Lady Jane Grey
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Lady Jane Grey was born in October 12, 1537 at her family home of Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England. She was the daughter of Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, and Lady Frances Brandon (July 16, 1517 – November 20, 1559), the daughter of Henry VIII's sister, Mary. Jane had two younger sisters, Katherine (b. 1540) and Mary (b. 1545). Jane's exact date of birth is not known. She was probably named after Jane Seymour (c. 1508 or 1509 – October 24, 1537)), who was the Queen of England when she was born.
[edit] Early Life
In 1546, when Jane was 9 years old, she was sent to Court to live under the guardianship of Henry VIII's sixth wife and eventual widow, Catherine Parr. Jane liked Catherine a lot and found love and tenderness with her, which she had not received from her parents.
Jane was well educated as a child and learned to read in Latin, Greek, French and Italian, as well as English. In 1549, when Jane was 12 years old, John Aylmer became her tutor. Jane liked Aylmer a lot because he was not strict, as her parents were. Some scholars also believe that Aylmer fell in love with Jane whilst teaching her, because of what he wrote in some of his letters to her.
[edit] Marriage
In 1551 Jane's mother, Frances, lost her two half-brothers (it is believed that they died of influenza). Since Frances's father, Charles Brandon, was already dead, she became heir to the Brandon estates. The title of the Duke of Suffolk passed to Frances's husband and Jane's father, Henry Grey, and Frances because the Duchess of Suffolk. In the same year John Dudley was made the Duke of Northumberland and the chief councilor to Edward VI of England. This made Dudley the most important man in England, after the King.
In April 1552 Edward became sick with the measles and soon caught tuberculosis as well. By the following spring Edward was so ill that he was weak and spitting up blood. It was obvious that he was going to die very soon and that he would be unable to produce an heir to the throne.
Dudley was an ambitious man and realised that if either of Edward's half-sisters, Mary or Elizabeth, gained the throne, he would loose his position and might be beheaded. Dudley therefore plotted with Jane's equally ambitious parents and arranged that Jane became his ward, and also that she marry his son, Guildford Dudley. Frances also agreed to forego her superior claim to the throne of England. This meant that Jane, with Guildford, was the next in line to the throne if the rights of the princesses Mary and Elizabeth were ignored.
The wedding between Jane and Guildford took place on 25 May, 1553 in the Dudley's London residence. This became a triple marriage because Jane's sister, Katherine, was married at this time to Lord Herbert and Guildford's sister, Katherine, was also married to Lord Hastings, who was a son of the Earl of Huntingdon.
There was a small war between Jane and Mary, but Mary won. Mary then became queen. Mary had Jane's head cut off because her husband, Philip II of Spain, did not like Jane. Jane died on February 12, 1554 at the Tower of London, London. She was only 16 years old.
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