Jane
Grey, the daughter of Henry Grey, the Marquess of Dorset, was born
in 1537. During the final illness of Edward
VI, Jane Grey was married to Guildford Dudley, fourth son of John
Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, as part of the scheme to make
sure of a Protestant succession.
Jane Grey was declared
queen three days after Edward's death. However, she was forced to
abdicate nine days later in favour of Edward's sister, Mary
Tudor and was imprisoned in the Tower of
London.
In 1554 Sir Thomas
Wyatt and Henry Grey led a rebellion against Mary. As a result
Lady Jane Grey and her husband, Guildford Dudley, were executed.
Paul Delaroche, The Execution
of Lady Jane Grey (c.1840)
(1)
Rowland Lea worked in the Tower of London
during Lady Jane Grey's imprisonment. In his diary, Rowland Lea described
the execution of Lady Jane Grey on the green within the walls of the
Tower of London.
Lady Jane was calm, although. Elizabeth and Ellen wept...
The executioner kneeled
down and asked for forgiveness, which she gave most willingly... she
said: "I pray you dispatch me quickly." She tied a handkerchief
over her eyes; then feeling for the block, she said, "What shall
I do? Where is it?" One of the by-standers guided her... She
laid down her head upon the block, and stretched forth her body.
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