It was the main way to get about in Tudor London. Tracy Borman – The Thames would have been like the M25, it would have been absolutely packed with barges, boats, vessels. Tracy Borman has come down to the river Thames to relive the events of that day. Northumberland was positioning Lady Jane safe within the greatest fortress in the land, in preparation for her coronation with his son by her side. He hastily put his plan into action and packed Lady Jane and his son, Guildford in a barge heading for the Tower. Within days Edward died and Northumberland informed Lady Jane that she was to be Queen of England. This controversial plan was kept such a close secret, that not even Lady Jane Grey herself, knew that she was heir to the throne. Narrator – As Edward lay dying, he was persuaded by Northumberland to make Lady Jane Grey the next Queen of England. She’d recently been forced to marry the son of the scheming Duke of Northumberland’s young son, Guildford Dudley. Narrator – Protestant and well educated, Lady Jane was just a teenager. Narrator – Changing the succession, so that the crown doesn’t pass to his elder half-sister, Mary, a Catholic but to his Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey and her family. Tracy Borman – You can tell how much Edward’s health has deteriorated by his handwriting, which has changed a lot from earlier in his reign. He is just 15 years old and he is changing the whole fate of England. Tracy Borman – This is written by the dying King, this is actually Edward’s handwriting. The problem was everyone with a claim to the throne was a woman and the one with the best claim, his half-sister, Mary was staunchly Catholic. Narrator – Edward was determined to keep the faith by finding a suitable Protestant male heir if he died. Narrator – It is a cold morning in February. The fifth episode of the second series of ‘Inside the Tower of London’ featured Lady Jane Grey and her brief reign.
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