The Diary of Lady Jane Grey

July 10, 1553

July 10, 1553

I have received the strangest of news on this dreary morn.  King Edward VI, my dear great uncle.  He is gone.

Of course, I was terribly upset when I had heard, but I was more confused.  He, my great uncle, died at the age of fifteen, only six years after taking the throne!  It made me begin to think about age.  Why is it that I, a fifteen year old must respect the authority, King Edward, who is another fifteen year old?  I was born October of 1537, just as he was! But this is besides the point.  I am more shocked by his instructions.  You see, Edward was only fifteen when he dropped, but he had been ill for quite some time.  I think that he may have known his impending end.  When the news was announced, none of us were all too shocked, until the matter came about as to who would be queen next. 

They chose... me.

Who could be fit to rule the country at such a young age?  How was I to be a good monarch?  I am only fifteen!  I have no doubt my rule will be short, just as Edward's was.

Naturally, being as shocked as I was, I asked why I was to be made queen.  Naturally, as they needed a ruler, I didn't get an answer until much later in the day.

My husband of two months, Lord Guilford Dudley, perhaps I should call him Prince Guilford now, had told me about my family. My mother, Lady Frances Brandon, is the daughter of Mary Tudor.  Mary Tudor, my grandmother is the daughter of Henry VIII, king of England with his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.  And Henry VIII was king, just before Edward.

But what does that have to do with me?  Doesn't that mean Mary should be queen?  In fact, shouldn't she have been queen before me?  Before Edward?

Nary a sound was to be heard in the room when I posed this question.  I was told I was too young to know.  Too young??  I was the new queen of England!  Come to think of it, is it not I who is going to be the first queen?  Is it not I that must prove that women are powerful enough to rule?  I must set an example, those to come will see that we women are strong, we can rule this country.

I was later made aware of our country's situation.

It appears there has been a sort of informal war between the two forms of Christianity in our country.  I am a faithful protestant.  They saw that in me, and they liked it, bearing in mind that Henry VII, Henry VIII, and Edward VI were protestant.  Almost as if this were the beginning of a protestant dynasty, starting with our line, the house of Tudor.  That's why Mary couldn't be queen.  She was a catholic extremist, and the country needed to be under protestant rule at the moment.

But I still don't understand why I was made the next queen.  Why not my mum?  My dad?  Anyone with more experience than I?  Surely there are quite a few left in the House of Tudor.  I have spent much of my time in the royal court as my father was made the Duke of Suffolk, but I hardly believe that makes me qualified to be queen.

Perhaps it was because I was married off to the Duke of Northumberland's son?  But why not make the Duke of Northumberland's son the king then?

Several questions wrap themselves around my head today, and fear is rising in my heart.  I am in for a very scary reign.  Will I be as terrible as the previous Tudor rulers?  I am soon to find out.