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The Tower of London, October, 1562

At first sight the woman's rooms could be mistaken for the comfortable apartment of a young lady of the court. Whilst not luxurious it was warm with a goodly fire in the grate. The bed had hangings and there were chairs offering further respite for the rooms occupant. However you could not really ignore the heavy locks on the door, the narrow windows and the cold stone walls.

The fair haired and attractive woman who was clearly with child stood near the fire only slightly trembling, perhaps more from fear than cold, as she regarded the men who entered the room.
He pet dogs drew near her skirts and her monkey hid at the top of the bed frame.
The gentlemen approached with heavy tread and knelt before the woman.

"Master Secretary," the woman said, "I hope you bring something to cheer me rather than dread news to chill me further,"

"Madam, the Queen is dead, long live the Queen," were his only words

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Catherine Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc

All three men - William Cecil, the Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker and the Constable of the Tower, Sir Edward Warner - knelt as one proclaiming their recent prisoner Catherine Grey as Queen of England, France and Ireland.

The young Queen was shocked and nervous at the arrival of the men and insisted on her husband, the Earl of Hertford, and her uncle Sir John Grey being brought to her before she would acknowledge her accession fearing it a trap to force her to treason and her own death.

"The Queen would not have wished it for me," was her response acknowledging her poor relationship with her older cousin Elizabeth I.

The law was clear she was told by virtue of the will of her Great Uncle King Henry VIII and the council's refusal to accept anything other than a Protestant accession.

In fact the council had debated for hours as Elizabeth I lay dying with some favoring the Scots Queen, the direct nearest relation of the late Elizabeth. However Cecil and others had prevailed - the law was clear he argued and could support the outcome most desired a Protestant succession with a guaranteed male heir - the validity of Catherine's marriage could he said be overcome.

The new Queen was immediately removed to the Royal Apartments at the Tower and summons were issued in her name for a Parliament - with an additional explanation attached explaining her right to the throne.

Sir William Cecil was confirmed as secretary by the young Queen whose next acts were to proclaim her infant son Edward Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and to restore her husband to his father's Duchy of Somerset with precedence over all other Lords of the Realm. On Cecil's advice she did not name him King and gave him no authority.

Her embarrassed Archbishop explained how the church would move to formally declare her marriage to be valid in order to clarify the succession - stating that he bore Her Majesty no ill will and had been urged to it only at the demand of the late Queen.

Whilst Catherine appointed her household under the advice of her step grandmother Catherine Willoughby Duchess of Suffolk now Mistress of the Robes, plans were being made for her coronation and the birth of her second child.

North of the border the news of Catherine's accession was met with fury though.

Mary Queen of Scots was in the midst of putting down the rebellion of Lord Huntley and his supporters but had no other view than she was the legal heir of her cousin Elizabeth.

She immediately issued orders to change her Royal Style to include the Crown of England. Furthermore in letters sent to the English Council she pointed out the late Queen had "given her word she would do naught to disparage our rights to the crown of England".

Mary was in a precarious position - the Huntley's were Catholic and Mary was supporting her Protestant half brother in their destruction - a fact not likely to appeal to many English Catholics particularly in the North who might have rallied to her support on the death of Elizabeth and the decision of the council to proclaim Catherine Grey as Queen.

Some would in the next few months look to the only other obvious claimant the Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, the last surviving granddaughter of Henry VII.
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