The Washington herald., 1916-05-21
YOUR WEDDING DAY
And the Famous Men and Women
Who Have Shared L.
May 2l-Lady Jane Grey and Lord
Guildford.
By MARY MARSHALL
toopught, lasl


The story OF the marriage OF Lord
Gulldtord Dudley is the story Of greedy
ambition cruelty thwarted No doubt
every bridegroom who goes to the altar,
not for love Of the bride, but for the
love Of the fortune or position hat she
brings him, soon learns 70 rue the we'd
ding DAY: but in the case Of Gunford
Dudley he paid the price OF ambition with
] his own life. Before he had celebrated
his first wedding anniversary he BENT his
head to the aXeman in one Of the most
useless Of all royalty ordained execI-
tions.
As matter OF fact Guildford Dudley
was not to blame. The ambition that led
him TO wed Lady Jane was not his own
so much as that Of his parents. He was
but twenty years old and the 1-ide he
was led TO wed was four years his
Junior. There were many reasons 70 be-
lleVe that Jane would succeed her cousin,
King Edward VI, as ruler OF England,
and II was with the hope Of making their
son the royal consort that the ambitious
parents OF Guildford Dudley negotiated
( the luckless marriage. At the time tie
young svitor is described in glowing
terms. He was tall. well built, Of very
fair complexion with soft brown eyes Of
peculiar tenderness. Lady Jane, who
seems pretty enough, as she smiles out
from the quaint Portraits Of the TIM,
was not regarded as much Of a beauty.
! Contemporary chrOniclers are frank
enough to inform US that she vqs
freckled. and she was so small that she
wore chopines, or stilted shoes, so that
she might appear much taller than she
really was.
Jane might have loved her handsome
young husband-and indeed some his
torical-novel writer's have IL that she
dld But as matter Of fact she pro-
tested against the union and only
yielded when she was told that the
king, her cousin. had commanded it.
II is quite likely that she really loved
the young earl OF Hertford, TO whom
she had previously been betrothed and
whom she had known from early child
hood.
Still the wedding was as gay and
FESTIVE as II every one was very happy
over it It was before the day when
brides assumed the custom Of wearing
white wedding gowns and we are told
that Lady Jane wore a headdress OF
green velvet set round with precious
stones HCr gown was OF cloth OF
gold, relieved by a mantle Of silver,
Her hair hung down her back In a
way then unknown TO ladies Of
qualities" Although the bride her
self did not wear white. she was at
tended by sixteen young maidens dress
GU tAANlltAg IN NDlLes ana Ene was
corted to the altar by two pages with
bride lace and rosemary tied to their
sleeves"
The brides path was strevn with
flowers, church bells pesled merrily and
what was Of much greater import 10
the populace, the poor received beef.
bread and ale for three days"
This all took place 563 years ago
today. To the men and women who
looked on there were many who euvied
the gaily decked boy and girl as they
went their hower-strewn way 20 the
altar. No one could see. beneath the
cloth OF gold. q heart that had not
4 been touched by the fair young bride
groom and that still beat trues for a
childhood lover. No one could see that
young Guildford's only feeling for the
Lady Jane was one OF ambition foster
ed by his parents; and Of course no
one could see that before another
/ spring had come Lady Jane would have
succeeded her cousin. reigned nine days
and then have gone to the block And
/ surely no one dreamed that the inno-
| cent young bride groom. IN whose veins
flowed not a single drop OF royal blood.
would have been forced to meet the
same fate Just because he had wed the
! Nine Days Queen"