Free Divorced, Beheaded, Died: The History of Britain's Kings and Queens in Bite-Sized Chunks by Kevin Flude Page B
Authors: Kevin Flude
VI
Reigned 1547–1553
Edward was born in 1537 at Hampton Court. He was a precocious and rather priggish child – serious, scholarly and dedicated to the Protestant religion.
He came to the throne aged ten, on the death of his father. The Council of Regency carefully put together by Henry VIII was overthrown by Edward’s uncle, Edward Seymour, who became Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector, supported by Archbishop Cranmer and John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, all of whom were committed to the Reformation.
Cranmer introduced the Book of Common Prayer , a Protestant prayer book written in English, in 1548. Changes were made to the sacraments, services had to be held in English and there was widespread destruction of Catholic icons and religious art. But this consolidation of the Protestant Church of England led to Catholic rebellions in the West Country and Norfolk, and in 1549 Somerset was overthrown, and Dudley, who was made Duke of Northumberland, took the lead in government. Somerset was eventually tried for treason and executed.
Dudley tried to involve Edward as much as possible in matters of government, and the young King does appear to have supported the Reformation. How much of this was due to Dudley’s influence, however, is not clear because Edward never reached adulthood.
When it became clear in his final year that he would not survive to have children, thoughts turned to the succession. According to Henry VIII’s will, next in line to the throne was Edward’s eldest sister Mary, then Elizabeth. Mary, the daughter of Catherine of Aragon, had remained steadfast in her Catholicism, despite pressure from Edward. Edward wanted to save the Protestant religion and Dudley wanted to save himself, so Mary and Elizabeth were excluded and Edward’s cousin Lady Jane Grey was made heir to the throne and quickly married to Dudley’s son, Guilford.
J ANE
Reigned 1553
Jane Grey was born in Bradgate Manor, Leicestershire in 1537, the daughter of the Duke of Suffolk and Lady Frances Brandon. Lady Frances was the daughter of Henry VIII’s younger sister, Mary, and so Jane had a claim to the throne. Jane’s parents were very stern and she said she was ‘so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened...with pinches, nips and bobs and other ways...that I think myself in hell’. As a consequence, Jane was gentle, meek and scholarly, finding solace in her books.
A committed Protestant, Jane was an attractive option for those who did not wish to see the Catholic Princess Mary ascend to the throne, and the Duke of Northumberland and his protégé King Edward VI sought to ensure that she would succeed. She was married to Guilford Dudley, the handsome son of the Duke of Northumberland in 1553, shortly before Edward’s death. The wedding and subsequent manoeuvrings were probably much against Jane’s will.
Edward died on 6 July 1553 and Jane was proclaimed queen on 10 July. But Edward’s death had come sooner than expected and Northumberland was too slow to seize Princess Mary, who fled to Suffolk. Mary quickly drummed up support for her cause, while Northumberland’s supporters deserted him, evidence of popular belief in Mary’s legitimacy and rights as heir, regardless of religion. Queen Jane was deposed after only nine days of nominal power and the throne passed to Mary. Jane and Guilford Dudley were imprisoned in the Tower, though Mary’s inclination was to be lenient with Jane, as she seemed to have been a largely innocent victim of Northumberland’s machinations. However, the outbreak of a rebellion led by Thomas Wyatt forced Mary to act and the unlucky Jane and her husband were beheaded on Tower Green in February 1554. Jane was just seventeen years old.
M ARY I
Reigned 1553–1558
Mary was born in 1516 at Greenwich Palace, the only surviving child of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. She was made illegitimate when Henry divorced Catherine, but she was restored to the succession towards the end of
Reigned 1547–1553
Edward was born in 1537 at Hampton Court. He was a precocious and rather priggish child – serious, scholarly and dedicated to the Protestant religion.
He came to the throne aged ten, on the death of his father. The Council of Regency carefully put together by Henry VIII was overthrown by Edward’s uncle, Edward Seymour, who became Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector, supported by Archbishop Cranmer and John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, all of whom were committed to the Reformation.
Cranmer introduced the Book of Common Prayer , a Protestant prayer book written in English, in 1548. Changes were made to the sacraments, services had to be held in English and there was widespread destruction of Catholic icons and religious art. But this consolidation of the Protestant Church of England led to Catholic rebellions in the West Country and Norfolk, and in 1549 Somerset was overthrown, and Dudley, who was made Duke of Northumberland, took the lead in government. Somerset was eventually tried for treason and executed.
Dudley tried to involve Edward as much as possible in matters of government, and the young King does appear to have supported the Reformation. How much of this was due to Dudley’s influence, however, is not clear because Edward never reached adulthood.
When it became clear in his final year that he would not survive to have children, thoughts turned to the succession. According to Henry VIII’s will, next in line to the throne was Edward’s eldest sister Mary, then Elizabeth. Mary, the daughter of Catherine of Aragon, had remained steadfast in her Catholicism, despite pressure from Edward. Edward wanted to save the Protestant religion and Dudley wanted to save himself, so Mary and Elizabeth were excluded and Edward’s cousin Lady Jane Grey was made heir to the throne and quickly married to Dudley’s son, Guilford.
J ANE
Reigned 1553
Jane Grey was born in Bradgate Manor, Leicestershire in 1537, the daughter of the Duke of Suffolk and Lady Frances Brandon. Lady Frances was the daughter of Henry VIII’s younger sister, Mary, and so Jane had a claim to the throne. Jane’s parents were very stern and she said she was ‘so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened...with pinches, nips and bobs and other ways...that I think myself in hell’. As a consequence, Jane was gentle, meek and scholarly, finding solace in her books.
A committed Protestant, Jane was an attractive option for those who did not wish to see the Catholic Princess Mary ascend to the throne, and the Duke of Northumberland and his protégé King Edward VI sought to ensure that she would succeed. She was married to Guilford Dudley, the handsome son of the Duke of Northumberland in 1553, shortly before Edward’s death. The wedding and subsequent manoeuvrings were probably much against Jane’s will.
Edward died on 6 July 1553 and Jane was proclaimed queen on 10 July. But Edward’s death had come sooner than expected and Northumberland was too slow to seize Princess Mary, who fled to Suffolk. Mary quickly drummed up support for her cause, while Northumberland’s supporters deserted him, evidence of popular belief in Mary’s legitimacy and rights as heir, regardless of religion. Queen Jane was deposed after only nine days of nominal power and the throne passed to Mary. Jane and Guilford Dudley were imprisoned in the Tower, though Mary’s inclination was to be lenient with Jane, as she seemed to have been a largely innocent victim of Northumberland’s machinations. However, the outbreak of a rebellion led by Thomas Wyatt forced Mary to act and the unlucky Jane and her husband were beheaded on Tower Green in February 1554. Jane was just seventeen years old.
M ARY I
Reigned 1553–1558
Mary was born in 1516 at Greenwich Palace, the only surviving child of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. She was made illegitimate when Henry divorced Catherine, but she was restored to the succession towards the end of
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