Edward VI succeeds to throne
Westminster, London The 28th of January 1547 AD
When his father Henry VIII died at the end of January 1547 - amongst several contributory causes malnutrition is the most surprising, as the old king subsisted on meat and little else - his son and heir was a mere child of nine. Fear of problems that might be sparked by his youth led the powers at court to hold off announcing the death until careful arrangements were made.
Edward was at Hertford when his father expired, and was brought first to Enfield and then to The Tower of London before it was felt safe to announce Henry's passing to Parliament on January 31.
Edward was greeted with a carefully orchestrated show of military strength and loyalty when he arrived at The Tower, guns from both the building and ships in the Thames signalling the support the new Tudor monarch enjoyed.
At the start of February Edward was placed under the protection of his uncle Edward Seymour the Earl of Somerset, with Archbishop Cranmer as his spiritual guide - for which read spiritual dictator. What continued schooling the boy king was henceforth given was protestant brainwashing that turned him into what G.R. Elton summarised as 'A cold-hearted prig,' a prig happy to see Catholicism wane.
A brief coronation ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey on February 20, the pomp reduced because of the boy's lack of strength.
Edward's reign was, however, to be a short one, just six years. His health was never good, and though he had some of the Tudor intellect he had little political space or time in which to exercise it, though he was very committed to the drive towards reform and away from Rome that accelerated greatly in his time on the throne.
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