On this day in history, 10th July 1553, the new monarch, Queen Jane, formerly Lady Jane Grey, was received at the Tower of London, accompanied by her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley, and proclaimed queen.
'Merchant-taylor of London' and diarist Henry Machyn records this event in his diary:
"The x day of July was reseyvyd in to the Towre [the Queen Jane] with a grett compeny of lords and nobulls of . . . . . after the qwen, and the duches of Suffoke her mother, bering her trayn, with mony lades, and ther was a shot of gunnes and chamburs has nott be sene oft be-tweyn iiij and v of [the clock]; by vj of the cloke be-gane the proclamasyon the same [after-]non (of) qwen Jane with ij harold(s) and a trompet blohyng, [declaring] that my lade Mare was unlafully be-gotten, and so [went through] Chepe to Fletstrett, proclamyng qwen Jane; and ther was a yong man taken that tym for spykyng of serten wordes of qwen Mare, that she had the ryght tytle."
Here he describes Jane being received at the Tower of London, between 4 and 5 o'clock and with a large number of lords, nobles and ladies, and her mother, Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, carrying her train. She was greeted with a gun salute. Then, before 6 o'clock had struck, a trumpet blew and two heralds declared that Edward VI's half-sister Mary was "unlawfully begotten" and proclaimed that Jane was queen. The heralds then moved on to Cheapside and Fleet Street, proclaiming their message again.
The last sentence regarding a young man, is about this young man speaking out and declaring that Mary was the rightful queen. Machyn records the lad's fate:
"The xj day of July, at viij of the cloke in the mornyng, the yonge man for spykyng was sett on the pelere, and boyth ys heres cutt off [...]"
Yes, he was put in a pillory and his ears were cut off.
Trivia: Lady Jane Grey is often called "The Nine Day Queen" due to her being proclaimed queen on 10th and being deposed on 19th July, but her reign actually runs from Edward VI's death on 6th July 1553. She should be called "The Thirteen Day Queen".
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