Edward VI: The Lost King of England

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Everyone has heard of Henry VIII and his daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Just about the only awareness of his son, Edward VI, comes from the book "The Prince and the Pauper." Other than that piece of fiction, it is really as tho this prince and king never existed. And yet he had an enormous impact on England during his brief reign (and he died while a teenager)! Author Chris Skidmore does a fine job of telling us the history of Henry VIIIs desire for a son and Edward's short rule as King of England. What was so important about his reign was that he was apparently quite precocious in education and had strong feelings regarding the Reformation. He solidified much that later become the Church of England. When he realized that he was going to die young, he tried to have Jane Grey as his heir (staunchly protestant), rather than his sister Mary. It is interesting to see this young man as something more than just a footnote in his sisters' histories, and I was impressed by the work of the author. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this period in history.

Although another reviewer has noted this exhaustively researched book is perhaps more of a history than a biography, Edward does not disappear nor is he a cipher. His thread appears throughout the pages but we see him as a minor player until the very end of his life because that's exactly what he was. When he was dying he crafted his Devise for the Succession which had an enormous effect on England's future. The country during Edward's minority had been controlled by unscrupulous noblemen, first the brothers of Jane Seymour, Somerset and Thomas Seymour, then John Dudley Duke of Northumberland. Edward was on the cusp of taking up the reins to rule when he succumbed to tuberculosis. Edward remained steadfast and dedicated to the Protestant cause. His extraordinary interest and obsession over religion shaped the future of the country but the men who sought to control him all eventually lost their heads. So even though he died at age 16, Edward prevailed in that it was his policy that put Lady Jane Grey on the throne. Certainly Edward was egged on by Dudley whose son was married to Lady Jane, but it was nevertheless Edward's wish and idea to exclude his sisters Mary and Elizabeth in favor of Jane and her heirs male. Since Mary, especially, had loved Edward all his life, it was a sad blow to her to be pushed aside, but Edward was a fanatic and he could not stomach the thought of a Catholic on the throne of England. We see as much about Edward as the author can dredge up from the very meager information that is available about the boy king. In these pages you feel that you are about as close to witnessing Edward as he really was as it is possible to get. As a little boy he was most attractive and very precocious and although he may appear at times to be priggish and cold-hearted, his warm letters to Barnaby Fitzpatrick, his childhood playmate, show another side of his personality. Determined, dedicated, firm, he dug in his heels to make certain his realm did not fall into Catholic hands. He would have made a formidable king. You have to plow through a lot of meticulous detail about battles and uprisings to get to Edward but this book is interesting and accomplished. You'll see Edward, all right; you just have to search a bit. Highly recommended, especially for Tudor buffs.

Poor Edward VI1 (reigned as British King from 1547-1553). When you think of the Tudors the images which come to mind are that of Henry VIII and two of his daughters: Mary and Elizabeth. Somehow history has given the adolescent king Edward short shrift! In this new biography this omission is rectified with a sober and historically well researched book by Chris Skidmore. Edward VI was born to Jane Seymour (she died a few days after the difficult birth) making Henry VIII a proud papa as he believed a long reign of Tudor monarchs was thereby ensured. He was wrong. His daughter Mary by first wife Catherine of Aragon would reign as Queen of England from 1553-1558 earning the sobriquet "Bloody Mary" for her penchant to send Protestants to the stake. Her famous half-sister Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry and the executed Ann Boleyn. Elizabeth ruled England as a Protestant virgin queen from 1558-1603. Upon her death the son of Mary Queen of Scots James VI of Scotland became King of England until his demise in 1625. Edward was doomed to an early death but the cause of his final illness has never been determined. It may have been TB or poison or some other ailment. We will never know. His reign was marked by rebellions and battles between Catholics and Protestants. The greatest rivalry occurred between Lord Somerset a brother of Jane Seymour and Lord Northumberland, Both of these pretenders to the throne would be beheaded on Tower Hill. They are the most intersting characters in the book. Edward was a bright person enjoying hunting, hawking, reading ancient languages and was an evangelical Protestant. He died at only 15 years of age. Edward hoped to hand the crown to his cousin Lady Jane Grey. Instead, Jane ruled a few days before being captured by Mary who became queen. Jane and many of her family members would die on the block. Skidmore writes in a scholarly style heavy on dates, diplomacy and political intrigues. His book is a good introduction to Edward and promises a bright career for its author.

Chris Skidmore's biography of the Tudor boy-king, Edward VI, takes a lively and well-researched look at the court politics that surrounded Edward's six-year regency. While viciously infighting to increase their own power, titles, and wealth, Edward's ruling council also managed to set the course of Protestant reform in England, and to prepare the young king to assume power in his own right (cut short by Edward's death from tuberculosis in 1553, at the age of 15). Edward was an intelligent and able boy, keenly Protestant in religion, and inheriting the Tudor temper and love of ostentation; in other words, he was a lot like Elizabeth. Skidmore argues convincingly that Edward was, at the time of his death, already assuming power; thus, for example, Edward's notorious "Devise for the Succession," that disinherited both Mary and Elizabeth in favor of Lady Jane Grey, was the product of Edward's own wishes, only reluctantly supported by his council (who lost their heads over it anyway, once Mary came to power). Above all, "Edward VI" explains the complex politics of the time in a very clear and interesting way; it is a model of expository writing. Extensive quotes from contemporary letters, diaries, and poems immerse the reader in this fascinating world. The book also includes a quite helpful set of capsule biographies, geneological tables, notes, bibliography, and index. Most people who are interested in Tudor England will probably want to have this book in their personal library.