Edward VI was the male son of Henry VIII to survive infancy. He was born on 12 October 1537 to Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, who died two weeks afterwards. His period of being king extended from 1547 until his death at the age of 15 in 1553. As a minor throughout, control over the government was handled by protectors – first his uncle Edward Seymour then John Dudley.
Edward was brought up as a protestant and as such as England’s first protestant king. Despite his young age, he was deeply interested in theological ideas.
While the common perception of Edward is as a sickly child, he only became sick in the final two years of his life from smallpox and measles followed by a strong cough on his recovery from these ailments, his previous impediments being only that he was small and perhaps short-sighted. Indeed he was keen on sports in his childhood, but not to be detriment of his studies.
His childhood was quite lonely, although he spent time with his sister Elizabeth – a fellow protestant and only four years old, as well as his stepmother Catherine Parr. His other sister, Mary, was twenty-one years older than himself and a Catholic so little interaction took place between them.
Edward was educated by a group of three Protestants (John Cheke, Anthony Cooke and Richard Cox) from the age of six. He learnt Latin, Greek and French as well as the practice of kingship and about international affairs.
Rule Under the Duke of Somerset
Against Henry’s plans for a Council of Regency to rule in Edward’s name, his uncle Edward Seymour became the sole protector of Edward and thus assumed control over the kingdom. The Council of Regency made him the Duke of Somerset.
Somerset was a strong believer in the Protestant Reformation and alienated many with his changes, especially the 1549 Prayer Book which caused the Western Rebellion in Devon and Cornwall.
In other areas Somerset was not the best governor either. Enclosure of land in Norfolk led to Kett’s Rebellion. This policies also alienated others on the Council of Regency and led to John Dudley, the Earl of Warwick, who had put down Kett’s Rebellion to plan a coup for the October of 1549. Although briefly restored to the regency council, he was later accused and found guilty of numerous crimes and executed in January 1552.
Nevertheless he was seen by many to be compassionate towards the poor compared with other rulers, and to some he was seen as a martyr on his death.
Rule under the Earl of Warwick
John Dudley was no less a protestant than Edward Seymour. Under his rule a even more radical prayer book was introduced by Archbishop Cranmer in 1552, and in 1553 produced the Forty-Two Articles which changes religious practices greatly.
John Dudley was made the Duke of Northumberland during his period of power, and also used the position to greatly enrich himself at the expense of the church.
Both King Edward and Northumberland planned for Lady Jane Grey to succeed him as it became obvious he was dying, however the attempt to place her on the thrown failed and quickly his sister Mary became Queen.
