Lady Jane Grey

By Marlissa Harink

Though once a queen, this girl was never remember as ‘Queen Jane’ but rather as ‘Lady Jane Grey’. However more than even that, she is remembered for her great courage and strength in choosing to do what was right.

Starting from before she was born we see how times were changing. Christians, who obeyed the Roman Catholic Church, were fed up with the distracted pope who paid more attention to riches and power then the Bible and God. These unhappy Christians worked to bring people back to the simple messages in the Bible. We call these people reformers. However, how does Jane fit in this? Well when Jane was very little her uncle King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour (his sixth wife) were blessed with a son. The King and his wife were undoubtable very happy because they had waited long for a son to inherit the throne. And this throne came fast! At age nine Edward was already king, along with a few other men appointed by King Henry to help him rule until he was eighteen. One of these men was Edwards’s uncle, Edward Seymour. This man agreed with the reformers and pushed for the Protestant view to be introduced to England. About this time Jane went to live with Edward Seymour’s brother and wife to receive a better education. Jane enjoyed it there a lot and learned lots about the Bible; she was a fast learner and enjoyed studying immensely.

Many people despised the new changes King Edward put forth. Princess Mary (Edward’s step sister) was one of them. However, for the Christians these were good times. It wasn’t long however, that King Edward became deadly ill. This caused his men and him great worry. According to the will of his father, King Henry VIII, if Edward died without children Mary would be the next in line to the throne. That fact is what caused the worry. Everyone knew what Mary’s stand was; if she became queen she would lead the country back to the Roman Catholic views and would not allow freedom of religion. If she succeeded in doing that, all their work for freedom in the past seven years would be in vain! And with this thought in mind, Edward put great thought and energy into composing a will in which Jane, his cousin, would become the new ruler. With his will in place Edward died, leaving Jane sad and shocked at the proposal of her becoming queen, and even though she does not want to she took on this new challenge!

 When Princess Mary received news that Lady Jane Grey had become queen she was furious.  Mary’s support grew daily and one day they captured Jane and her husband, Guildford Dudley, and sent then to London tower as prisoners. Lady Jane Grey had only ruled for nine days before Mary Tudor claimed the throne for her own. In these hard times Jane worried about the future of the church in Mary’s rule but she had great courage, and never forsook her faith. When Jane was still in the Tower as a prisoner her father and two of her uncles formed a group to kill Mary or force her off her throne. They were unsuccessful and were sent to the Tower as prisoners. Because of this Mary was worried that if she didn’t kill Jane someone else might be successful and put Jane back on the throne. Jane and her husband received word that they are to be beheaded.

 Although she was asked multiple times to denounce her faith Jane stayed strong saying “I ground my faith on God’s Word not the church.” Jane wrote a letter to her father and her sister during her last hours and when the time came, she calmly walked, reading her prayer book all the way. Her last words were the words Jesus cried from the cross ‘Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ Though only a queen for nine days, her courage, strength and faith will never be forgotten.

Sources:

Englishhistory.net.

.bbc.co.uk

Simonetta Carr, Lady Jane Grey,  Reformation Heritage Books Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2012