Downfall
Upon publicly naming Jane as the new queen, the Duke of Northumberland had to deal with Mary as a matter of urgency. On 10th July, the day Jane made her procession to the Tower of London, a letter from Mary arrived in London, stating that she was now queen and demanding that the Privy Council support her. Worryingly, this letter came from the Catholic hotspot of East Anglia, where the rebellion against Somerset and plan to overthrow Edward had fermented in 1549. Already, Jane had an important decision to make: she opted to assemble troops to fight Mary’s supporters.
Northumberland led an army to Cambridge, but after waiting for a week without fighting, news reached him that the Privy Council in London had declared loyalty to Mary. Northumberland, Jane’s greatest ally and the man who had secured her succession, lost his nerve and proclaimed Mary as queen. Members of the Privy Council left the Tower of London and proclaimed their support for Jane’s rival including, disgracefully, her own father. If Jane is to be believed, she was now abandoned in a position which she did not even want to take and to which she did not believe herself entitled.
The reason for the sea-change in support for Jane amongst the Privy Council is unclear. Support for Mary seems to have been localized in East Anglia, and so it is unlikely that they were bowing to the will of the people. It is perhaps telling that this change happened whilst Northumberland, Jane’s greatest supporter, was away from London, and members who disputed Jane’s legitimacy to rule may simply have taken advantage. Regardless, on 19th July, Jane was arrested, though Mary did not arrive in London until 3rd August. Conveniently, Jane was already in the most secure prison in the land.