Do we have a true portrait of Lady Jane Grey?
Lady Jane Grey is a figure I’ve touched on before, and I made a modern version of her last year. We just recently made a full YouTube video about her life and appearance (check that out below) so I created this “in her own time” recreation for that video. I wanted to recreate her also from the Streatham portrait, which is said to be the closest possible link to Jane. It’s still disputed as a true likeness of the Nine Day Queen, but is generally accepted as a somewhat poor copy of a lost original. It dates from around 40 years after Jane’s death, and includes a “Lady Jayne” description, as well as clothing that matches Jane’s era.
Lady Jane Grey was 4th in line for the throne when she was born around October of 1537, but I’m sure that she never expected it to come down to her. King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour had just welcomed their son Edward that same month, and they were obviously expecting him to be the future King. Jane was raised as a ward in the household of Catherine Parr and Thomas Seymour. Catherine and Jane bonded over books, their Protestant faith, and their shared love of learning. In 1553, Jane’s father was named the Duke of Suffolk, bringing Jane back to the royal court. She was quickly arranged to marry Lord Guildford Dudley, the son of the leader of Edward VI’s regency council.
At the age of 15, King Edward fell ill. It soon became clear that he would not recover. Edward made a document that he called his “Devise for the Succession,” which had many revisions, but upon his death it skipped both of his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth, and gave the 16-year-old Lady Jane Grey the crown. Like Jane, King Edward VI was a devout protestant and he desired that England remain a Protestant country. This left Jane in an incredibly dangerous position.
The reluctant and terrified Jane only reigned for nine days before Mary I came to claim the throne. Jane and Guildford were soon arrested and locked in the Tower of London, where they would remain for many months. On February 11, 1554, Lady Jane Grey was executed at the Tower of London.
She is a tragic figure who didn’t deserve her fate. However, her strength and steadfast faith at the end of her life make her an admirable figure, and she has been viewed as a Protestant Marty for centuries.
“Streatham Portrait” - National Gallery of London. Public domain.