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Proclamation Of Lady Jane Grey as Queen of England, 1553

Note on the e-text: this Renascence Editions text was transcribed in September 2001 by Heather Ward, University of Oregon Libraries. Content unique to this presentation is copyright © 2001 The University of Oregon. For nonprofit and educational uses only. Send comments and corrections to the Publisher.

Ane by the grace of God Quene of England, Fraunce And Ireland, defendor of the faith, & of the Church of Englande, & Also of  Irelande vnder Christ in earth the supreme head. To al our most louing, faithfull, and obedient subiects, and to euery of them greting. Where our moste dere cousin Edwarde the vi. late King of England, Fraunce and Ireland, defendour of the faith, and in Earth the supreme head vnder Christ of the Church of Englande And Irelande, by his letters patentes signed with his owne hand, And sealed with his great seale of Englande, bearing date of xxi. day of June, in the vii. yere of his reigne, in the presence of the most parte of his nobles, his counsailours, Judges, and diuerse others graue, and sage personages for the profite and suretie of the whole realme therto assenting, and subscribing their names to the same, hath by the same his Lettres Patentes recited, that forasmuch as the Imperiall croune of this realme, by an Acte made in the xxxv. yere of the reigne of the late King of woorthy memory King Henrie the viii. our progenitour, and great uncle, was for lacke of issue of his bodie lawfullie begotten, and for lacke of issue of the bodie of our saide late cosin King Edwarde the vi. by the same act limited, and appointed to remaine to the Ladie Marie, by the name of the ladie Marie his eldest Daughter, and to the Heires of her bodie lawfully begotten, and for default of such issue, the remainder therof to the Ladie Elizabeth, by the name of the Ladie Elizabeth his seconde Daughter, and to the heires of her bodie lawefully begotten, with such condicions, as shoulde be limited, and appointed by the saied late King of woorthie memorie, King Henrie theight our progenitour, and great vncle by his letters patentes vnder his great Seale, or by his last wil in writing signed with his hande. And forasmuch as the saied limitation of Thimperial croune of this realme, being limited (as is aforesaid) to the said Ladie Marie, and Ladie Elizabeth being illegitimate, and not lawfully begotten, for that that the mariage had betweene the saied late King, King Henrie theight our progenitour, and great vncle, and the Ladie Katherine mother to the saied Ladie Marie, & also the mariage had betwene the saied late king, King Henrie theight our progenitor and great vncle, and the ladie Anne mother to the saied ladie Elizabeth, were cleerely, and lawfully vndone by sentences of deuorces, according to the woorde of God, and the Ecclesiasticall lawes: And which saied seueral deuorcements have beene seuerally ratified, & confirmed by auctoritie of parlament, and especiallie in the xxviii.yere of the reigne of King Henrie theight our said progenitor, and great vncle, remaining in force, strength, and effect, wherby aswel the said Ladie Marie, as also the said Ladie Elizabeth, to all ententes, and purposes, are, and been cleerely disabled, to aske, claime, or chalenge the saied Imperiall croune, or any other of the honours, castelles, manours, Lordshippes, lands, tenements, or other hereditaments, as heire, or heires to our said late cosin King Edward the vi.or as heire, or heires to any other person, or persons whosoeuer, aswel for the cause before rehearsed, as also for that that the saied Lady Marie, and Lady Elizabeth were vnto our saied late cosin but of the halfe bloud, and therefore by the ancient lawes. statutes, and customes of this realme be not inheritable vnto our saied late Cosin, although they had beene borne in lawefull Matrimonie, as in dede they were not, as by the saied sentences of deuorce, and the saied statute of the xxviii.yere of the reigne of King Henrie the eight our saied progenitor and great Uncle, plainly appeareth.
        And forasmuch also as it is to be thought, or at the least, much to be doubted, that if the saied ladie Marie, or ladie Elizabeth should hereafter haue, & enjoy the said Imperial croune of this realm and should then happen to marry with any Stranger borne out of this realme, that then the same Stranger hauing the gouernmente and the Imperiall Crowne in his handes, would adhere and practise, not onely to bring this noble free realme, into the tirannie and seruitude of the Bishoppe of Rome, but also to haue the lawes and customes of his or their own natiue countrey or countreys to be practised, and put in vre within this realme, rather then the laws, statutes, and customes here of long time vsed, wherupon the title of inheritance of all and singular the subiects of this realme dooe depend, to the peril of conscience, and the vtter subuersion of the common weale of this realme wherupon our saied late dere cosin weighing and considering with himselfe, what waies and meanes were most conuenient to be had for the stay of the said succession in the saied Imperiall croune, if it should please God to call our said late cosin out of this transitory life, hauing no issue of his body, and calling to his remembrance that wee and the Lady Katherine, and the Lady Mary our sisters, being the daughters of the lady Fraunces our natuerall mother, and then and yet wife to our naturall & most louing father Henrie Duke of Suffolke, and the lady Margaret: daughter of the lady Elianour then deceassed sister of the said lady Fraunces, and the late wife of our cosin Henrie Erle of Comberland, were very nigh of his graces bloud, of the part of his fathers side our said progenitour and great vncle, and being naturally borne here within the realme, and for the very good opinion our said late cosin had of our, and our said sisters and cosin Margarets good education, did therefore vpon good deliberation and aduise heerin had and taken, by his said Letters Patents declare, ordre, assigne, limit, and appoinct, that if it should fortune himselfe our said late cosin king Edward the sixt to decease, hauing no issue of his body lawfully begotten, that then the saied Imperiall croune of England and Ireland, and the confines of the same, and his title to the croune of the realme of France, and all and singular honors, castles, prerogatiues, priuiledges, preheminences, aucthorities, iurisdictions, dominions, possessions, and hereditaments, to our said late cosin King Edward the sixt, or to the said Imperiall croune belonging, or in any wise appertaining, should for lacke of such issue of his body remain, come, and be unto the eldest sonne of the body of the said lady Fraunces lawfully begotten, being borne into the world in his life time, and to the heires males of the body of the same eldest sonne lawfully begotten, and so from sonne to sonne as he should be of auncienty in birth, of the body of the said lady Fraunces lawfully begotten, being borne into the world in our said late cosins life time, and to the heires males of the boy of euery such sonne lawfully begotten:and for default of such sonne borne into the world in his life time, of the body of  the said lady Fraunces lawfully begotten, and for lack of heires males of euery such sonne lawfully begotten, that then the sayd Imperial croune, and all & singular other the premisses should remain, come, and be to us, by the name of lady Jane, eldest daughter of the said lady Fraunces, & to the heires males of our body lawfully begotten, and for lacke of such heire male of our body lawfully begotten, that then the sayd Imperial croune, and all other the premisses should remain, come, & be to the sayd lady Katherine our sayd second sister, and the heires males of the boy of the sayd lady Katherine lawfully begotten, with diuerse other remainders, as by the same letters patents more plainly & at large it may and doeth appere. Sithens the making of which letters patents, that is to say on Thursday, which was the vi. day of this instant moneth of July, it hath pleased God to cal to his infinite mercy our sayd most dere & entirely beloued cosin Edard the vi. whose soule God pardon, & forasmuch as he is now deceased, hauing no heires of his body begotten, & that also there remaineth at this present time no heires lawfully begotten of the body of our sayd progenitor, and great vncle king Henrie theight, and forasmuch also as the sayd lady Fraunces our sayd mother, had no issue male begotten of her body, and borne into the worlde, in the life time of our saied cosin King Edward the sixth, so as the saied Imperiall croune, and other the premisses to the same belonging, or in any wise appertayning, now be, and remaine to vs in our actuall, and royall possession by auctority of the sayd letters patents: wee doe therefore by these presents signifie vnto all our most louing, faithfull, and obedient subiects, that like as we for our part shall, by Goddes grace, shew our selfe a most gracious, and benigne Souuereine Queene, and Lady to all our good Subiects in all their iust, and lawfull sutes, and causes, and to the vttermost of our power shal preserue and maintaine Gods most holy word, christian policy, and the good laws, customes, and liberties of  these our realmes & dominions: So we mistrust not, but they, and euery of them wil again see their partes, at all times, and in all cases shew themselues vnto vs their naturall liege Queene, and Lady, most faythfull, louing, and obedient subiects, according to their bounden duties, and allegeaunces, whereby they shall please God, and doe the thing that shall tend to their own preseruations, and sureties: Willing, and commanding all men of all estates, degrees, and condicions, to see our peace, and accord kept, and to bee obedient to our Lawes, as they tender our fauor, and will answere for the contrary, at their exreme perils. In witnes whereof, wee haue caused these our letters to bee made patents. Witnesse our selfe at our Towre of London, the tenth day of Julie, in the first yeere of our reigne.

Renascence Editions