Janey Short and Sweet

Dear Folks,

Today on July 9, 1553 a sixteen year old girl learned her childhood sweetheart had died three days before and that by his will she was queen. She promptly fainted. She was reputed to be the most intelligent woman in her country second only to her half-sister. She was Lady Jane Grey: the nine day queen.

Lady Jane was born in October, bet she was a Libra, 1537. Her mom, Frances, was the daughter of Hank VIII's younger sister, Mary (no, not Bloody Mary nor Mary Queen of Scots. Mary was a grand old name.) Jane had two sisters, Katherine and Mary (see, another Mary) who was BTW a dwarf. Janey was quite a catch, too. I mean she was petite (made Vanna White look like Arnold) with long dark auburn hair, very innocent, strongly Protestant, and pretty darned rich after a bit. Most of the contemporary portraits I have seen of her may have been of Catherine Parr. They all show a heart-shaped face with a strong chin and large eyes.

Janey was not very loved by her parents and spent most of her early life studying, and playing with her sisters. That all changed when she was ten. In 1547 she moved to the household of Catherine Parr (the last wife and widow to Henry VIII). Hank was ailing big time. He was grotesquely overweight, crazy, consumptive, and mean. Kate Parr was Hank's only widow. None of his other wives survived him. Pretty indicative of that old Tudor charm. Things had been looking up for Janey. She was at court and really liked young king Eddie VI. They even had the exact same birthday. Maybe there was romance. Eddie was betrothed to Mary Queen of Scots but Scotland was acting up so that marriage was not going to be. Did Eddie think Janey was a bundle? You bet! But Fate had other things in store. Eddie had consumption, tuberculosis, the same disease that took off his dear daddy.

Eddie was only nine when he took the throne and so was ruled by others more than he ruled. The most obnoxious of the "advisors" was a guy named John Dudley the Earl of Warwick. This Dudley-Do-Wrong weaseled his way into getting himself named Duke of Northumberland. He ran the country even though he had no official title to do so and was acquiring real estate like Ted Turner. Lots of the land he was taking was from the Catholic Church. Remember that they were no longer the Church of State. When Eddie was diagnosed with that inevitably fatal disease (in those days) Northumberland got Eddie to see things his way. He convinced Eddie that his Sis Mary, a Catholic from a dissolved marriage, and Sis Elizabeth (Lizzie I), from an adulterous witch, were both illegitimate.

Dudley had his candidate in the wings, Janey. Janey's mom, Frances, had just become rich since she inherited becoming the Duchess of Suffolk as the "sweating sickness" (probably influenza) had taken off all the other heirs. Dudley and Janey's parents "persuaded" (read: beaten) Janey to marry Guilford Dudley - the name says it all, doesn't it?

On May 21st of 1553. June 21st Eddie named her his next in line. What an unexpected wedding gift for a childhood sweetheart. Janey did not know anything about this. I think she would have been horrified. We do know that less than a month later, July 9th she was astounded to the extent of fainting.

Janey was supposed to be queen. Guess that Dudley thought then his son would be king. Funny how that works out. When Janey was persuaded to put on the Crown, she made it clear that Guilford was not king. So there! Well, nine days laterJaney yielded up the Crown to Mary. Mary felt she had to put Janey in the Tower. It did seem like Mary intended to set Jane free. Mary realized that Jane was a pawn, however her execution was necessary because as long as she was alive she would be threat to Mary. She could be used as a pawn by those wishing to see Protestantism regain power. Janey had admitted she was wrong in accepting the Crown, but denied that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. John Dudley, Northumberland, was found guilty of treason on August 20, and executed on August 22. Lady Jane and her husband were tried and convicted of high treason on November 14, "to be burnt alive or beheaded, as the queen shall please" and beheaded on February 12, 1554; Janey's abusive dad was beheaded on February 23.

Mom Frances was very good friends with Mary I and avoided the headsman. She quickly married a man half her age and settled down out of the political arena. Elizabeth, after she succeeded Bloody Mary, kept Sister Katherine Grey at court just for security purposes. Kate Grey was married to Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, in a secret ceremony and soon had a child. They were ordered separated in the Tower, yet she became pregnant once more and had two sons in total. She died when she was 27. Her husband lived to be 83.

Janey, you were wonderful and I mourn your death.

What have we learned from this unfortunate story? Kids should not be allowed to rule? Real estate agents are wont to hang out with kings (sorry, Ms. Bening)? Some people just lose their heads trying to get ahead? I think I like kings may say but biology rules the day. I just made that up. *G*

Well, go out and make someone a king yourself. Careful what you create out there. Remember Dr. Frankenstein.

Forward these to whomever but keep my name and email address intact.

Love and laughter,
Ells