Lady Jane Grey; The Queen Who Didn’t Want The Crown
In early modern England, the monarchy was the supreme power and authority, divinely ordained by God Himself. But what happens when the successor to the Crown of Protestant England is a devout Roman Catholic? And her sister is considered illegitimate? The story of Lady Jane Grey is one which is hidden under historical records, removed from the timeline of English monarchs, and overlooked by the rivalry between half-sisters Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I. Through exploring Lady Jane Greys sudden rise to power and unforeseen downfall, her story reflects the instability of 16th century leadership, tradition and succession whilst highlighting the lack of autonomy which women experienced in the hands of tyrannical male authoritarians.
Upon the death of King Edward VI, on the 9th July 1553, the mission to attain a new monarch became the priority, and King Edward was adamant in his dying wish to declare Lady Jane Grey as his successor. His omission of male heirs and dislike for both Mary and Elizabeth left only his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his best-and last-resort. At only age 15, newly married to Lord Guildford Dudley, she was told of her new royal status, and reluctantly accepted her position. However her “consent” would not have mattered, as choice was not an option for poor Lady Jane Grey, who was thrusted into a position of power she never asked for. Though she was unprepared for such a responsibility, Lady Jane Grey was gentry-born and bred, and was therefore provided with the luxury good education; a privilege but strict scheme nonetheless. This was only the beginning of a life controlled by men with ulterior motives.
Her education consisted of learning classical languages such as Greek and Latin, whilst also exploring theology, philosophy and history, earning the reputation of one of the most learned women at the time, whilst simultaneously being nurtured with strong Protestant ideologies and beliefs. To enhance her etiquette, education and behaviour, at age 10 she was sent to the reputable Seymour household, as they were of a higher aristocratic and social status. This marked the pivotal moment of Lady Jane Grey’s rise to the throne, as Thomas Seymour, a close and loyal friend to the Grey’s, was also the uncle to the King of England, Edward VI. Acknowledging the fact that he had both the King and Lady Jane Grey under his influence and control, Seymour began devising a plan for them to marry. However, not all the credit can be given to Seymour in the upbringing of Grey, as his new wife, Katherine Parr (widow to King Henry VIII) oversaw the education of the late king’s children and Lady Jane Grey too. As a pious Protestant, she strived to strengthen and influence their religious beliefs, to maintain the Protestant bloodline.
The power of the Seymour’s began to drastically decline from 1549 onwards, with Thomas Seymour being executed that year and his brother, Edward Seymour, being executed only 3 years later. This reduced Grey’s likelihood at becoming queen, as the biggest initial drive to her succession was that of Thomas Seymour. This was until the rise of the Duke Of Northumberland: John Dudley.
When King Edward VI first became ill in January of 1553, he created his devise for succession, which did not proclaim Lady Jane Grey as his direct successor, but that the Crown would go to her male heirs or her sisters male heirs. But when Edward’s illness became fatal, and no male heirs had been produced, he changed his devise for succession, claiming Lady Jane Grey and her male heirs as successor. The King’s new protector, John Dudley, was aware of this arrangement and promptly used it to his advantage, by swiftly arranging a marriage between Lady Jane Grey and his son, Lord Guildford Dudley. Though both were teenagers, the marriage was rapidly organised, and took place on the 25th May 1553.
King Edward VI’s death began the legal process of declaring Lady Jane Grey Queen of England. Unbeknownst to her, her whole life had been meticulously crafted for the sole purpose of marriage and succession, and on Sunday the 9th of July, she was finally informed by Privy Councillors and John Dudley of her sudden authority.
Her short life as Queen began from this moment onwards, as she journeyed to the Tower with a procession; accompanied by her mother (who held the train of her dress) and her father, mother-in-law, Guildford and court ladies. She was dressed lavishly and the procession was smooth and well-orchestrated however, the privy council soon realised the extent of her reluctance to be Queen. Upon arriving at the Tower, the new Queen refused to wear the Crown, in fear of Guildford becoming King.
After only 9 days of royalty, Lady Jane Grey’s reign came to and end, overthrown by Mary I. Mary had written to the privy council, illustrating her claim to the throne and demanding for her ascension. Undermining the power of the Catholic Princess, John Dudley was sent to capture her, with the support of military regiments but was severely outnumbered by the army standing behind Mary. Subsequently, Dudley and his army retreated and by the time that the had returned to London, the Privy Council had turned their back on Lady Jane Grey and stood in favour of Mary I.
The exact reasons for their sudden switch in support can be due to several factors. For instance, Mary’s claim to the throne was stronger than Lady Jane Grey’s, and this was undeniably true, perhaps causing the Privy Council to feel obliged to name her Queen. Or possibly, it could have been down to the religious uncertainty in the mid 1500s due to the long term impacts of the reformation, and the emerging power of the counter reformation. Therefore, on the 19th July 1553, Mary I was proclaimed Queen of England and London rejoiced with bonfires and the ringing of church bells, whilst Lady Jane Grey became imprisoned for ascending to a throne she never asked for.
Abandoned by her family, courtiers and separated from Guildford, Lady Jane Grey spent her last few months living a life of seclusion, with limited luxuries, in the Tower of London, under the orders of Queen Mary I. Surprisingly, the new Queen felt somewhat sympathetic towards her cousin and her husband, as she granted them a reprieve after being tried for High Treason and sentenced to death in November of 1553. Although that sympathy did not extend to the Duke of Northumberland, as he was executed on the 22nd August 1553 at Tower Hill. Mary delayed Jane and Guildford’s execution as her she stated that her conscience would not allow her to put her own cousin to death, and even began to doubt Lady Jane’s guilt. So what happened which changed her mind?
In the beginning of 1554, rebellions against the Catholic Queen began to evolve and emerge, the most significant being the Protestant Wyatt’s Rebellion of 1554. This plot centred around religious divide rather than replacing the monarch however, it was discovered that Jane’s father was involved, and fear of ulterior motives to bring Jane back to royal power was encouragement enough to finalise the execution of Lady Jane Grey and husband. The queen extended her sympathy one final time, as she offered to spare their lives in return for their conversion to Catholicism, but the faithful couple refused and consequently submitted their heads to the gallows.
Guildford Dudley was executed on the 12th February 1554 in the morning- at Tower Hill- where Jane watched in agony with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. Only one hour after the death of Dudley, Jane walked onto the scaffold at Tower Green, and spent her last few moments declaring her innocence and proclaiming how she was a victim of a crown that was forced onto her by others. Her speech was clear and concise, conducted with an abundance of grace for a young teenager. However, her grace was overcome with fear and panic as the heartbreaking story goes...
She tied a blindfold around her eyes, asking the executioner to make her death quick, but could not find the block to rest her head upon. The gut wrenching image of Lady Jane Grey helplessly feeling around for the block and exclaiming “What shall I do? Where is it?” Resonates with many historians today and highlights the unprecedented suffering a young girl was put through, against her will. She was guided to the block, and the axe fell.
Remember Lady Jane Grey: the first, and forgotten, female Tudor monarch.
Niamh O’Donnell
Sources:
https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/lady-jane-grey/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/40ivsfCPKhRHLVh4rpN2AB?si=xVmwY4_KSX2rrFKSorx0dg
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MTGy04PXstPHcHYKVroqI?si=ePtWlfzwQjOJDro_4Jusjg
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/lady-jane-grey-proclaimed-queen
