'Jane the Quene': the proclamation of Lady Jane Grey, 10 July 1553
- thedudleywomen
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On This Day (10 July) in 1553, Jane Grey, eldest daughter of Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk, the niece of Henry VIII, and her husband Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, was publicly proclaimed Queen of England. Edward VI had died on the evening of 06 July 1553, after suffering from over a year of ill-health. As soon as his death became known to his lead minister, Lord President of the Regency Council, John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, and his allies, quickly started to make arrangements in order to implement the wishes of the late king in regards to the succession of the English throne. Multiple members of the Dudley family and their close allies began to assemble at Syon House, an impressive property located in Isleworth, ten miles west of London, which had recently come into the possession of Northumberland (de Lisle, 2008). Practical preparations were also made, as contemporary diarist Henry Machyn notes that on 07 July, Sir James Croft, the Constable of the Tower of London was dismissed from his role, with Northumberland's allies taking control of the Tower (Nichols, 1848). [See THE DUDLEY WOMEN post: The Death of Edward VI - 06 July 1553']
!['Syon House' © anthonyuk [Flickr]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ed9b82_b75cde2ad929453495b0ee9a36706e7a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_784,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/ed9b82_b75cde2ad929453495b0ee9a36706e7a~mv2.jpg)
On 09 July, after being summoned from Chelsea Manor, Jane arrived at Syon House, accompanied by her sister-in-law Mary Dudley, Lady Sidney. She was still reportedly weak and in ill-health, having presented as such since her marriage weeks earlier. She was greeted by Northumberland, her parents and members of the Privy Council including John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, Lord Privy Seal. Speaking on behalf of the Council as Lord President, Northumberland announced the death of Edward VI three days previously, to which Jane expressed sorrow for the death of her kinsman. Then, in accordance with the late king’s wishes, as documented in his 'Devise for the Succession', Jane was then offered the crown of England, being informed that this had been agreed "by all the Lords of the Council, most of the peers and all the judges of the land", referring to the Letters Patent signed by over 100 men only two weeks previously. Jane was said to have accepted this offer reluctantly, initially falling on the floor and weeping with great sorrow, before 'submitting' to the will of Northumberland and her parents. In celebration and anticipation of the upcoming events, a great banquet was then held at Syon, hosted by Northumberland (Weir, 1996; Tallis, 2016).
The following morning, 10 July, Jane left Syon by barge, and made the journey east, back into the capital; she was accompanied by her parents, her husband Guildford Dudley, and mother-in-law Jane Guildford, Duchess of Northumberland. Jane initially broke her journey at Westminster, where she reportedly changed into more regal clothing, including a green velvet gown embroided with gold, finished with a jewelled white headdress. After this, she dined at the nearby Durham Place on The Strand: Northumberland's Westminster residence, and the location of her wedding only six weeks earlier. After the midday lunch, the barge procession continued its journey, arriving at the Tower of London at around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. After disembarking, Jane was greeted by Northumberland, who kneeled in front of his daughter-in-law, and handed her the keys to the Tower, a symbol of her new power and queenship (Tallis, 2016). The party then continued to the Tower gates: Jane and Guildford walking side-by-side, under a white canopy, shielding them from the hot afternoon sun, with her train being carried by her mother, described by de Lisle (2008, p.113) as "a striking visual reminder of how the correct order of things had been overthrown".
Jane and Guildford were taken to the Royal Apartments within the Tower complex, located next to the White Tower, where the couple planned to reside, as was tradition, before the coronation. These apartments consisted of bedchambers, a dining chamber and a presence chamber, in which to receive visitors and dignitaries. It was in this chamber that members of the Privy Council, including those who had presented themselves to Jane earlier at Syon House; William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, who once again swore their loyalty to Jane as queen (Weir, 1996; Tallis, 2016).
The Crown Jewels were brought to the Tower from their keeping-place at Westminster and presented to Jane by William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester, Lord High Treasurer. Jane was initially reluctant to have a crown placed on her head, but did so with encouragement; however, when comments were made regarding making another crown to fit Guildford, she did not respond: this was the first sign that Northumberland's plan for a joint coronation for his son Guildford and daughter-in-law Jane would not move forward in the way he intended. It was reportedly later that evening, when together alone in their private bedchamber, that Jane informed Guildford that she would reign as queen alone, and that she had no intention of him being crowned alongside her, as king or king consort. Jane offered to elevate the unpeered-Guildford as a Duke; Guildford responded poorly to this, petulantly running to his mother, Jane Guildford. The Duchess of Northumberland then descended on Jane, ignoring any royal protocol put in place in the last 24 hours, demanding her daughter-in-law meet her precious son's demands. Jane remained defiant in her decision, to which her in-laws's behaviours escalated, with Guildford being encouraged by his mother to "abstain from the bed". Guildford left the bedchamber, with the pair making threats to leave the Tower that evening, although was prevented from doing so (Weir, 1996).
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