According the the Julian Calendar, it was on a Monday, on the twelfth day of the month of February, in the year of our Lord 1554, that the nine days Queen of England, Lady Jane Grey, was beheaded at Tower Hill, an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, and went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lady Jane was about the age of eighteen when she died. Before being executed, and after she placed her head on the chopping block, her last words were the same as the last words of Jesus, as recounted in the Gospel of Luke:
"Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!"
In her youth, Lady Jane was able to receive a comprehensive education that included studies in Latin, Greek and Hebrew as well as contemporary languages. It was during these lessons that her tutors would lead Lady Jane to a true knowledge of Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Lady Jane would become a serious student of the Bible, and was able to read it in the original languages.
When King Henry VIII died, his only son, Edward VI, assumed the throne of England at the age of nine years old. King Edward and Lady Jane were cousins. There was an attempt by some, including Jane's father, to have Edward marry Jane, but nothing came of it. During Edwards short reign of six years, he would make changes to the Church of England that were more of a religious nature than one of a political one as his father, King Henry VIII did. Edward, like his cousin Jane, was a true evangelical Christian. Unfortunately, for England, Edward would died at the age of fifteen.
After Edwards death, there was an attempt to keep Henry VIII's oldest daughter, Mary Tudor, from ascending to the throne of England. Many Protestants knew that if Mary would become queen, as a devout Roman Catholic, that she would attempt to place England back under the rule of the Roman Pontiff. Jane's father, and other men of high positions in the court and government, unknown to Jane, carried out a conspiracy to put Jane on the throne in order to keep England a Protestant nation. Some of these men, like her father, did this move just for self gain. Lady Jane did hold the throne for nine days. Mary was able to gain enough support from the people and officials to gain her place on the throne of England. Lady Jane's reign, and the conspiracy were quickly over.
As her cousin, Queen Mary had no desire to see Jane executed. Even though, as a devout Roman Catholic, she did not agree with Jane's protestantism, she had great affection for Jane. Mary's counsel advised her though that as long as Jane lived that she could be used as a rallying point for any further rebellions to overthrow Mary's reign on the throne. With a heavy heart, Mary agreed that Jane should be executed.
Before Jane would be executed, Queen Mary attempted to convince Jane that she should return to the Roman Catholic Church. As an attempt to do this, Mary sent the church scholar John Feckenham to convince Jane of the "errors" of her ways. It has been reported that after one of his debates with Jane that Feckenham was to say, "She should be my tutor than I hers." Lady Jane never did waver in her faith, or deny her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
SELAH
Matthew 10:32-33
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
but whoever denies me before men, I will deny before my father who is in heaven. (ESV)
Matthew 10:32-33
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