The Short Reign of Lady Jane Grey

The Short Reign of Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey's reign was brief, a mere nine days in the summer of 1553. Yet, her tragic story encapsulates the tumultuous events during one of the most contentious periods in English history, dominated by faith wars, political intrigues, and the shifting of Tudor succession.

Born in 1537, Jane was the great-niece of Henry VIII. She had a stellar upbringing which was characterised by an unparalleled education, exceptional intelligence and profound Protestant faith.

When Edward VI became fatally ill in 1553, he named Jane his successor, bypassing his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth in an attempt to prevent a Roman Catholic succession.

Her accession to the throne on the 10th of July 1553, however, was fraught with uncertainty and resistance. It was an ill-received move to install a teenage queen with a Protestant faith at a time when much of the country yearned for stability and a return to Catholicism.

Unknown to Jane, those who had championed as a queen were also plotting her downfall.