by Kate Edwards

Created on: March 01, 2009

Lady Jane Grey cuts one of the most tragic figures in Tudor History. Contrary to popular belief- her story is well known and researched and she is not a "forgotten Queen":-rather her story is one that impacts greatly on the Tudor history that came next. It is well known that her death had a profound impact on Elizabeth the First, who having known Jane in Childhood and sharing many of the traits for which Jane is known they were able to communicate on an unfamiliar level to many of their peers, namely being Protestant academic females of Royal birth.

Jane was born in 1537, she was the daughter of Henry Grey and Frances Brandon (the daughter of Henry 8ths sister) and as such her fate was already sealed. She had two younger sisters, Katherine and Mary. As soon as Prince Edward was born on October 15th 1537 her ambitious parents were already thinking of her marriage.

Her parents are well documented as being strict. She was sent to court under the guardianship of Queen Katherine Parr when she was 9 year old it is probably worth noting that not long after this Katherine Parr married Thomas Seymour. HE convinced her father to leave Jane under the ward ship of Himself and Katherine. Jane was fine with this arrangement as she regarded Katherine as a mother figure (perhaps as often implied as a replacement for her own mother who was far less maternal than Katherine) and it got her away from her own parents. It was there for a disaster for Jane when Katherine died in 1548 after complications with the birth of her child. Jane was now 11 and her parents left her under the ward ship of Thomas Seymour. Seymour tried to negotiate a marriage contract between Edward and Jane but was unsuccessful. He was mistrusted and his peers were alarmed by his ambition. He was executed in 1549.

Jane's ward ship was once again passed-this time to the Dudley family, John Dudley was even more ambitious than Seymour. He was chief councillor to Edward and was the most powerful man in the country. It was in 1552 that Edward started to become ill, many of his courtiers were now worried and with very good reason that the young king would not live long enough to produce an heir to the throne. Dudley also realised that if Edward was to die he would no longer have his power and his control over the council, it was even a very real possibility that he would be tried for treason and executed in these politically turbulent times. Jane was the first legitimate and eligible female in line to the throne (who

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