Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide

Should Jane be known as Lady Jane or Queen Jane?

Posted on 10th September 2026 by ladyjanegreyreference

Elizabeth Norton (author of ‘The Lives of Tudor Women’)

British history does not have enough reigning queens, so I’m all for including both Jane and her distant predecessor, Empress Matilda. It is always pleasing to see one, or both of these remarkable women included in lists of monarchs. Jane’s reign was, of course, brief, and her legitimacy highly debatable, but for a brief moment she wore the crown. If we include Edward V (another uncrowned monarch whose claim to the crown was challenged) then there is no reason not to include Jane. For that reason, I think we should call her Queen Jane.

Joanne Paul (author of ‘The House of Dudley’)

Jane was proclaimed queen by the Council and recognised by (at least some) foreign powers. That is enough to make her queen (the precedent of Edward V is helpful here).

Posted in 25 years of Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide | Tagged 25 years, Elizabeth Norton, Joanne Paul, Queen or Lady | Comments Off

Books 2026 – a book that features Lady Jane…

Posted on 10th September 2026 by ladyjanegreyreference

1 October – The Stolen Crown by Tracy Borman

‘The Stolen Crown explodes the myth of a peaceful, approved succession from Elizabeth I to James VI of Scotland. As revelatory new research shows, history was literally re-written on the orders of James VI to hide the truth: Elizabeth went to her grave without formally naming an heir.

And so James’s rule in England began with a lie – a lie that went on to have devastating consequences. The Stuart regime rapidly descended into turbulence and uncertainty, conspiracy and persecution, witchcraft and gunpowder, culminating in the destruction of the monarchy in the English Civil War.

With a combination of rigorous research and brilliant storytelling, Tracy Borman’s revealing new book shows that truth and monarchy have always been strange bedfellows…’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Hodder

Further details – Amazon.co.uk

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Should Jane be known as Queen Jane or Lady Jane?

Posted on 9th September 2026 by ladyjanegreyreference

Mickey Mayhew (author of ‘House of Tudor: A Grisly History’)

I do think she should be known as ‘Queen Jane’ but you’ll find perhaps that the ‘Lady Jane Grey’ tag will be hard to shift in popular public perception.

Amy McElroy (author of ‘Mary Tudor: Queen of France’)

Whilst most of us the reference Lady Jane Grey, she was proclaimed queen therefore regardless of the fact that she did not have a coronation, she was a queen. I believe Jane was queen for 13 days. If we look at other reigns within the Tudor period they all begin on the date the former monarch died, not the date of the proclamation. Edward VI died on 6 July 1553 and at that point the council began acting as Jane’s council even whilst she was unaware she was too become queen. Although he proclamation was not made until 10 July I believe she was queen for 13 days.

Posted in 25 years of Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide | Tagged 25 years, Amy McElroy, Mickey Mayhew, Queen or Lady | Comments Off

Should Jane be known as Queen Jane or Lady Jane?

Posted on 8th September 2026 by ladyjanegreyreference

Matt Lewis (author of ‘The Survival of the Princes in the Tower’)

I think I’d accept Jane being the nine-day queen. Usually, the next monarch would, after 1272, succeed immediately on the death of their predecessor. That is usually accompanied by an immediate proclamation. The delay in proclaiming Jane as queen between 6 July and 10 July points to the uncertainty over who was legally qualified to succeed. So, I think there was effectively an interregnum for four days until that question was (at least initially) settled.

Leanda de Lisle (author of ‘The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: The Tragedy of Mary, Katherine and Lady Jane Grey’)

‘She was Lady Jane DUDLEY – not Grey, since she was married, and not Queen, as she was never accepted as such by parliament as every monarch since Edward IV had been.’