Portrait could shed new light on England's executed nine-day queen

Washington Post

08-03-2025

She was Queen of England for just nine days before being executed at age 17, marking the shortest reign in British history.
Now new research suggests a portrait that has gone on display in Britain could be the only image of Lady Jane Grey painted in her lifetime, according to conservation group English Heritage.
The findings could shed new light on the story of the young queen, who reigned from July 10 to 19, 1553. The identity of the sitter in the image, which was painted by an unknown artist, has previously been subject to debate.
English Heritage's senior collections conservator, Rachel Turnbull, said expert analysis carried out in conjunction with a dendrochronologist, Ian Tyers, and the Courtauld Institute of Art is not conclusive but provides a 'compelling argument' it could be the young queen.
'From the newly discovered evidence of a once perhaps more elaborate costume and the dating of the wooden panel from within her lifetime, to the deliberate scratching of her eyes, it is possible that we are looking at the shadows of a once more royal portrait of Lady Jane Grey, toned down into subdued, Protestant martyrdom after her death,' she said.
Lady Jane was born in 1537, as the eldest daughter of Lady Frances and Henry Grey and was directly linked to King Henry VIII through her grandmother. She was named Queen of England following the death of Edward VI, who was the son of Henry VIII, in a bid to prevent the rise of her Catholic cousin, Mary Tudor, to the throne, according to English Heritage.
She arrived at the Tower of London for her coronation but was soon taken as the prisoner of Mary I, who claimed the throne for herself. She was executed at the Tower of London on Feb. 12, 1554, at 17 years old, according to Britain's Historic Royal Palaces.
One of the most famous images of Lady Jane is Paul Delaroche's 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' which is in Britain's National Gallery. It shows her dressed in white and blindfolded in front of an execution block, while a man stands to her side with an ax; however, it was painted centuries after her death and exhibited in 1834.
The newly analyzed painting has previously been part of the historical collection at Wrest Park country estate, where it went on display Friday. The 1830s property that contains an orangery and vast formal gardens has served as a filming location for Netflix shows 'Bridgerton' and 'The Crown.'
The English Heritage research team found that dendrochronological analysis (a wood-dating technique) of the painted wooden panel suggests it dates to between 1539 and about 1571. The back also displays a mark identical to that used on a royal portrait of King Edward VI, the team said.
Infrared reflectography shows the costume of the person painted was changed significantly after it was completed, researchers said, adding that this may have been done to obscure a more decorative outfit underneath and that it matches outfits worn by Lady Jane in other images.
The linen cap on the sitter's hair has also been altered, as have the eyes, analysis shows. 'At some point in the painting's lifetime, the eyes, mouth and ears were also deliberately scratched out,' researchers said, in what they believe is likely to have been a religious or politically motivated attack.
However, J. Stephan Edwards, an independent researcher specializing in Lady Jane and her portraiture, said that although the findings are interesting, 'I don't believe any of it is compelling evidence that the sitter could be Jane Grey.'
He previously argued the sitter was Mary Neville Fiennes, Lady Dacre, in a 2013 article published in the British Art Journal. 'It is a discussion, and there are no definitive conclusions,' he said, but he believes his findings are 'more persuasive' than the 'supposed new evidence.'
Edwards said the dendrochronological findings are 'noncontributory' to the debate, as he already believed the painting was done around the same time. While reflectography images show changes have been made, he did not think they were significant enough to 'change the identification of the sitter.'
Furthermore, the lack of provenance and the simple pearl necklace worn by the sitter is an 'enormous red flag.' 'That total absence of jewels tells me that this is a woman who is not of the same social and economic status as Jane Grey,' Edwards said, adding that the notion that Lady Jane Grey dressed modestly is part of 'modern mythology.'
English Heritage's curator at Wrest Park, Peter Moore, said the painting had been acquired by Anthony Grey, 11th Earl of Kent, in 1701 and was regarded as the 'defining image' of Lady Jane Grey until it was called into doubt following the British Art Journal article. 'It is thrilling to have this painting back at Wrest, and the new research provides tantalizing evidence which brings us much closer to the assertion that this could be Lady Jane Grey,' he said.