Posted on 02/16/2018 2:55:05 AM PST by beaversmom
Leicestershire's young Nine-Day Queen showed bravery and humility
She was Leicestershire’s own monarch – and the very first reigning queen of England. But the tragic story of Lady Jane Grey is often overlooked by historians.
Only now does a three-part TV series – the second part is tomorrow at 9pm on BBC4 – shed any new light on Jane.
Born in Bradgate in October, 1537, Jane’s life was as short as it was tragic. Beautiful and intelligent, she was reluctantly proclaimed Queen of England in 1553, aged just 15.
She reigned for just nine days, before being imprisoned in the Tower of London, awaiting her execution.
Jane’s parents, Henry and Frances Grey, lived in Bradgate House, Bradgate Park, on the edge of Newtown Linford.
She was a devout Protestant, the great-niece of Henry VIII and fourth in line to the throne.
But after the death of Edward VI in 1553, a plot was hatched to put Jane on the throne instead of his Catholic sister, Mary Tudor.
Edward’s trusted adviser, John Dudley, knew he would be punished severely by Mary for his anti-Catholic views if she took the throne.
He persuaded dying Edward, too weak to protest, to proclaim Jane heir to the throne and disregard Mary’s claim.
When Lady Jane was proclaimed Queen shortly after Edward’s death, she fainted.
It was the first time she had heard of the plot.
Jane knew the crown was not hers and took no pleasure in accepting it. Mary, the rightful heir, had the support of the populace, and nine days later Jane was forced to relinquish her crown. She did so willingly.
She asked her father if she could go home to Bradgate, but he did not answer – aware a darker fate lay ahead for his daughter.
The next day, Jane was committed to the Tower and tried for high treason. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death.
Mary later chose to suspend the sentence, but, tragically, Henry Grey’s decision to actively oppose Mary’s marriage sealed his daughter’s fate.
Mary’s choice of husband was Philip of Spain. A Spanish king on the English throne was unthinkable.
Jane’s father returned to Bradgate to raise resistance to the marriage in the Midlands, but was captured before he could do so. The success of Mary’s alliance with Spain depended upon the stability of her kingdom.
The Queen was left with little choice other than to remove every trace of unrest.
Jane was executed on February 12, 1554, aged 16.
The day before, she had told Mary’s chaplain Dr Feckenham: “I am ready to face death patiently and in whatsoever manner it may please the Queen to appoint.”
She said she had no time for the controversy between the two religions. She simply sought the peace to ready herself for death.
When Jane had taken her final steps to the scaffold where she would meet her execution, she solemnly handed her gloves and handkerchief to her lady-in-waiting, Mrs Ellen.
As she began to untie her gown herself, the executioner stepped forward to help, but she brushed him aside.
Mrs Ellen helped her to remove her headdress and neckerchief, and dispense with her heavy outer garment.
The executioner then knelt and asked for Jane’s forgiveness, which was given “most willingly”.
There followed a five-minute silence while officials waited for a last-minute reprieve from the Monarch. None came.
Jane’s last words were: “Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
After the executioner had completed his grim task, according to tradition, the head was held aloft with the words: “So perish all the Queen’s enemies. Behold, the head of a traitor.”
In the 464 years since her death, Jane Grey has been seen by many as a religious heroine whose honour and faith led to her choice of death before heresy.
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I really loved that series, and was very sorry to see it end. I’m glad somebody’s put them up on YouTube for other folks to enjoy. They weren’t available on YouTube back when I first started downloading them.
The film Lady Jane with Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes was also quite good.
After ep 3, I started ep 1. What a mess. Arundel appears to have been the worst turncoat of his time (link above), but Northumberland's best move would have been to have the other heirs poisoned well before Edward's final illness. Oops. But, that's more of a Tudor approach. Had he been a Tudor, we'd all have learned about Queen Jane, no peep about Mary or Lizzie, or James for that matter. :^)
It's never ceased to amaze me the twisting and turning of peoples' loyalties. Once Arundel saw which way the wind was blowing, he hightailed it to Mary Tudor's side. And she accepted him.
The BBC4 series, re this article, is only available in the UK; however, we just might get it, here in the USA, on PBS or a cable channel, so watch for it.
I have been fascinated by this story for a very long time.
beaversmom kindly directed me to a YouTube showing of all three episodes. I haven’t watched them yet, but I so enjoy English Monarchy stories.
Is there any English production that does not feature Helena Bonham Carter. She is all over Brit movies, and some American ones. I love her.
Thanks for the information. I’ll be sure to pay attention to PBS...we don’t get BBC4...Hopefully, they’ll be showing more.
I hate it that irreversable demographics are about to catch up with Great Britain in the form of low birth rates for native stock and high birth rates and immigration rates for immigrants.
Within our lifetime, the balance will tilt, and one of the cultures that formed the modern world and bastion of Western Civilization will disappear..
I have no doubts that all the traces such as monuments and statuary and art will also disappear.
When I was 8, or so, I read a book that my mother had had as a child, called THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF EUROPE. It was a fascinating book and sparked my imagination. So I have studied this topic further, ever since then. And yes, Lady Jane< was in that book.
If you're interested in movies about the Brit Monarchy and would like a list, just drop me a note via FRmail and I'll give you a list of the ones I have seen.
wow, she looks just like a modern person.
My pleasure.
And he was involved in other plots later, quite a character.
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