Henry VIII (1491-1547) famously came up short in his struggle for male progeny. His only legitimate son by Jane Semour, Edward, was named as Henry's heir to be supervised in his regency by sixteen co-regents. Edward, apparently always sickly, died before he reached his minority. He tried at the last minute to out-maneuver his father's wishes and leave the crown to a Protestant cousin, Jane Grey.

But ultimately Henry VIII, ever powerful, reached from the grave and had his wish, for the next in line to be his eldest daughter Mary (1516-1558) be next in line. But her reign was as disastrous as it was short. She had a pathetic marriage, was known for her cruel religious persecutions, and in short was despised. Her life ended as sadly as it began, a shameful chapter of England's past that never should have been written.

THE DEATH OF EDWARD VI and MARY'S ASCENSION (1553)

Edwar's regents were concerned that if Mary Tudor, Henry's daughter with Katherine of Aragon (1448-1536) were left the crown, the progress that they made to establish Reformist doctrine in the realm would be reversed. They were right. But his maneuverings at his dying hour to name named his cousin Jane Grey to the throne instead of either of his sisters (Elizabeth being a Protestant but young, a woman, and not under the control of either of his regents and thus unpredictable) went badly.

Against Henry's express wishes Jane was named Queen in Edward's will, and the party (including her Father in law, John Dudley, who had engineered the plan, and her husband, Guilford Dudley, who was to be joint ruler under his father) marched on an unconvinced London and into the tower, never to come out.

For no one knew Jane or her family very well, but Princess Mary inspired the people's awe, as she had been royal Lady Mary for thirty-five years and was well loved. There was a sense that she had long been wronged by her life's events, both by her father's treatment of her mother, and by Edward's jilting her of the crown. So even though the Dudley party had her under house arrest it was extremely difficult to pay or coerce anyone to betray her. Lord Dudley's hired troops, who were escorting Mary to what was probably intended to be death, turned on their employers in support of the Princess.

Thus there was little hope for Jane and her contingent. One by one, once Mary assumed power, they went to death as traitors, and it was probably reasonable that they should given those in power. Mary allegedly

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