Why Was Lady Jane Grey

In July 1559, Mary and Francis assumed the royal titles of King and Queen of France since Henry II had died. Her happiness was short, after she learned the death of her mother in June 1560. Six months later, her husband King Francis II was also dead. Mary was devastated and extremely depressed. In spite of these personal tragedies, Mary chose to return to Scotland although it was a different country from the one she had left 13 years ago. In Mary’s absence the Protestant party had gained power in Scotland by abolishing the authority of the pope and forbidding the celebration of the Mass.

On the other hand, Lady Jane was not as bold to lead others during her short reign. Lady Jane Grey only held power for a few days before meeting her demise along with her husband. As a woman in power, Lady Jane had a promising outlook to being Queen, but Mary I held this opportunity back because she was to inherit the position, not Lady Jane. Although, through Lady Jane’s writings, she was a very strong- willed person that was firm on what she believed, but this was not all she needed to become queen. Lady Jane wrote in a prayer, “O Lord, thou God and Father of my life, hear me, poor and desolate woman, which flieth unto thee only, in all troubles and miseries” (“Women in Power”, 673). This was a sign that she was admitting defeat in her reign of power and

The only child of James V of Scotland and his French-born wife Mary of Guise, I was born in December 1542 in the Linlithgow Palace as Mary Stuart. My Father died a six days after my birth, and then I became Mary, Queen of Scots, with my mother acting as a regent in my stead (Source 1). At just five years of age, I was betrothed to Henry VIII’s son, Edward, but my Catholic guardians were opposed to the match, and took me too Stirling Castle, breaking the agreement(Source 1). The Scots betrothed me to the son of Henry II, Francis, the four year old heir to the French crown, and sent me to be raised at his courts (Source 1). I loved him with a strong sisterly affection (Source 4) and he loved me as a brother would love a sister.

Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. She ¿˘claimed the throne of England at the of age 25 through the years (1558-1603).Elizabeth I marked one of the highest milestones in english monarch history. She became the first queen in european history to rule a state/country without a male companion. However because this was new idea and it didn't follow the bible directly, it stirred up many controversial opinions amongst the people of England during the 16th-17th century. Near the beginning of her reign a majority of people had the idea that a women should not hold such high power; However as time went on many individuals changed their minds about the idea of a female heir .

Throughout most of Mary’s life she had a unique relationship with Elizabeth Queen of England.

When Mary was the monarch of Scotland, the Calvinist nobles deposed of her, and she fled to England for safety (Spielvogel 408). Since she was the daughter of Henry VIII’s sister, Mary held a legitimate claim to the throne after Elizabeth. In fact, many Catholics saw Henry’s second marriage to Anne Boleyn as improper, making Mary the more fitting queen for England (Sifakis 1). Seeing opportunity in this woman who “had no intention of altering her faith,” the Catholics plotted to place her on the English throne (Black 68). They took part in many failed assassination plots on Elizabeth, one of them being the Babington Plot of 1586. This nefarious plan held Mary’s controversial involvement, leading to her trial, conviction, and execution (Sifakis 2). With a resolve “to end the threats to her regime,” Elizabeth ended her cousin’s life through a beheading (Spielvogel 408). Both Elizabeth’s decision to get rid of Mary and the construction of religious compromise were Machiavellian because of her pragmatic way of thinking to ensure a successful reign.

Elizabeth I’s ability to imprison allowed her to control parliamentary outcomes to some degree, in 1559 she imprisoned Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, leading to a loss of votes and the passing of the Act of Uniformity. This is a key example of how Elizabeth used her royal power to manage parliament, rid of awkward members and secure her desired outcome. The queen used her power to prorogue efficiently, such as during the push for the 1559 Religious Settlement. This gave Elizabeth time to plan and listen to the advice Cecil; allowing her to be careful and shrewd decisions when managing parliament. Elizabeth argued her status as a monarch to control Parliament’s demands. In 1556, the Commons petitioned Elizabeth to marry and name a successor, in which she stated “I am your anointed Queen, I will never be...constrained to do anything”; this effectively controlled Parliament and successfully forbade further discussion. Elizabeth’s success was further strengthened by her personal tactics in controlling parliament.

After Edwards’s death in 1553 his half-sister Mary I (1516-58) became Queen. Mary who was a devout Catholic began to undo the changes that Edward and Henry had started and set the nation back to the Catholic faith. During her reign (1553-1558) hundreds of Protestants, who refused to turn Catholic, were burned at the stake, this led to Mary acquiring the nickname ‘Bloody Mary’ (Steele & MacDonald, 2007).

Through her mother Frances Brandon, Lady Grey was the grandniece of Henry VIII and first cousin once removed of Edward VI. Jane’s parents both planned that she and her cousin, Edward VI, would marry (Lambert). It appears that even if the crown of England had ever fallen into the female line of descent from Henry VII, Jane could not have put in a rightful claim unless the issue of Henry VII's oldest daughter, Margaret Tudor, had become distinct. Margaret had married James IV of Scotland which eliminated her to hold such allegiance. According to the Second Act of Succession that was placed, Lady Jane would succeed to the English throne.

As things continued to heated-up between parliament and Mary’s father James II, she married the Dutch Protestant prince, William of Orange. William desperately feared an alliance between James II and the Catholic French King. William and Mary were prepared to lead armed forces into England and take over the throne. When James’ II second wife gave birth to a son who would be raised Catholic and be the heir to the throne, Parliament got worried. Seven members of parliament signed a letter asking Mary and William to bring an army and drive out James II.

In the beginning Jane seems a strong character who is very rebellious; In the Victorian times it was considered “deceitful” for a child too speak out. Jane wishes to overcome this. And she does when she says, “I must keep in good health, and not

Eventually, she reconciled with Elizabeth and she became the next heir to England after Mary’s death. Mary suffered many terrible misfortunes over her lifetime from her parent’s divorce to her belief she was pregnant twice. One of the

The long, lasting conflict between Queen Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots was the fight over the throne. Elizabeth and Mary we second cousins and Mary thought she deserve the crown. The conflict between Elizabeth and Mary ended up leading to Mary’s death.

Sixteenth century England experienced a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the Age of Queens. The decisive power of the country was placed in women’s hands and their reigns were watched with a reasonable doubt. There is contrast of rule in terms of reigns between Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth of England, both of whom were engaged in a protracted struggle for the English throne. Beside the legitimacy of their claims, there are more significant considerations which predestined them to either increase or lose their power. The rule and attitudes of the two monarchs bore significant influence upon the times in which they lived, including social, political and legal precedents which were being challenged and in some cases reversed. The fact that both Queens encountered situations of striking similarity, serves as a suitable example for a remarkable comparison, helping to analyze the lives of the two Queens and how their lives diverged as a result of such encounters and their actions thereafter. They were both Queens, struggling for the throne, they were women as well as rivals; they both had affairs with married men, however, one managed a narrow escape from the disgraceful situation, while the other failed to do so. Mary grew to hate Anne Boleyn, mother of Elizabeth, because he took the position of her mother Catharine as Queen of England. Before Elizabeth came to the scene, Mary was loved and was the only child of King Henry VIII of

Elizabeth’s older half-sister, Mary Tudor came to the throne. Mary, who was Catholic, earned the nickname "Bloody Mary". During the time that Bloody Mary was at the throne she married Philip of Spain, soon to be Philip the second. However Parliament blocked his accession to the English throne. She burned many Protestants at the stake. When rebels wanted to place Elizabeth on the throne Queen Mary had her arrested and sent to the Tower of London and later on to Woodstock. She remained imprisoned for five years until Mary, near death, named Elizabeth her successor. On March 17, 1558, the last Tudor monarch of England ascended the throne.