The Death of Lady Jane Grey

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Aged only seventeen, Lady Jane Grey meet her end at the executioner's axe with courage and dignity. The young girl had been placed on the throne by manipulative relatives and powerful men, who's soul desire was to ensure that the rightful heir to the throne of England- the eldest daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon: Mary Tudor (aka 'Bloody Mary'). After reigning for just thirteen days, Mary's army stormed London and many of Lady Jane's supporters switched sides.

Next Mary had herself crowned and arrested her cousin Jane, Jane's husband Guildford Dudley, Guildford's father the Duke of Northumberland and many more people. They were tried for treason and many, if not all, of them were found guilty and sentenced to death. Guildford and Jane were sentenced to be beheaded by the axe whereas Northumberland was executed by hanging- drawing- and- quartering. They were imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Because Jane was a Protestant and Mary was a Catholic, the new queen sent a Catholic priest to attempt to convert the prisoner. Jane would not convert. The queen's authorities came to nineteen year old Guildford Dudley's chambers on 12th February 1554 and brought him down to the scaffold that had been erected the previous night for the gruesome affair. Guildford was beheaded. Imagine how awful it was for Jane to have to watch her young husband be escorted to his death, knowing that in a few hours it would be her turn, and then see his bloodstained corpse and head be carted over to the chapel in the grounds of the Tower.

Lady Jane Grey grave
Lady Jane Grey was escorted to her death a few hours after her husband. Once on the scaffold she asked the executioner: "I pray you dispatch me quickly". After reciting Psalm 51, she tied her handkerchief around her eyes but could not find the block. As the officials were not sure on whether to show her where the block was, a member of the crowd stepped onto the scaffold and helped the poor girl. Her last words were: "Lord, into thy hands I command my spirit." the same as Jesus when he was crucified. With one swift blow of the axe her head was severed.

Recently the small chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula had turned Catholic, an official had to ride to court to plead for permission to bury the bodies of the two Protestant teenagers in the church. For several hours the bodies were left unguarded and untouched until the permission was granted. Jane is now buried there and her tragic story is still remembered. 

Sources

Comments

  1. Tudor freak11 May 2018 at 12:28

    I feel sorry for Lady Jane Grey. Bullied by her grasping family. Forced to marry Guildford Dudley, whom she disliked. Beaten physically and mentally by her parents. Tormented and cajoled by John Dudley into taking the crown, when all she wanted was to live in peace and study. Probably the only happiness was when she lived in the Dowager Queen Katherine Parr’s household.

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