Edward VI
Born in Hampton Court, SurreyBorn on 12th of October 1537
Died on 6th of July 1553
Edward VI was born on the 12th October 1537 at Hampton Court Palace, in London. He was the long awaited male heir of Henry VIII, and his third wife, Jane Seymour. Henry doted on his son, he was well looked after, given his own household, and Henry arranged a good education for him, he was well rounded in his studies. His mother Jane had died shortly after his birth, and was buried at St Georges Chapel at Windsor. Henry had declared that his two daughters both Elizabeth and Mary were illegitimate, and were no longer in line to the throne. However, he changed his mind on this later, Henry VIII died when Edward was only nine years of age, Henrys' will stated that Edward should succeed him, and in the event of him not producing an heir, the crown would go to Mary, and then would pass to Elizabeth, however, if they should die without producing an heir then the line of succession should move to his sister Mary Tudors' descendants.
Edward was crowned at Westminster Abbey on the 20th February 1547 as King of England and Ireland, Thomas Seymour, Edwards' uncle became Lord Protector of the realm, as it was deemed Edward was too young to rule. Throughout his short reign Edward had to endure rebellions, and riots, he was the first protestant Monarch to rule, after his father had abolished Catholicism, and championed the reformation of The Church, whereby the king became head of the Church of England. The Book Of Common Prayer was introduced in 1549, in English for the first time instead of in Latin, which led to what was to be known as The Prayer Book Rebellions in Devon and Cornwall.
When he became ill, Edward wrote a will that proclaimed that both Mary and Elizabeth should not be in line to the throne, as they had been deemed as illegitimate, and in fact he named Jane Seymour as heir. Edward's health became increasingly worse, and he died on the 6th July 1553 in Greenwich, aged just fifteen years. he was later buried in Westminster Abbey. Lady Jane Grey ascended to the throne, but her reign lasted just nine days before Mary rallied support and took the crown, she later had Lady Jane Grey executed on Tower Green, at the Tower Of London
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