Grey Lady Jane

Grey, Lady Jane (1537-54), was the eldest daughter of Henry Grey, Marquis of Dorset. Her mother was the Lady Frances Brandon, daughter of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and Mary, sister of Henry VIII. She was born at Bradgate, her father's seat in Leicestershire, and was brought up by her parents in a very strict manner. At an early age she evinced extraordinary talent, and made great progress in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, and French, under her tutor, Aylmer, afterwards Bishop of London. She was also a skilled musician. Roger Ascham has left a well-known description of her home-life, telling how he found her reading Plato in solitude while the rest of the family were hunting in the park. After her father's elevation to the dukedom of Suffolk (1551) she passed much of her time at court. During Edward VI.'s last illness the crafty John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, formed a scheme for securing the succession to his own family by uniting the Lady Jane to his fourth son, Lord Guildford Dudley. The marriage was solemnised in May, 1553. By exciting Edward's religious prejudices, Northumberland succeeded in inducing him to name Jane his successor; and on July 9th, three days after his death, she was proclaimed queen, much against her own will; but the people remained loyal to the Princess Mary, and after a nominal reign of nine days Jane was placed in the Tower. After remaining there for four months she was beheaded, together with her husband, on Tower Hill.