Jane

*disputed* 

 

Portrait copy by unknown artist (c. 1590)

Regnal name: Queen Jane of England and Ireland

Birth name: Jane Grey

Born: c. 1536 - 1537, London, Middlesex, Kingdom of England

Father: Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk

Mother: Lady Frances Brandon

House: Grey

Nationality: English

Religion: Protestantism

Claim: Descendant of Henry VII 

Reign: 10 July 1553 - 19 July 1553 (9 days)

Coronation: N/A

Predecessor: Edward VI *disputed*

Successor: Mary I *disputed*

Contender: Mary I 

Died: 12 February 1554 (aged 16-17)

Cause: Execution by decapitation

Burial: Tower of London

Motto: I ground my faith upon God's word, and not upon the church 

Spouse(s):

• Lord Guildford Dudley (m. 1553 - 1554) 

Children:

• N/A 

Appearance:
She was described as short and thin in stature, with red hair and pale, freckled skin. Her features were also described as small, and her teeth were white and neat. She also had brown eyes and notably red lips.
 
Character: 

Jane was a staunch Protestant, and always stood by her beliefs, even refusing to convert to Catholicism just before her execution. 

 

She loved academic studies, particularly languages, and was fluent in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. Jane also disliked hunting, and had a more delicate and gentle personality, resenting her strict upbringing and complained that it was 'hell'. 

 

Despite occasionally being rather submissive, Jane did have an independent streak and a strong moral code. She was reluctant to accept the crown of England, and also refused to bow down to her husband's wishes of becoming the king.
 
Biography:
Jane was likely born some time around the years 1536 or 1537, possibly in London, and was the daughter of the future Duke of Suffolk, Henry Grey, and his wife, Lady Frances Brandon. She was the grand-daughter of Princess Mary, the sister of King Henry VIII. Three younger sisters would soon follow after her own birth. 

 

She received a rather harsh and strict upbringing that she greatly resented, and received a Protestant education. 

 

In 1547, she was placed under the care of Sir Thomas Seymour, and his wife, Henry VIII's widow, the Queen Dowager, Katherine Parr. However, Katherine soon died in 1548, and Thomas Seymour was arrested on charges of treason. It's possible that Thomas Seymour may have had an interest in marrying her to King Edward VI in order to boost his own influence in government. 
 
In 1553, Jane married Lord Guildford Dudley, though the ceremony was a bit of a disaster as her new husband contracted food poisoning. The two of them would not live long enough to have children together. 

 

Later that same year, King Edward VI died, and in order to prevent his Catholic sister from inheriting the throne, he instead disregarded his father's will, and named his cousin, the Protestant Jane, as the next monarch of England instead. Jane was unaware of the whole plan, and Edward's death was kept a secret for a few days while people plotted. 

 

When the plot was finally revealed, Jane was horrified by the idea, and refused to accept the crown. However, after a lot of pressure from her family and various other nobles, she eventually accepted, though with great reluctance. 
 
It did not take long for Mary to rally support for her cause, and Jane's supporters quickly deserted her out of fear. Jane abdicated after just nine days on the throne, and she and her supporters were arrested and sent to the Tower of London on charges of treason. Jane wrote a letter to the new Queen Mary I of England, begging for forgiveness, and that she had played no part in the plot. Mary was sympathetic towards her at first, until Jane and her husband became unwitting inspirations for further Protestant rebellions. As a result, Mary was forced to sign their death warrants. 
 
Jane was given the opportunity to convert to Catholicism, but she refused. 

 

Her husband also desperately wished to see her during this time, but Jane denied him on the grounds that it would be too painful for them both, and that they would see each other again soon in heaven. Jane was then forced to watch the decapitation of her husband before being led onto the scaffold herself. She met her death bravely, though she required some assistance in finding the block after she was blindfolded. 

 

Jane was then killed via decapitation by axe in 1554, aged just 17 years old.
 
Rule:
Because Jane only reigned for nine days, she did not achieve anything of note. 

 

However, her ascension was largely unpopular due to the desire to respect the will of King Henry VIII, and the view that Mary was the rightful heir to the throne. Any support for her claim was quickly abandoned due to fear. 

 

Trivia: 

• She is the shortest reigning monarch in English history.

 

Quotes 

 

"The crown is not my right, and pleaseth me not. The Lady Mary is the rightful heir."

Relinquishing the crown to Queen Mary I. 

 

I do wash my hands in innocency, before God and the face of you, good Christian people this day."

Final speech before execution. 

 

 

Timeline of Reign:

1553 | Mary's rebellion - The rightful heir stirs up a popular rebellion against Jane's rule.

1553 | Jane abdicates - Jane abdicates the throne

 

 

Sources & Further Reading:

Blakemore, E. (2024). How a teenage girl became Queen of England for nine days. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/my-lady-jane-true-story 

Castelow, E. (2019). Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Day Queen. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Lady-Jane-Grey/ 

Lady Jane Grey: The 'Nine Day Queen'. (n.d.). Historic Royal Palaces. https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/lady-jane-grey/ 

Morrill, J. (2019). Lady Jane Grey | Biography, Facts, & Execution. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lady-Jane-Grey

Streathamladyjayne.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2022). Wikimedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Streathamladyjayne.jpg 

The execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1554. (2026). London Museum. https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/execution-lady-jane-grey-1554/