Was Lady Jane Grey really Queen of England

On this day, in 1553, a young woman with a sharp brain and a dash of royal blood found herself in a unique position. The Crown of England was offered to her and Lady Jane Grey stood on the brink of becoming the country's first female regnant. She accepted, unwillingly she said, and entered the Tower of London to prepare for a coronation that never took place. Nine days later, she was deposed and just seven months later, she was executed at the fortress she never left again. But should we count Jane as a Queen of England?

Lady Jane Grey is asked to accept the Crown in a romanticised painting of her accession

It's a question that has fascinated historians in all the many years that have passed since that fateful day when Lady Jane Grey was placed on the throne by ambitious relatives. She was probably no more than sixteen years old and had spent much of her life immersed in books, learning about the reformed religion she so loved and which had turned her from royal cousin to queen material. For she had been nominated to take the throne by her cousin, Edward VI, who had also been passionate about Protestantism and who had alighted on Jane as the ideal candidate for the Crown as his own young life ebbed away in the summer of 1553. Whether he had made that choice by himself or with the help of the powerful and ambitious men who surrounded him isn't really known. What is clear is that on July 10th 1553, four days after the young king's death, Jane was told her cousin was no more and that his throne now belonged to her.

Mary I took the throne on July 19th 1553

She later said she had never wanted the Crown but that same day she entered the Tower of London, the traditional residence of monarchs awaiting their Coronation. In the nine days that followed, she saw any form of support for her rule ebb away quickly as Edward VI's half sister, Mary, began her own charge for power. By July 19th, Mary had been declared Queen of England while Jane remained in the Tower of London, now a prisoner rather than a monarch. Her own story had a tragic end as she was executed on February 12th 1554. But her legacy remains fascinating. Was Jane really Queen of England? Yes, she was proclaimed as such but there was no coronation and little public support. However, kings including Edward V and Edward VIII were never crowned but are still counted as monarchs. However, both were first in line to the throne that they ascended whereas Jane had several people with better claims to rule than her and only found herself as a queen because of the machinations of others. Her brief time as a monarch was more of a power play than a reign and, as such, I have never counted her among England's queens. I'd love to hear from you if you agree or don't. Either way, July 10th remains the anniversary of a major moment in English history. It might not have been the start of the first queen regnant's rule but it ensured that the country had a female monarch within weeks.