On the death of King Edward, Lady Jane Grey, a descendant of Henry
VII, and a relative of Edward VI, was persuaded by her father-in-lawe,
the Duke of Northumberland, to assume the crown, which had been left
to her by the will of the late King.
Edward's object in naming Lady Jane was to secure a Protestant
successor, since his elder sister, Mary, was a zealous Catholic, while
from his younger sister, Elizabeth, he seems to have been estranged.
By birth, though not directly by Henry VIII's will, Mary was without
doubt the rightful heir.[1] Queen Mary received the support of the
country, and Lady Jane Grey and her husband, Lord Dudley, were
arrested and sent to the Tower of London.
[1] Table showing the respective claims of Queen Mary and Lady Jane
Grey to the crown. By his last will Henry VIII left the crown to
Edward VI, and (in case he had no issue) to his daughters, Mary and
Elizabeth, followed by the issue of his sister Mary. Edward VI's will
undertook to change this order of succession.
Henry VII
1 2 | 3 4
--------------=-------------------------------------
| H | |
Arthur, b. 1486 Henry VIII Margaret Mary, m.
d. 1502, no H | Charles Brandon
issue ======================= James V of |
H H H Scotland, Frances
Mary, b. Elizabeth, Edward VI, d. 1542 Brandon, m.
1516, d. 1558 b. 1533, b. 1538, | Henry Grey
d. 1603 d. 1553 Mary Queen |
of Scots, JANE GREY,
b. 1542, m. Lord
d. 1587 Guilford Dudley,
| beheaded 1554
|
James VI of Scotland
and I of England,
crowned 1603