfortable with her new position and refused to wear the crown.

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No king-

Her husband expected to be proclaimed king, but the Queen refused to do so without an Act of Parliament. The Queen made him Duke of Clarence instead, a decision her mother-in-law was not happy about.

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Grey ruffled some royal feathers-

Princess Mary, the oldest daughter of Henry VIII, wrote to the Privy Council demanding to be made queen instead of her cousin. The Council refused to do so, and fearing Mary may become a serious threat, John Dudley (pictured) raised a small army to capture her.

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Queen Mary I-

Mary was popular among Catholics and enjoyed popular support in her claim to the throne (after all, she was Henry VIII’s daughter). She put an even larger army together and Dudley retreated. The Council decided to support Princess Mary and on July 19, 1553, Jane was deposed and Mary was proclaimed queen.

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The queen is overthrown-

Lady Jane Grey returned to the Tower of London following her deposition, though this time as a prisoner. She is said to have spent much of her time as a prisoner studying the Bible.

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Mary I’s arrival in London and John Dudley's execution-

The new queen arrived in London on August 3rd and released all the Catholics imprisoned by her father, Henry VIII. On August 12, Lady Jane Grey and her husband were indicted. Ten days later, John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland was executed in Tower Hill.

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Trial and conviction-

In November 1553, Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley were tried and convicted of high treason and sentenced to death. Mary I said she doubted Jane's guilt, but not long after, she changed her mind.

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Rebellion-

A number of uprisings, including the Protestant Wyatt’s Rebellion in 1554, occurred in the meantime. After all, Mary I was a devout Catholic and planned to marry Philip II of Spain. All of a sudden, Jane had become a threat again, with protestant protestors proclaiming her the rightful queen.

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Death sentence-

Mary I gave Lady Jane Grey and her husband the chance to live if they converted to Roman Catholicism. Being devout Protestants, the couple refused and their execution went ahead.

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Guilford’s execution-

Guilford was executed publicly on February 12, 1554, in Tower Hill. Lady Jane Grey saw him being decapitated.

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Jane’s execution-

Lady Jane Grey also met her fate on February 12, 1554, aged 17. She was granted a private execution.

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Last words-

Before being executed Lady Jane Grey said: “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…I do wash my hands thereof in innocency before the face of God and the face of you good Christian people this day.” She then proceeded to read Psalm 51.

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Last words-

Just before the ax fell over her neck, Lady Jane said “‘Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

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Martyrdom-

Lady Jane Grey became known as a Protestant martyr and there are many depictions of her death by artists.

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She reigned for nine days-

Lady Jane Grey reigned as Queen of England from July 10 to 19, 1553, which is the shortest reign in British history.

Sources: (Historic Royal Palaces) (Historic UK) (History Extra)

See also: Absurdly short reigns in royal history

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