IAne by the grace of God Quene of England , Fraunce and Ireland , defendor of the faith , & of the Church of Englande , & also of Irelande vnder Christ in earth the supreme head . To al our most louing , faithfull , and obedient subiects , and to euery of them greting . Where our moste dere cousin Edwarde the vi . late King of Englande , Fraunce and Irelande , defendour of the faith , and in earth the supreme head vnder Christ of the Church of Englande and Irelande , by his letters patentes signed with his owne hand , and sealed with his great seale of Englande , bearing date the xxi . day of Iune , in the vii . yere of his reigne , in the presence of the most parte of his nobles , his counsailours ▪ Iudges , and diuerse others graue , and sage personages for the profite and suretie of the whole realme therto assenting , and subscribing their names to the same , hath by the same his Lettres Patentes recited , that forasmuch as the Imperiall croune of this realme , by an Acte made in the xxxv . yere of the reigne of the late King of woorthy memory King Henrie the viii . our progenitour , and great vncle , was for lacke of issue of his bodie lawfullie begotten , and for lacke of issue of the bodie of our saide late cosin King Edwarde the vi . by the same act limited , and appointed to remaine to the Ladie Marie , by the name of the ladie Marie his eldest Daughter , and to the Heires of her bodie lawfully begotten , and for default of such issue , the remainder therof to the Ladie Elizabeth , by the name of the Ladie Elizabeth his seconde Daughter , and to the heires of her bodie lawefully begotten , with such condicions , as shoulde be limited , and appointed by the saied late King of woorthie memorie , King Henrie theight our progenitour , and great vncle by his letters patentes vnder his great Seale , or by his last wil in writing signed with his hande . And forasmuch as the saied limitation of Thimperial croune of this realme , being limited ( as is aforesaied ) to the said Ladie Marie , and Ladie Elizabeth being illegitimate , and not lawfully begotten , for that that the mariage had betweene the saied late King , King Henrie theight our progenitour , and great vncle , and the Ladie Katherine mother to the saied Ladie Marie , & also the mariage had betwene the saied late king , King Henrie theight our progenitor and great vncle , and the ladie Anne mother to the saied ladie Elizabeth , were cleerely , and lawfully vndone by sentences of deuorces , according to the woorde of God , and the Ecclesiasticall lawes : And which saied seueral deuorcements haue beene seuerally ratified , & confirmed by auctoritie of parlament , and especiallie in the xxviii . yere of the reigne of King Henrie theight our said progenitor , and great vncle , remaining in force , strength , and effect , wherby aswel the said Ladie Marie , as also the said Ladie Elizabeth , to all ententes , and purposes , are , and been cleerely disabled , to aske , claime , or chalenge the saied Imperiall croune , or any other of the honours , castelles , manours , Lordshippes , lands , tenements , or other hereditaments , as heire , or heires to our said late cosin king Edward the vi . or as heire , or heires to any other person , or persons whosoeuer , aswel for the cause before rehearsed , as also for that that the saied Lady Marie , and Lady Elizabeth were vnto our saied late cosin but of the halfe bloud , and therefore by the ancient lawes ▪ statutes , and customes of this realme be not inheritable vnto our saied late Cosin , although they had beene borne in lawefull Matrimonie , as in dede they were not , as by the saied sentences of deuorce , and the saied statute of the xxviii . yere of the reigne of King Henrie the eight our saied progenitor and great Vncle , plainly appeareth .

And forasmuch also as it is to be thought , or at the least , much to be doubted , that if the saied ladie Marie , or ladie Elizabeth should hereafter haue , & enioy the said Imperial croune of this realm and should then happen to marry with any Stranger borne out of this realme , that then the same Stranger hauing the gouernmente and the Imperiall crowne in his handes , would adhere and practise , not onely to bring this noble free realme , into the tirannie and seruitude of the Bishoppe of Rome , but also to haue the lawes and customes of his or their own natiue countrey or countreys to be practised , and put in vre within this realme , rather then the laws , statutes , and customes here of long time vsed , wherupon the title of inheritance of all and singular the subiects of this realme dooe depend , to the peril of conscience , and the vtter subuersion of the common weale of this realme wherupon our saied late dere cosin weighing and considering with himselfe , what waies and meanes were most conuenient to be had for the stay of the said succession in the saied Imperiall croune , if it should please God to call our said late cosin out of this transitory life , hauing no issue of his body , and calling to his remembrance that wee and the Lady Katherine , and the Lady Mary our sisters , being the daughters of the lady Fraunces our naturall mother , and then and yet wife to our naturall & most louing father Henrie Duke of Suffolke , and the lady Margaret , daughter of the lady Elianour then deceassed sister to the said lady Fraunces , and the late wife of our cosin Henrie Erle of Comberland , were very nigh of his graces bloud , of the part of his fathers side our said progenitour and great vncle , and being naturally borne here within the realme , and for the very good opinion our said late cosin had of our , and our said sisters and cosin Margarets good education , did therefore vpon good deliberation and aduise heerein had and taken , by his said Letters Patents declare , ordre , assigne , limit , and appoinct , that if it should fortune himselfe our said late cosin king Edward the sixt to decease , hauing no issue of his body lawfully begotten , that then the saied Imperiall croune of England and Ireland , and the confines of the same , and his title to the croune of the realme of France , and all and singular honors , castles , prerogatiues , priuiledges , preheminences , aucthorities , iurisdictions , dominions , possessions , and hereditaments to our said late cosin King Edward the sixt , or to the said Imperiall croune belonging , or in any wise appertaining , should for lacke of such issue of his body remain , come , and be vnto the eldest sonne of the body of the said lady Fraunces lawfully begotten , being borne into the world in his life time , and to the heires males of the body of the same eldest sonne lawfully begotten , and so from sonne to sonne , as he should be of auncienty in birth , of the body of the said lady Fraunces lawfully begotten , being borne into the world in our said late cosins life time , and to the heires males of the body of euery such sonne lawfully begotten : and for default of such sonne borne into the world in his life time , of the body of the said lady Fraunces lawfully begotten , and for lack of heires males of euery such sonne lawfully begotten , that then the sayd Imperial croune , and all & singular other the premisses should remain , come , and be to vs , by the name of the lady Iane , eldest daughter of the said lady Fraunces , & to the heires males of our body lawfully begotten , and for lacke of such heire male of our body lawfully begotten , that then the sayd Imperial croune , and all other the premisses should remain , come , & be to the sayd lady Katherine our sayd second sister , and to the heires males of the body of the sayd lady Katherine lawfully begotten , with diuerse other remainders , as by the same letters patents more plainly & at large it may and doeth appere . Sithens the making of which letters patents , that is to say , on Thursday , which was the vi . day of this instant moneth of Iuly , it hath pleased God to cal to his infinite mercy our sayd most dere & entirely beloued cosin Edward the vi . whose soule God pardon , & forasmuch as he is now deceased , hauing no heires of his body begotten , & that also there remaineth at this present time no heires lawfully begotten of the body of our sayd progenitor , and great vncle king Henrie theight , and forasmuch also as the sayd lady Fraunces our sayd mother , had no issue male begotten of her body , and borne into the worlde , in the life time of our cosin King Edward the sixth , so as the saied Imperiall croune , and other the premisses to the belonging , or in any wise appertayning , now be , and remaine to vs in our actuall , and royall 〈◇〉 , by auctority of the sayd letters patents : wee doe therefore by these present● signifie vnto all our most louing , faithfull , and obedient subiects , that like as we for our part shall , by Goddes 〈◇〉 shew our selfe a most gracious , and benigne Souuereine Queene , and Lady to all our good Subiects in all their iust , and lawfull sutes , and causes , and to the vttermost of our power shal 〈…〉 and maintaine Gods most holy word , christian policy , and the good laws , customes , and 〈…〉 these our realmes & dominions : So we mistrust not , but they , and euery of them wil again for all their partes , at all times , and in all cases shew themselues vnto vs their naturall liege Queene , 〈…〉 , most faythfull , louing , and obedient subiects , according to their bounden duties , and 〈…〉 whereby they shall please God , and doe the thing that shall tend to their own preseruation , and sureties : Willing , and commanding all men of all estates , degrees , and condicions , to see our peace , and accord kept , and to bee obedient to our Lawes , as they tender our fauor , and will answere for the contrary , at their extreme perils . In witnes whereof , wee haue caused these our letters to bee made patents . Witnesse our selfe at our Towre of London , the tenth day of Iulie , in the first yeere of our reigne .