In January, 1553, Edward fell ill. By June he had experienced several improvements and relapses. Now in a weakened condition, Edward’s death would ensure the succession of his sister, Mary, who was a staunch Catholic, and place the English Reformation in jeopardy. As a result, the succession of Mary to the throne of England was not welcomed by Edward or his ministers.
Mary’s succession was opposed not only on religious grounds, but also on the basis of legitimacy and inheritance, which also applied to his other sister, Elizabeth. In February, 1553, Mary paid Edward an official visit. Mary was welcomed to the Privy Chamber "as if she had been Queen of England." Yet despite this, an attempt was made to subvert the succession shortly before Edward’s death.
Edward VI and the Succession Question
During his reign, Henry VIII had set a precedent by nominating and excluding his heirs of his own accord with little regard for the traditional rules that governed the line of descent for the English throne. Following his father’s example, Edward also attempted to change the succession. Edward passed over the claims of his sisters, Mary and Elizabeth and settled first on his cousin, Lady Jane Grey. On May 21, 1553, a triple marriage was held, in which Lady Jane Grey married Guildford Dudley, the youngest son of the Duke of Northumberland. Jane’s sister Katherine married the son of the Earl of Pembroke, while Guildford Dudley’s sister married a descendant of the House of Plantagenet.
Some time in early June, Edward supervised the drafting of a clean version of the device for the succession by his lawyers. On June 15, Edward summoned all the high ranking lawyers and judges to his sickbed and commanded them to prepare the device for the succession as Letters Patent, which were to be delivered to Parliament. Edward’s next act was to have his ministers and lawyers sign a bond in his presence that stipulated that they would faithfully execute Edward’s will after his death. The device for the succession was signed on June 21 by over a hundred people, many of whom later claimed that they were forced to sign by the Duke of Northumberland, the Lord Protector of the Realm.
Edward’s Chief Justice, Edward Montagu, later wrote to Mary in an attempt to excuse himself for his part in the business of Edward’s succession. Montagu wrote that he and a number of his colleagues had objected to the legality of the succession. At that moment the Duke of Northumberland came "into the council chamber…being in a great rage and fury, trembling for anger, and amongst his rageous talk, called the said Sir Edward ‘traitor’ and further said he would fight in his shirt any man in that quarrel."
Following this outburst, Edward demanded the personal obedience of the Duke of Northumberland and Montagu. Montagu later claimed that he overheard a group of nobles talking, saying, "if they refused to do that, they were traitors." Meanwhile, Thomas Cranmer had had a falling-out with the Duke of Northumberland and was very reluctant to sign the instrument of succession. He did so only after Edward prevailed upon Cranmer to do so out of respect for the King’s will.
By this point it was common knowledge that Edward was dying and that some scheme to disinherit Mary was afoot. The French were unhappy with the prospect of Lady Jane Grey becoming the Queen of England and made overtures of friendship to the Duke of Northumberland. Primary sources indicate that many of the foreign diplomats observing the political manoeuvrings in Edward’s court believed that the majority of the people supported Mary. However, they were certain that Jane would be installed as Queen.
Edward had often practiced drafting political documents. Now he began applying these lessons to the business of governing England, such as the drafting of the instrument for the succession. Edward had initially decided that only a male heir would be able to succeed him. As his health continued to decline, the Duke of Northumberland convinced Edward to alter the wording so that Lady Jane Grey and her sisters would be allowed to succeed Edward, however, Edward only conceded Jane’s right to the succession as an exception to male rule. This meant that this clause in the instrument of succession would be void if Jane or her sisters had only daughters.
By this logic, Jane’s mother, the Duchess of Suffolk should have been named as Edward’s successor. However, she had already been passed over by Henry VIII in favour of her daughters. She also seems to have waived her claim following a visit with Edward. The Letters Patent issued on June 21 excluded Mary and Elizabeth on the grounds of illegitimacy. However, not only did this advance the cause of Mary and Elizabeth, but it was also seen as a violation of the Third Succession Act of 1543 and the Treason Act of 1547. Historians argue that this decision was the result of rushed and illogical thinking on the part of Edward and his ministers.
The Last Illness of Edward VI
Edward fell ill in January, 1553, suffering from a fever and cough that grew gradually worse. The ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire wrote that "he suffers a good deal when the fever is upon him, especially from a difficulty in drawing his breath…I opine that this is a visitation and sign from God." In April, Edward felt well enough to take the air outside Westminster. Later that month, Edward moved to Greenwich Palace, but by the end of April he had fallen ill again.
On May 7, Edward was "much amended" and the royal physicians confidently predicted Edward’s recovery. However, by the end of June he had relapsed again. The ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire, who had a spy in Edward’s household wrote that "the matter he ejects from his mouth is sometime coloured a greenish yellow and black and sometimes pink, like the colour of blood."
Based on this evidence, medical experts believe that Edward suffered from a "suppurating tumour." Edward’s doctors were forced to admit that Edward’s life could not be saved. Edward’s legs began to swell up. He eventually lost the ability to walk and was forced to lie on his back. Edward gradually lost the strength to resist the disease.
Edward made his final public appearance on July 1. Edward appeared at the window of the royal apartments at Greenwich Palace. Over the course of the next two days large crowds gathered outside the palace in the hopes of seeing Edward. On July 3, palace officials informed the crowds that the weather was too cold for Edward to appear. Edward died on July 6, 1553 at Greenwich Palace at the age of 15. Edward was buried in the Henry VII Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey on August 8. At same time, Mary attended a Mass for Edward’s soul in the Tower of London.
The Death of Edward VI
The exact cause of Edward’s death is not known for certain. As was common following the deaths of powerful nobles in the 16th Century, Edward’s death was surrounded by rumours of assassination and conspiracy. The Duke of Northumberland was widely believed to be responsible for Edward’s death. Another theory held that Edward had been murdered by a cabal of powerful Catholics seeking to bring Mary to power.
After Edward’s death, the royal physicians performed an autopsy and found "that the disease whereof his majesty died was the disease of the lungs." The Ambassador of Venice claimed that Edward died of tuberculosis, which was often referred to simply as consumption. As tuberculosis often went undiagnosed in the past, historians have had little reason to doubt this diagnosis.
Sources
- Ashley, Mike. British Kings and Queens. Robinson:London.1998
Terry Long - I hold degrees in history and journalism. In addition to my contributions to Suite 101, I have also written for the Brampton Bulletin, the ...
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