THIS MONTH... 1553
On 9 July 1553, Lady Jane Grey was called to Syon House, her father-inlaw’s opulent home near London, to receive life-changing news. As she entered the building and saw a throng of courtiers gathered, her body started to shake.
When her father-in-law escorted her to the throne and told her that she was to be the next queen of England, the crowd around her dropped to their knees – and Jane fell to the floor in a dead faint.