Lady Jane Grey, a great-granddaughter of Henry VII, is known as the “Nine-Day Queen.” She remains one of history’s most tragic figures. Her brief and reluctant reign in 1553 is a story of profound scapegoating. Here, an innocent young woman is punished to protect more powerful men. Jane’s story illustrates how women in patriarchal societies are sacrificed when the tides of power shift.

The Political Context

To understand why Lady Jane Grey became a scapegoat, we should consider the turbulent political landscape of Tudor England. The young King Edward VI, a staunch Protestant, was on his deathbed without a male heir. His half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, were next in line, but Edward, fearing the Catholic Mary would reverse the Reformation, sought to change the succession. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland and Edward’s chief advisor, used this opportunity to consolidate his own power.

Northumberland arranged for Lady Jane Grey to marry his son, Lord Guildford Dudley. He then persuaded the dying king to name Jane as his successor. However, Jane herself was horrified upon being told she would be queen, and showed none of the ambition typically associated with usurpers.

The Fall of the Nine-Day Queen

When Edward VI died on 6 July 1553, Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed queen. However, the English people largely supported Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s eldest daughter and the legitimate heir. Mary quickly rallied support, marching towards London with a growing army. Faced with overwhelming opposition, the Privy Council, which had initially backed Jane, switched allegiance to Mary. Jane’s reign lasted only nine days before she was deposed and imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Once Mary took the throne, Jane became a convenient scapegoat. Northumberland was executed swiftly, but Mary recognised Jane’s innocence and wanted to spare her. However, a subsequent Protestant rebellion, Wyatt’s Rebellion, aimed at removing Mary and restoring Jane to the throne, changed everything. Though Jane had no involvement in the uprising, Mary sought to solidify her rule and send a clear message to her opponents. This was why she ordered Jane’s execution.

Scapegoating and the Burden of Blame

Scapegoating involves assigning blame to an individual to protect more powerful individuals. In Lady Jane Grey’s case, the blame for the succession crisis and the Protestant threat was placed squarely on her shoulders, despite her lack of agency in the events that unfolded. The true orchestrators of the plot: Northumberland, Jane’s own family, and even Edward VI, escaped scrutiny.

Jane’s execution was a public display meant to quell dissent and reinforce Mary’s authority. It demonstrated the lengths to which rulers would go to maintain power, even if it meant executing a teenage girl. By presenting Jane as a traitor, Mary Tudor deflected attention from her own precarious position as a Catholic monarch in a Protestant-leaning England. The act of executing Jane was less about justice and more about preserving the fragile stability of the realm.

Gender and Scapegoating

Jane’s story also highlights the gendered nature of scapegoating. As a young and relatively powerless noblewoman, she became an ideal scapegoat because she could not effectively defend herself. Her femininity and youth made her an easy target. During the Tudor period, societal expectations demanded that women remain obedient and passive. Jane’s reluctance to assume the crown and her lack of involvement in political schemes should have made her a sympathetic figure. However, in times of crisis, such nuances were easily overshadowed by the need for a clear villain. Jane’s execution served to create a narrative in which Mary’s actions could be seen as necessary and just.

Legacy and Historical Reassessment

In the centuries since her death, many historians have viewed Jane as a tragic victim of circumstance rather than a traitor. Her life has become a cautionary tale about the dangers of political ambition and the human cost of power struggles. As a scapegoat, her story is a reminder of how history often distorts the truth to serve the victorious.

Thus, her posthumous reputation has also shifted. Jane is seen as a teenage girl sacrificed for the misdeeds of others. Her story has been retold in literature and art as a lament for a young woman betrayed by those who should have protected her.

Conclusion

Lady Jane Grey’s life and death exemplify the concept of scapegoating in societies where instability is dealt with by sacrificing the vulnerable. Jane’s also shows how easily an innocent person’s reputation can be destroyed. Her legacy challenges us to question the narratives of history and to recognise the hidden costs of maintaining social and political order.