Lady Jane Grey

            What should I say about Lady Jane Grey?  The book by Faith Cook is well composed.  It made me feel more historically knowledgeable about the Kings and Queens and how they came to be crowned in England.  A family tree not easily followed.  I am not much of a reader, especially of history (go ahead and judge me now), so I made myself keep reading through several sections.  The middle and end were the best (meaning most interesting and directly about Lady Jane).  I understand the necessity of giving background history and information about the surrounding people, and I    appreciate it also.  But my rebellious intellect almost did not. 
               The self-focused motives of basically every royal head lead to outright evil behavior.  If one person was not committing adultery, they were plotting how to accuse someone else of it, or of leaving the Catholic church (even though many hardly had any kind of actual religion except self worship), or being an illegitimate child, etc. Lady Jane Grey was an exception, but her parents were not.  They promised her hand to the future King Edward, who Jane was an equal to in intellect, faith and age, only later to sell her to Guilford who she later did marry. 
The Queen Mary and her sister Katherine were the rightful heirs in front of Lady Jane.  King Edward (the one Jane was suppose to marry and with whom she was friends) was a Protestant man, unlike the countless mass going royalties, who became King at age 9. But upon his deathbed, he signed an act that named Lady Jane to take over the throne.  Both Mary and Katherine had been labeled as illegitimate, Kind Edward affirmed that and declared Jane to be the next reigning royalty.  She fainted at the news of his death and her immediate future.  She had the option to reject it, but after praying on the spot and feeling as if the Lord could be giving her this position, she was crowned.  Lady Jane Grey was Queen Jane for 9 days.  Mary had been anticipating her reign and so had a large majority of the population.  Jane was overthrown.  Because she accepted the crown when it "rightfuly" was Mary's as well as her strong Protestant faith, the execution of Lady Jane was expected.  She was put under house arrest.  Queen Mary did not wish to do the fair lady harm.  If Lady Jane would recant her biblical beliefs and "return" to the Catholic faith she would be excused. 
           She is best known as the Tudor Pawn and that is exactly what she was.  Because of the people's strong dedication to King Henry VIII they wanted Mary as their Queen and that is what they got.  Lady Jane was executed like many other Queen's in the tragic and twisted ways of the throne. 
The story of her strong faith is why the book is worth reading.  The last part of the book was my favorite because it showed her faith was real and her wits were sharp (and she was sixteen).  Queen Mary sent Feckenham, the Catholic priest, to "save" her.  Their debate lead them to a deep but quick friendship.  He said that she could have been the teacher and him the student.  Neither convinced each other theologically and both confidently told each other of the others destination.  Fechenham was one out of a few that saw her for who she was with great respect.  Others who did were some reformed theologians who corresponded regularly with Lady Jane in her young years.  She was very well educated, perhaps the only good thing she recieved from her parents, and blessed to have a personal tutor who taught her the Scriptures leading to her strong belief in justification by faith in Christ alone.  Nothing, even her immediate execution would cause her to back down from the truth.
She watched her husband walk past her tower and be killed in utter fear.  She then walked the same path and laid her head down, alone, and met her Maker.  Her death was unjustifed but her soul was not.