Standing for the Faith

Of all the tragedies of the English Reformation, few are as poignant as the case of Lady Jane Grey. At the age of 15, she became a tool in the hands of her powerful relatives who persuaded the dying King Edward to proclaim Jane Grey as his heir to the throne, thereby disinheriting Edward's older sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. For nine days, Jane Grey was treated as the Queen, but Mary succeeded in gaining the power. Ultimately, Jane's perseverance in the doctrine of the Protestant Reformation meant that Mary could not allow her to live, and she ordered Jane Grey's execution.