The Many Faces of Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey was queen for only nine days yet many do not consider her queen because she did not have a coronation – however, Edward Plantagenet (son of Edward IV) was given the title of Edward V even though he did not have a coronation. So why don’t we refer to Jane as Queen Jane I of England? Both monarchs “reigned” for a very short period of time before they died. Edward’s death is a mystery while Jane’s death was ordered by Queen Mary I after she had no choice but to execute her “rival”.

In this article we focus on what Jane Grey looked like and which of the portraits available to us may closest resembles the “Nine Day Queen” we’ve been described.

Thank you to my friend Natalie over at On the Tudor Trail for sharing a guest post by Tamise Hills from Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide who found this contemporary description of Lady Jane Grey:

‘Today I saw Lady Jane Grey walking in a grand procession to the Tower. She is now called Queen, but is not popular, for the hearts of the people are with Mary, the Spanish QueenÂ’s daughter. This Jane is very short and thin, but prettily shaped and graceful. She has small features and a well-made nose, the mouth flexible and the lips red. The eyebrows are arched and darker than her hair, which is nearly red. Her eyes are sparkling and reddish brown in colour. I stood so near her grace that I noticed her colour was good but freckled. When she smiled she showed her teeth, which are white and sharp. In all a gracious and animated figure. She wore a dress of green velvet stamped with gold, with large sleeves. Her headdress was a white coif with many jewelsÂ….The new Queen was mounted on very high chopines to make her look much taller, which were concealed by her robes, as she is very small and short.Â’ – Baptisa Spinola, 10 July 1553

Here is another description of Jane’s intelligence – found on TudorPlace.com.ar:

Ascham described Jane in a letter of 1550:

“Yet I cannot pass over two English women, nor would I wish, my dear Sturmius, to pass over anything if you are thinking about friends to be borne in mind in England, than which nothing is more desirable to me. One is Jane Grey, daughter of the noble marquis of Dorset. Since she had Mary, queen of France as grandmother she was related very closely to our King Edward. She is fifteen years of age. At court I was very friendly with her, and she wrote learned letters to me: Last summer when I was visiting my friends in Yorkshire and was summoned from them by letters from John Cheke that I should come to court, I broke my journey on the way at Leicester where Jane Grey was residing with her father. I was straightway shown into her chamber: I found the noble young lady reading (By Jupiter!) in Greek, Plato’s Phaedo, and with such understanding as to win my highest admiration. She so speaks and writes Greek that one would hardly credit it. She has a tutor John Aylmer, one well versed in both tongues, and most dear to me for his humanity, wisdom, habits, pure religion, and many other bonds of the truest friendship. As I left she promised to write to me in Greek provided I would send her my letters written from the Emperor’s court. I am awaiting daily a Greek letter from her: when it comes I will send it on to you immediately.”

Of the above images, which do you believe resembles Jane the best from the description given?

Next, let’s compare the images of Jane with her sisters, Catherine and Mary. I picked the one I believed has the most similar features – you may believe otherwise and that is okay.

In 2007, Historian David Starkey believed he identified the only contemporary image of Lady Jane Grey.

 

 

 

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