Lady Jane Grey Facts & Worksheets

Lady Jane Grey was popularly known as the Nine Days’ Queen, reigning from July 10 to July 19, 1553. She was only 17 years old when she assumed the throne and was executed. She is also considered a Protestant martyr.  

See the fact file below for more information on Lady Jane Grey, or you can download our 26-page Lady Jane Grey worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE 

• Lady Jane Grey was born sometime in 1536-1537 in Leicestershire, England. She was the oldest daughter of Lady Frances Brandon, the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII‘s younger sister, Princess Mary, and Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk. She had two younger sisters. 
• Being part of the monarchy, she received an excellent education to be a great match for the son of a well-positioned family. Jane did not disappoint as she preferred academic studies to outdoor activities. She could speak Latin and Greek early and studied Hebrew with John Aylmer. 
• Historians also noted how academically gifted she was through her surviving letters. She was a devout Protestant due to the influence of her father and tutors. 
• There were reports that Jane complained about how strict her upbringing was, but being a dutiful daughter, she still followed what was expected of her. 
• At ten years old, Jane happily lived in the household of Edward VI’s uncle Thomas Seymour and his new wife, Catherine Parr. She became Catherine’s attendant until her death during childbirth. She served as the chief mourner. 
• Thomas Seymour continued to express his interest in Jane Grey living in his household as he was planning to propose to make Jane King Edward’s future bride. The plan did not go through as Seymour was charged with treason and executed in 1548. 
• In 1551, the Duke of Suffolk introduced her daughter to the royal court. He then arranged for his daughter, Jane, to marry Lord Guildford Dudley, the youngest son of the 1st Duke of Northumberland, the most powerful man in the country serving as King Edward VI’s protector. 
• Jane’s sister Catherine, on the other hand, was engaged to the heir of the Earl of Pembroke. Both sisters were married in a triple wedding ceremony, along with the Duke of Northumberland’s sister, on May 25, 1553, at Durham Palace. 

BECOMING QUEEN 

• The Act of Succession passed by Parliament in July 1543 returned the other children of Henry VIII, the devout Catholic like her mother, Mary, and the youngest sister Elizabeth, to the line of succession behind their half-brother Edward. Edward served as the heir apparent to King Henry VIII, being his only son with his third and most loved wife, Jane Seymour. 
• On January 28, 1547, Edward’s father died. He was only nine years old when he was proclaimed King of England and Ireland. By being King, England maintained the country as Protestant and continued reforming the Church of England.
• The nine-year-old King could not rule England by himself. His father’s will named sixteen executors. These executors named the Duke of Somerset as the King’s protector. However, after two years, John Dudley, Earl of Warwick and eventually the 1st Duke of Northumberland, replaced him as the King’s Protector after a series of outbreaks of unrest. 
• In the early summer of 1553, Edward was ill and lay dying, his catholic sister, Mary, was still the heir presumptive, and Lady Jane Grey was only fifth in line to the throne. During this time, John Dudley convinced Edward VI to name Lady Jane Grey as his successor to continue the Protestant Reformation. The king agreed and created his “Devise for the Succession”.
• Lady Jane Grey’s husband, inlaws, parents, and an assembly of nobles had to convince her to accept the Crown because she was reluctant to take it. 
• However, on the day of her proclamation, she received a letter from Mary saying she was the new queen and demanded obedience to the council and the Third Act of Succession. 
• The proclamation continued on July 10 when Jane and her husband, Guildford, made their ceremonial entry into the Tower of London. 
• Her husband insisted that he wanted to be king, but Jane would only agree to make him Duke of Clarence. 

CONFLICT WITH MARY

• During Jane Grey’s proclamation, Mary’s supporters and military force began to assemble in East Anglia and reached Framlingham Castle, Suffolk, two days later. 
• The Duke of Northumberland set out from London with troops on July 14 to capture Mary. People’s support for Lady Jane Grey evaporated when they learned that Dudley was behind the king’s devise for succession. 
• On July 19, during Northumberland’s absence,  the Privy council declared that Mary was the Queen in recognition of the overwhelming support from the population. 
• Even Lady Jane’s father switched sides and rallied in favor of Mary. They also ordered Northumberland to disband his army. The duke did not resist and explained to his fellow commanders that they should act on the council’s orders. 
• The next day, the duke was arrested and executed on August 22, 1553.
• Lady Jane Grey was imprisoned in the Tower’s Gentleman Gaoler’s (Jailer’s) apartments on the same day of the Privy’s declaration. She was charged with high treason with her husband and two of his brothers.
• They were found guilty and sentenced to death, but Queen Mary did not carry their sentences. The new queen was ready to forgive her cousin as she admitted her mistake and humbly asked for forgiveness.  

LADY GREY’S EXECUTION

• In 1554, Queen Mary’s decision to marry a Catholic prince, Prince Philip II of Spain, sparked insurrections. 
• Thomas Wyatt the Young led one in Kent with Lady Jane Grey’s father. They wanted to depose Mary in favor of Elizabeth. When Wyatt the Young was defeated and captured, it sealed Lady Jane’s fate. 
• She, her husband, and her father were to be executed. This was probably Queen Mary’s way of sending a message to those who wanted to try to usurp and take her crown.  
• Mary sent John Feckenham to convince Jane to convert to Catholicism to save her life, but she refused. 
• On February 12, 1554, she watched her husband, Guildford, be sent to the executioner’s block from her cell window. After two hours, she was also beheaded but not before declaring that “I do wash my hands thereof in innocence”. 
• Lady Jane Grey and her husband were buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula with no memorial stone erected at their grave.
• Jane is regarded as a Protestant martyr. 

Lady Jane Grey Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Lady Jane Grey across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Lady Jane Grey, who was popularly known as the Nine Days’ Queen, reigning from July 10 to July 19, 1553.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Lady Jane Grey Facts
2. Jane Grey’s Childhood
3. Nine-Day Reign
4. Lady in the Making
5. Edward’s Devise for Succession
6. Lady’s Inquiry
7. Lady’s Acquaintances
8. Queen in Waiting
9. Two Queens
10. Queen’s Traits
11. Execution of the Innocent

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Jane Grey lose the throne?

Dudley and the Royal Council supported Lady Jane’s ascension to the throne, but Mary, the lawful heiress, was preferred by the people. Dudley left London with a force to put down Mary’s troops two days into his reign as Lady Jane, and in his absence, the Council declared him a traitor and crowned Mary a queen; which ended Jane’s nine-day reign.

Who was queen for only 9 days?

Queen Jane Grey ruled for nine days in 1553, after which Mary Tudor, the half-sister of Edward VI by Henry VIII’s will, assumed power. The English populace, on the other hand, supported Mary Tudor as the true heir to King Edward VI because of her legitimacy.

Who were Lady Jane Grey’s parents?

Lady Jane Grey’s parents were Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and Lady Frances Brandon. Frances Brandon was the daughter of Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII.

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