A Brief History
On January 28, 1547, the 9-year-old son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward VI, became King of England. Not only did his ill-fated mother die shortly after his birth, Edward himself was fated to a reign of only 6 and half years, dying of an illness at the age of 15.
Digging Deeper
Edward VI is easily forgotten in the muddle of the successors that followed him, starting with his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, whom Edward had named his heir before he died. Seen by Catholics as an attempt to prevent the reestablishment of Catholicism in England, Jane Grey was deposed only 9 days after becoming Queen and promptly executed by her Catholic successor, Queen Mary I, a half-sister of Edward, known lovingly as “Bloody Mary.”
Upon the death of Mary in 1558, Elizabeth I, another half-sister of Edward, became Queen, and once again returned England to a Protestant state. Elizabeth had a much longer and more successful reign, lasting about 44 years until her death in 1603.
Question for students (and subscribers): Who do you think is the greatest King or Queen of Britain? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Hourly History. King Edward VI: A Life From Beginning to End. Kindle, 2019.
Skidmore, Chris. Edward VI: The Lost King of England. St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
The featured image in this article, a painting depicting The Family of Henry VIII, is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason: is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
