With an upcoming coronation, there’s certainly reason for celebration in Ottery St Mary this May! After the Jubilee last year, we’ve become well practiced at a Royal Celebration, and this year’s Coronation of King Charles III is set to be another Bank Holiday Weekend full of fun and festivities. Make sure to pop along and enjoy the celebrations.
Throughout Sunday 7th & Monday 8th May, you can enjoy Open Gardens at Metcombe Court, in aid of Hospiscare. Open between midday and 5PM, enjoy the winding paths and nature bursting into life. With stunning, brightly coloured displays across a two-acre space, encounter an abundance of azaleas, rhododendrons, spring bulbs and mature trees amongst much more. As well as being at one with spring and nature, you can relax with tea and cake, take part in a raffle and get the little ones involved in a children’s quiz.
If you want to get involved in with The Big Help Out initiative, come down and join the Ottery Community Volunteers with a big town clean!
Did you know that Ottery St Mary has it’s own royal connections?
While we celebrate the Coronation, we’re also taking a look back in time to when a monarch lived just outside of the town! In 1530, the Knightstone estate was passed onto Henry Grey, Marques of Dorset, who married Frances, the granddaughter of Henry VII. Together, they had three daughters, their eldest being Lady Jane Grey, who you may know as the ‘Nine Day Queen’.
During the reign of Henry VIII, and even after his death, there was lots of discussion and disagreement over the line of succession. Once Henry had produced a male heir, Edward VI, it was written in Henry’s will that if Edward produced no heirs, the crown would pass onto both his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, and then onto Lady Jane Grey, his great-niece. As this was a time of great Religious tumult, at Edward’s untimely death, there was much discussion about whether the crown should pass back to a Catholic Monarch, which Mary was. Instead, there was a desire to keep a Protestant Monarch and with the constant back & forth over whether Mary and Elizabeth were legitimate heirs, Edward’s will insisted that Lady Jane Grey succeed him.
At just 15 years old, Jane was installed as the new Queen of England in 1553. Despite a reluctance to return to catholicism, many were unhappy with the change in the succession and felt that Mary was the true Queen. After just nine days, a rebellion took place and Jane was forced to abdicate and Mary took her place. Jane was sent to the Tower of London and remained there for a year, until another rebellion took place wishing to install Jane back to the throne. At this point, Mary realised keeping Jane alive would risk further unrest and rebellions, and Lady Jane Grey was beheaded in 1554.
Did you know that Lady Jane Grey had ties to Ottery St Mary?
