Lady Jane Gray

Jane was born the eldest daughter of Henry Grey, Marquess of Dorset, and his wife Lady Frances Brandon. Jane Grey had two younger sisters, Katherine and Mary; the three sisters were great-nieces of Henry VIII. Jane received a good education, and studied Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, as well as French and Spanish. Through the teachings of her tutors, she became a committed Protestant.

Jane had a difficult childhood. Her mother was abusive, cruel, and domineering, and held her under a strict disciplinary regime. Jane's meekness and quiet, unassuming manner irritated Frances, who sought to 'harden' the child with regular beatings.

Jane preferred a single life, but her mother made her submit to an engagement to Lord Guilford Dudley. The couple were married at Durham House on 21 May 1553.
Young King Edward VI died on 6 July 1553.

Four days later, Northumberland had Lady Jane Grey proclaimed Queen of England after she had taken up a secure residence in the Tower of London, where English monarchs customarily resided until coronation. Jane refused to name her husband Dudley as king and deferred to Parliament. She offered to make him Duke of Clarence instead.

Parliament declared Mary the rightful queen and denounced and revoked Jane's proclamation as having been coerced. Mary imprisoned Jane and her husband in the Tower of London, although their lives were initially spared.

The Protestant rebellion of Thomas Wyatt in January 1554 started as a popular revolt; Jane's father (the Duke of Suffolk) and other nobles joined the rebellion, calling for Jane's restoration as queen. Philip and his councilors pressed Mary to execute Jane to put an end to any future focus for unrest. Five days after Wyatt's arrest on 7 February 1554, Jane and Guilford were executed.

Jane gave a short speech of her innocence, and then recited Psalm 51 in English. The executioner asked her forgiveness, and she gave it. She pleaded the axeman, "I pray you dispatch me quickly". She then blindfolded herself. Jane had resolved to go to her death with dignity, but once blindfolded, unable to find the block with her hands, began to panic and cried, "What shall I do? Where is it?" An unknown hand, possibly Feckenham's, then helped her find her way and she retained her dignity at the end. With her head on the block, Jane spoke the last words of Jesus as recounted by Luke: "Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!" She was then beheaded.

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