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- <silence> - In this episode of True Crime Reporter,

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I open up my case files of historical crimes

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that are gone but not forgotten.

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In our journey through the corridors of crime

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and punishment passed and present, I'm going to take you back to the execution

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of an innocent teenager in 16th century Tudor England.

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It's a tragic story about a 16-year-old noble woman

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ensnared in a web of political entry.

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She is remembered as the nine Days queen her life.

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A fleeting moment in the anals of English royalty

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Lady Jane Gray's story is a poignant reminder

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of the grim intersection of power injustice

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from the grandeur of royal courts to the somber shadows of the Tower of London.

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Her story is a testament to the enduring question

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of fairness, justice, and the human condition under the rule of law.

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In this episode, history whispers

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reach the modern ear reminding us of the past

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that is never too far from the present.

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You've likely heard the story of London's jack the ripper,

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and the fictional exploits of Sherlock Holmes,

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but I will tell you a story about a wrongful execution

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depicted in oil on canvas that you can't forget.

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After seeing it once I walked out of the tile tunnel

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of the Westminster Tube station, a subway we call it here in the States,

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big Ben clock tower stood before me.

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I cinched up my reporter's trench coat against a brisk cold

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wind that whipped my face from the Thames River.

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Big men told the hour from high above the gothic SPIs

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of parliament, but it's time to move on to my objective

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London's national Gallery. I set my sights on one painting there

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during every reporting assignment or family vacation.

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The execution of Lady Jane Gray painted in 1833

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by the Frenchman Paul Delaroche more on her life.

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Later I walked up Whitehall toward the

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Majestic National Gallery. I passed the Centile graph

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or empty tomb in Greek standing tall in the middle of the street.

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The Portland Stone memorial of creamy white limestone was unveiled in 1920.

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It's a tribute to all who lost their lives in Britain's conflicts since 1914.

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Marking the staggering loss of life

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by Great Britain in World War I, it was calculated

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that marching four abreast down Whitehall would take the

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dead three and a half days to pass before the cent graft.

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Walking up the cobblestone street,

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I emerged from the stately Edwardian architecture

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into the open expanse of Trafalgar Square.

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At the heart Soars Nelson's column

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honoring the legendary admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, the hero

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of an epic confrontation with a French and Spanish armada.

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In 1805, Admiral Nelson commanding aboard his flagship HMS victory

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faced a numerically superior enemy.

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He signaled a legendary command to his royal fleet.

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England expects that every man will do his duty

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and duty, called many to the watery graves,

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that faithful marine amidst cannon roar

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and bellowing gun smoke. As brave souls perished,

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he had none more famous than Nelson himself.

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Boldly pacing victor's blood slick

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and deck splendid in full dress uniform glittering

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with metals, heedless of snipers marking an officer

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so conspicuous, a lone bullet found its target

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as the admiral paste piercing Nelson's shoulder

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before lodging fatally in his spine,

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My destination. The National Gallery commands a position

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above Trafalgar Square. The construction site chosen

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by Parliament at 1831 was considered

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to be at the very center of London. The gallery houses one of the greatest collections

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of Western European painting in the world

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with works ranging in date from his earliest 1250 to 1900.

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Among its most popular paintings is the execution

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of Lady Jane Gray, painted by Paul Delaroche.

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In 1833, 16-year-old lady Jane Gray was the queen

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of England for just nine days. The shortest reign of any English monarch before or since.

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Her fate was intertwined with a power struggle

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to keep England firmly. Protestant, Henry VIII had broken ties

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with the Catholic church so he could divorce his first queen

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for Ed Belin, who he later beheaded his successor.

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Edward the Six made a deathbed change to the line

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of royal succession. He skipped over Mary a Catholic in favor of Lady Jane,

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a Protestant fifth in line to the throne.

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Mary won support and sent Lady Jane Gray to the Tower of London.

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She was beheaded on February 12th, 1554.

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Going down in history is the nine days queen.

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I'll be back with the rest of the story after this message.

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Lady Jane Gray's story inspired Paul Delaroche,

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the French painter, was part of the 19th century

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romantic movement, and his work often reflected the romantic

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interest in emotion, drama and the human experience with historical events.

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He painted the execution of a lady Jane Gray two centuries

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after she was beheaded. The nine by eight foot painting makes a striking impression.

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Dola Roach captures the poignant final moments

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of a blindfolded lady, Jane Gray.

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As she pleads, what shall I do? Where is the block?

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Gently, she's being led towards her grim destiny

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by Sir John Bridges, the deputy lieutenant of the Tower.

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Her garments have been removed now resting in the lap

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of her lady and waiting who overwhelmed

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by the scene has collapsed to the floor.

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The dramatic lighting of the scene accentuates Lady Jane's

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alabaster colored skin, her thin red lips

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that her fair beauty, her long auburn hair bound

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by a white blindfold streams down the

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front of her left shoulder. The blindfold itself is stark white wrapping around her head

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and covering her eyes, which denotes her blindness

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to her surroundings and symbolizes her innocence.

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She is dressed in a simple, elegant undergarment that drapes

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and pools around her. It is of a luminous, pale color reminiscent

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of classical statues, which further enhances her portrayal

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as a tragic innocent figure, the fabric appears

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to be satin silk with a subtle sheen

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that catches the light adding to the ethereal quality of her appearance.

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Her dress is cinched at the waist and has a squared neckline

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that modestly frames her shoulders and neck.

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Jane's physical posture is one of vulnerability

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and resignation. She is kneeling on a turquoise silk cushion,

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trimmed and gold trim. Her body slightly turned

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with her right hand tentatively reaching out to the wooden

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executioner's block before her, A gesture that is both searching and hesitant.

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The wooden block sits on a bed of straw,

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placed a soak up the copious amounts of blood

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that will shortly be spilled During the actual execution.

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Where there head on the block, lady Jane Grace spoke the last words of Jesus as recounted

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by Luke Lord into thy hands.

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I commend by spirit. The execution actually took place outdoors on Tower Green

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and not on the stage set depicted in the painting,

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a dark floor cloth has been pulled back

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to reveal a wooden stage like platform, providing the artist

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with a place to carve his signature. In the paintings date of 1833, the painting suggests

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that Lady Jane Gray is in a state of calm resignation.

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Although she cannot see, there is a composed,

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almost serene expression that belies the horror

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of her situation. Her head's tilt and her postures openness suggest a mental

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state of acceptance, perhaps fortified by her faith

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or resignation to her faith. There's a tragic grace to her demeanor.

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She does not appear to be struggling or in distress,

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but facing her end with quiet dignity.

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Her left arm is supported by the elderly tower officer,

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sir John Bridges, who helps guide her.

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This is a critical moment as he assists the blindfolded chain who is unable

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to see her surroundings. His gesture is delicate, indicating an attempt

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to offer some level of comfort or reassurance.

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In her moment of vulnerability, his head is bowed to her.

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His facial expression, while not fully visible, seems

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to convey a sense of solemn responsibility

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and perhaps regret. The executioner stands on their left.

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He is dressed in a manner that suggests his official role in the proceedings.

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Yet with an unusual touch of individuality

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that sets him apart from the typical portrayal

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of executioners and art, he wears a doublet, which is fitted to his torso,

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a common piece of attire in the 16th century

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colored in dark tones that correspond to his so duty.

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Over this, he dons a red garment, perhaps pose

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or britches, which are striking their vibrancy against the

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otherwise muted colors of the scene.

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The choice of color could be seen as a symbolic reference

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to the bloodshed inherent in his duty.

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A leather belt cinch his waist from which a sheath.

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Dagger hangs further signifying his role as executioner.

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His left hand is resting on the handle of a wide bladed axe,

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which is the tool of his trade and the instrument of execution.

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De la Roach's executioner does not have the stern impassive

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demeanor often associated with his profession.

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Instead, there is the hint of reluctance in his stance and expression.

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His head is turned slightly away from Jane

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and his eyes do not focus on her

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or the block suggesting an aversion

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to the grim task he is about to perform.

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Della Roche has humanized this typically vilified figure,

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inviting viewers to consider the complex emotions

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that might have accompanied the executioners

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official responsibilities. Jane's lady in waiting sits

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to her right looking away in profound distress, unable

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to bear witness to the swing of the executioner's blade in our lap.

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She holds what appears to be Lady Jane's outer garments.

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These clothes which have been removed before the execution are likely to be a fine quality

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as befits Jane's Noble status. The presence of these clothes in her lap serve

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as a poignant reminder of the gravity of the situation

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and symbolizes the stripping away of Lady Jane's earthly titles and honors.

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As she faces her faith behind her standing in a dark shadow,

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another attendant presses her face into a stone wall

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with her arms raised over her bowed head.

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It's as though she cannot bear to watch the grim scene unfold

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that has physically distanced herself from it seeking solace

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in the cold stone wall before her. The woman's posture and actions contribute

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to the painting's overall atmosphere of tragedy

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and sorrow, reinforcing the theme of loss

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and helplessness that pervades the work.

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Her turn back and upraised arms can also be interpreted

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as a dramatic expression of mourning common in artistic depictions.

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To convey intense emotion, the artist draws our attention

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to the nexts of the two women emphasizing the terrible fate of their mistress.

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The overall portrait of Lady Jane Gray is deeply evocative,

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capturing the tragic beauty of her youth and status,

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and the somber reality of her imminent death.

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No one in the scene looks out at us. Each of them is completely absorbed in the moment.

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De la Roach's completed artwork was presented at the Paris

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Salon and garnered a place in the 1834 exhibition

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where it swiftly captured the public's attention.

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Its intense reaction might be partly attributed

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to the echoes of the French Revolution of 1789.

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A series of events still fresh in the collective memory.

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This period was marked by the violent overthrow

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of the French monarchy, including the infamous execution

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of Maria Antoinette in 1793.

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Through his depiction of Tudor history,

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Della Roach drew a striking parallel to France's own recent

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turbulent history, crafting an image that was both poignant

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and powerful in its residence. The execution of Lady Jane Gray remains a most potent image,

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the very embodiment of John Fox's words in the 1563 Book

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of Martyrs, in which he says, let this worthy lady pass

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for a saint and let all great ladies, which bear her name,

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imitate her virtues. In 1833, an art critic wrote, beauty

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and Terror are blended in this picture so closely

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that I defy the true artists to distinguish between them.

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Never did a painting produce a more poignant impression.

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One almost expects to hear the head roll and fall.

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Whenever I'm in London, I always make it a point to go

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to the National Gallery to see the execution

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of Lady Jane Gray, because it is a profound

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and emotionally charged work that transcends the mere depiction of a historical event

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to deliver a powerful narrative about innocence, power,

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and the human condition. It's a reminder of the personal stories

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behind historical events, the real lives that are affected

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by the rise and fall of powers and the enduring strength of the human spirit

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in the face of adversity. I hope that if you ever get the London,

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you'll take in the full glory of this painting,

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Paul De ROEs, the execution of Lady Jane Gray.