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Historical Time Line of Lady Jane's Life | List of Books and Movies of Lady Jane | Quene Janes Final Words and Poems- Page 1
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Historical Time Line

Below is a list of key events that had bearing on the life of Lady Jane Grey.

1536 - King Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour.
1537, October 12 - Edward VI, son of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, is born. Edward is Henry's first and only male heir to the throne.
1537, October - Jane Grey is born, she is the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII and cousin to Edward VI. Jane is named after Jane Seymour.
1537, October 24 - Jane Seymour dies.
1540 - Katherine Grey, Jane's middle sister is born.
1545 - Mary Grey, Jane's youngest sister is born.
1546 - Jane is sent to the Court of King Henry VIII to serve his wife, Katherine Parr.
1547, January 28 - King Henry VIII dies, Edward VI becomes King.
1547, May - Katherine Parr marries the Lord Admiral Thomas Seymour.
1548, August 30 - Katherine Parr gives birth to her daughter Mary.
1548, September 5 - Katherine Parr dies of complications relating to the birth of her daughter.
1549, March 20 - Thomas Seymour is executed for treason.
1549 - John Aylmer becomes Jane's tutor.
1551 - Jane's parents become the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk. John Dudley is made the Duke of Northumberland, and is also Chief Counselor to King Edward.
1552 - King Edward VI becomes ill with the measles. Shortly thereafter, he also developed tuberculosis.
1553, May 25 - Jane is married to Lord Guildford Dudley, son of John Dudley.
1553, June 10 - John Dudley convinces Edward VI to write a will in which Edward names Jane Grey as his successor to the crown.
1553, July 6 - King Edward VI dies.
1553, July 9 - Lady Jane Grey is called before the Council and told she will be Queen.
1553, July 10 - John Dudley declares Jane as the Queen of England.
1553, July 19 - Jane was ordered to resign the title of Queen by order of the newly appointed Queen Mary.
1554, February 12 - Lady Jane Grey, the nine day queen, is executed.

"Bloody" Tower of London

Where Lady Jane Grey was imprisoned and awaited her execution.

Letter from Lady Jane to the now Queen Mary
In this letter, Jane explains the circumstances which led to her becoming queen for nine days.
Please note: Jane's assertion that she was poisoned is nonsense and a rare lapse in judgment for such an intelligent person.
'Although my fault be such that but for the goodness and clemency of the Queen, I can have no hope of finding pardon...having given ear to those who at the time appeared not only to myself, but also to the great part of this realm to be wise and now have manifested themselves to the contrary, not only to my and their great detriment, but with common disgrace and blame of all, they having with shameful boldness made to blamable and dishonourable an attempt to give to others that which was not theirs...[and my own] lack of prudence...for which I deserve heavy punishment...it being known that the error imputed to me has not been altogether caused by myself. [The Privy Council]...who with unwontd caresses and pleasantness, did me such reverence as was not at all suitable to my state. He [Dudley] then said that his Majesty had well weighed an Act of Parliament...that whoever should acknowledge the most serene Mary...or the lady Elizabeth and receive them as the true heirs of the crown of England should be had all for traitors...wherefore, in no manner did he wish that they should be heirs of him and of that crown, he being able in every way to disinherit them. And therefore, before his death, he gave order to the Council, that for the honour they owed to him...they should obey his last will...As to the rest, for my part, I know not what the Council had determined to do, but I know for certain that twice during this time, poison was given to me, first in the house of the Duchess of Northumberland and afterwards here in the Tower...All these I have wished for the witness of my innocence and the disburdening of my conscience.'

An eyewitness account of the execution of Queen Jane
1554
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey-Dudley

12 February 1554.
The former Lady Jane Grey was executed when Queen Mary I could no longer tolerate the Protestant threat to her reign.

This account is from the anonymous Chronicle of Queen Jane and of Two Years of Queen Mary. It begins with Guildford's execution.

His [Guildford's] carcase thrown into a cart, and his head in a cloth, he was brought to the chapel within the Tower, where the Lady Jane, whose lodging was in Partidge's house, did see his dead carcase taken out of the cart, as well as she did see him before alive on going to his death - a sight to her no less than death. ; By this time was there a scaffold made upon the green over against the White Tower, for the said Lady Jane to die upon.... The said lady, being nothing abadshed...with a book in her hand whereon she prayed all the way till she came to the said scaffold.... First, when she mounted the said scaffold she said to the people standing thereabout: 'Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same. The fact, indeed, against the queen's highness was unlawful, and the consenting thereunto by me: but touching the procurement and desire thereof by me or on my behalf, I do wash my hands thereof in innocency, before God, and the face of you, good Christian people, this day' and therewith she wrung her hands, in which she had her book. And then, kneeling down, she turned to Feckenham [the dean of St Paul's] saying, 'Shall I say this psalm?' And he said, 'Yea.' Then she said the psalm of Miserere mei Deus, in English, in most devout manner, to the end. Then she stood up and gave...Mistress Tilney her gloves and handkercher, and her book to master Bruges, the lieutenant's brother; forthwith she untied her gown. The hangman went to her to help her therewith; then she desired him to let her alone, and also with her other attire and neckercher, giving to her a fair handkercher to knit about her eyes. Then the hangman kneeled down, and asked her forgiveness, whom she gave most willingly. Then he willed her to stand upon the straw: which doing, she saw the block. Then she said, 'I pray you dispatch me quickly.' Then she kneeled down, saying, 'Will you take it off before I lay me down?' and the hangman answered her, 'No, madame.' She tied the kercher about her eyes; then feeling for the block said, 'What shall I do? Where is it?' One of the standers-by guiding her thereto, she laid her head down upon the block, and stretched forth her body and said: 'Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!' And so she ended.

Jane Dudley's Words She Wrote in Her Final Hours
Actual words written by sixteen and a half year old, Jane on the eve of her execution:

"If justice be done with my body, my soul will find mercy with god. Death will give pain to my body for it's sins, but the soul will be justified before God. If my faults deserve punishment, my youth at least, and my imprudence, were worthy of excuse; God and posterity will show me favour."

St. Peter-ad-Vincula

And this is the chapel where Lady Jane's body was laid after her execution.

Tower Bridge
This is the view of from the Tower of London.

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