A KING’S ONE TRUE LOVE | Edward VI (1537–1553)

Added: 2026-06-03

Edward VI (1537-1553), the Protestant son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, became King of England at age nine in 1547. His reign was dominated by his maternal uncles, with Edward Seymour serving as Lord Protector and driving early Protestant reforms. Thomas Seymour was executed in 1549 for attempting to gain influence over the young king. Under the Duke of Northumberland, Edward continued sweeping religious reforms, including introducing the Book of Common Prayer. At fifteen, Edward fell terminally ill and sought to prevent his Catholic half-sister Mary from unraveling his Protestant legacy. He drafted letters patent to divert the crown to Lady Jane Grey, but her nine-day claim was illegal under Henry VIII's Acts of Succession. When Edward died, Mary automatically acceded as England's first official Queen Regnant, prompting her to pass the Queen Regent's Prerogative Act of 1554, which cemented that a Queen holds the exact same sovereign power as a King.