The short life of Edward VI was ruled by power-hungry ministers and in the shadow of the reign of his father, Henry VIII.
The third child of Henry VIII, Edward VI was to be the puppet of many men and the beloved brother-king to two future queens. His unique, albeit brief, experience on the English throne makes him an interesting subject in Tudor history.
Edward’s Birth
The birthday of Edward Tudor in October of 1537 was followed by great festivities and celebrations throughout London. The long-awaited Prince had finally arrived! However, his birth was soon clouded by his mother’s death. Jane Seymour passed away eleven days after she had borne him into the world, apparently from complications following the delivery. Henry VIII is said to have been devastated at her passing.
Familial Relations
Edward was preceded in birth by his sisters but would reign over them for a time. At the time of his birth, Mary was twenty-one, Elizabeth four. Mary was his godmother and both sisters participated in his christening. Mary carried the prince and Elizabeth, who had to be carried herself, bore the oil for the ceremony.
Edward continued to be close to his sister, Mary, but not to the point of folly. As he matured, he understood the need for a Protestant successor and in one stroke wrote her out of the picture, or so he thought.
Royal Duties
By the time Prince Edward was eight years old he was participating in court ceremonies, decked out in full princely regalia and attended by scores of people. It would not be long until he would have to commit himself full-time to such duties, because in January 1547, Henry VIII died and Edward was crowned king at the age of nine.
Henry had wisely set up an advisory board of sixteen regents to guide Edward through his minority. However, as is often the case, the will of Henry VIII was rewritten to serve the purposes of powerful men.
Regents
The first of Edward’s puppeteers was his maternal uncle, Edward Seymour who essentially ruled England. Unable to deal with the economic hardships and religious factions following the death of Henry VIII, Seymour was replaced by John Dudley in October 1549 (who was the father of Elizabeth’s famous Robert Dudley). He became the Duke of Northumberland in 1551.
Edward VI is often overlooked today as he was in his own lifetime. He was kind-hearted and meek and though his opinions were expressed, they were hardly ever followed by his ministers. He simply did not have the power to stand up for himself and as a result, his ministers ruled England in his name.
Decline of Health
Since Edward had been a toddler, doctors described him as fragile. As he matured, his health steadily deteriorated. Following a dangerous bout of measles and small pox in 1552, Northumberland convinced Edward in May 1553 to will the throne to his Protestant cousin Lady Jane Grey. Lady Jane was the granddaughter of Henry’s sister Mary. As is often the case, Northumberland stood to gain from this arrangement as his son Guildford was married to Jane.
Edward VI passed away on July 6, 1553 and at his death, Lady Jane was proclaimed queen. History shows, however, that it was not meant to be.
The legacy of Edward VI is debatable. The continuation of the Reformation helped to fuel Protestants and it was a shocking blow to many when Mary assumed the throne soon after his death. While the boy-king is not a striking figure in Tudor history, he is the embodiment of his father’s desires. Ironically, it would be one of King Henry’s daughters who would be remembered as one of the greatest English monarchs, rather than his much-desired son.
Erickson, Carolly. Royal Panopoly: Brief Lives of the English Monarchs. New York: History Book Club,
2003.
Starkey, David. Six Wives: the Queens of Henry VIII. New York: Harper Collins, 2003.
