Expert: Joseph Logue - 12/15/2005

Question
Who ended Lady Jane Greys 9 day reign as Queen of England?

Answer
Hi Gary,

The rise of Mary Tudor (Queen Mary I) effectively ended the reign of Jane.  While Jane is almost always included in the story of the Tudors, she is not usually considered to have become queen in any real sense.  She is, however, listed on the Web site of the British Monarch (http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page44.asp).  If they consider her a queen, there can be no argument, I guess.

Jane did have a legitimate claim, chiefly by being named as successor by King Edward VI.  Jane was the granddaughter of Mary, the sister of Henry VIII.  Those in line before her -- Mary Tudor and Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots -- were both Roman Catholic.  Oddly, many of the biographies I looked at for this question make little mention of Elizabeth; there must have been great expectations that Mary Tudor would have children.

So, the English people's loyalty towards Mary, the desertion of the Council from Jane's cause, and the heavy-handed political maneuvers of Jane's father-in-law the Duke of Northumberland were all part of the shift away from Jane in favor of her cousin Mary.

Thanks for using AllExperts, Gary.  Come back soon.

Sincerely,

Joseph Logue