Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for the finale of My Lady Jane.
The Big Picture
- Lady Jane Grey becomes Queen of England after King Edward VI's mysterious death, facing conflict with Princess Mary and her own marriage to an Ethian.
- Jane's guilt is revealed during a public trial, leading to her execution and Guildford's captivity in an Ethian zoo.
- Jane escapes execution, Guildford transforms into his horse form, and the story ends on an inconclusive note, with Mary remaining queen and Bess revealed as an Ethian.
Set in 16th-century England, My Lady Jane is Prime Video's latest British historical television series that explores the reimagined life of Lady Jane Grey, also known as the Nine-Days Queen. My Lady Jane’s central conflict takes birth when Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader) is elevated to the position of Queen of England after the mysterious and assumed death of King Edward VI (Jordan Peters). Although the news of King Edward’s death elates Princess Mary (Kate O’Flynn), who has been eyeing the throne for quite some time, Jane’s succession to the throne quickly puts the new queen on the target of Princess Mary. As the new queen, Lady Jane’s predicament is only complicated by her recent marriage to the Ethian, Lord Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel).
In the world of My Lady Jane, Ethians are mysterious creatures who can take animal form at will and are despised by the humans, the Verities. The marriage between an Ethian and a Verity is a sin of the highest order, and as the new queen, Jane tries to broker peace between the two factions. However, her attempts are foiled by Princess Mary, who leads a coup with the help of the Duke of Norfolk (Will Keen) and Lord Seymour (Dominic Cooper).
My Lady Jane (2024)
Comedy
Romance
- Release Date
- June 27, 2024
- Cast
- Emily Bader , Edward Bluemel , Jordan Peters , Anna Chancellor , Dominic Cooper , Jim Broadbent , Will Keen , Rob Brydon , Kate O'Flynn , Máiréad Tyers , Robyn Betteridge
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Gemma Burgess
- Writers
- Jodi Meadows , Brodi Ashton , Cynthia Hand
- Streaming Service(s)
- Prime Video
- Directors
- Jamie Babbit , Stefan Schwartz
- Showrunner
- Gemma Burgess , Meredith Glynn
How Does Mary Prove Jane's Guilt in Front of the Court?
Toward the end of My Lady Jane, Mary successfully manages to usurp the throne of England. In her first decision as Queen, Mary orders the beheading of Jane and warns her sister Bess (Abbie Hern) of dire consequences lest she should try again to save Jane. Thankfully, Norfolk and Seymour guide Mary and suggest a public trial is necessary for Jane to be truly proven guilty in front of the public, even if it’s achieved through lies.
Initially, the public trial seems to go in Jane’s favor, with Bess pitching in about how Edward chose Jane as heir to the throne. However, Seymour comes to assist Mary’s goals and furnishes Guildford’s groom Rupert, who confesses to everyone the truth about Guildford’s Ethian identity. A few moments later, Guildford is brought to trial and forced to reveal his Ethian form to everyone, proving Jane’s guilt in hiding her marriage to an Ethian. With Jane’s crime revealed, she is taken to the Tower of London to await her execution. On the other hand, Guildford is held captive in Seymour’s secret zoo, where he tortures and experiments on Ethian subjects.
Mary Proposes a Deal in Return for Guildford's Life
In an attempt to save her daughter, Jane’s mother, Lady Frances Grey (Anna Chancellor), tries to cut a deal with Mary. As part of the deal, Frances asks Jane to denounce Ethianism, along with her husband. Unfortunately, Mary has no intention of sparing Jane, and she asks Jane to denounce Ethianism to save her husband’s life while Jane herself will still be executed. It seems as if the end is definitive for Jane. Meanwhile, Edward has been living hidden away from the eyes of Mary and Seymour, who are unaware that Edward still lives. With the help of his Ethian lover Fitz (Joe Klocek), Edward makes a final attempt at saving Jane by appealing to the kindness of the Ethians, who have been forced to live in exile by the Division Laws. Realizing the ordeal that the Ethians had to endure under his regime, Edward promises to make amends for the wrongs done to the Ethians for a long time.
After Jane’s multiple attempts to escape the prison tower fail, she makes one final attempt at evading execution. Using the compounds from the chalk wall of the prison, Jane prepares a poison that she intends to use to kill Mary. When Jane is brought to the court to give her anti-Ethian speech, Jane tries to kiss Mary with her poison-laden lips. Much to Jane’s dismay, her attempt at killing Mary fails, but she ends up choosing not to give the speech prepared by Mary. On the other hand, thanks to his father and brother, Guildford manages to escape his prison cell in Seymour’s zoo. But on the way, he ends up engaging in a duel with Seymour, who cheats and captures Guildford once again.
Does Mary Successfully Execute Jane and Guildford?
Finally, the night of Jane and Guildford’s execution arrives. Guildford is tied to a stake to bear witness to his wife’s execution. But before the executioner could axe Jane’s neck, an eagle attacks the execution and prevents the untimely death of Lady Jane Grey. Out of nowhere, animals and birds of all types appear and interrupt the execution. It turns out that Edward’s pleas to Jane’s friend Susanna (Máiréad Tyers) and Jane’s actions toward helping Ethians live an honorable life have worked in Jane’s favor. With the help of her friend Archer (Michael Workeye), Susanna saves Jane from getting her head chopped for the fulfillment of Queen Mary’s heart’s true desire.
Now, with her own life saved, Jane turns her attention to Guildford who’s quickly being engulfed in flames. But despite Jane’s best attempts, she finds herself unable to release Guildford from his bondage. It seems that Guildford must succumb to the fire enveloping him. However, a moment of true passion and love between Jane and Guildford prompts a miracle and helps Guildford transform into his horse form. So far, Guildford has never been able to transform at his own will, like other Ethians. Riding on Guildford’s back, Jane finally manages to chart her path toward freedom.
The ending of My Lady Jane does not leave the story on a conclusive note. Although Jane has escaped execution, Mary continues to be the queen of England and the recent events have only affected her temperament negatively. In a final twist, it is also revealed that Mary’s sister, Bess, is an Ethian herself. This revelation justifies Bess’ attempts at spoiling her Ethian-hating sister’s plans throughout the story.
Jane’s mother, Katherine, continues to kindle her casual relationship with Guildford’s brother, Stan Dudley (Henry Ashton). Meanwhile, the former king, Edward, also seems to have found true love in Fitz. When it comes to Jane and Guildford, Jane plans to stay in England and thwart the terrorizing regime of her bloodthirsty sister, and as always, Guildford plans to fulfill his duties by being on the side of his loving wife – the former and possibly, future Queen of England, Lady Jane Grey.
All episodes of My Lady Jane are available to stream on Prime Video.
