Assess the seriousness of

Edward’s position in

1547?

Aims

• To understand how the regency council operated

• To understand the issues which faced Edward’s regency council

• To examine Somerset

Apart from wars with Scotland and France, which had begun in 1542 and 1544, Henry VIII’s major concern in his final years was the succession. Since 1527 he had been obsessed with the need to safeguard the dynasty by leaving a male heir to succeed him. The birth of Prince Edward in 1537 had seemed to achieve his objective. By 1546 the King’s declining health made it clear that his son would come to the throne as a minor. To avoid any possible disputes Henry made a final settlement of the succession in his will of 1546. This replaced the Succession Acts of 1534, 1536 and 1544, although the terms of the will were similar to the Act of 1544.

Henry VIII and the Succession 1544-7

1546 – Edward first Mary second Elizabeth third

1536 – Elizabeth Out Any future child in

1544- Elizabeth and Mary Out Edward in

1534- Mary Out Elizabeth in

Acts of Succession

Will of Henry VIII

Regency Council• The regency council consisted of Seymour and

15 of his most trusted allies.• Members of the council were to have equal

powers.• They were to govern the country until Edward

reached 18 years of age.• To secure their loyalty and co-operation

members were rewarded with land and titles taken from the monasteries and the disgraced Howards.

Issues facing council

The Lord Protector Somerset 1547-9

• Jane Seymour’s sister and therefore Edward’s uncle

• In 1537 a year after the royal marriage he was given titles and a place on the King’s council.

• In 1544-5 he waged a successful war against the Scots.

• On taking power in 1547 he gave himself the title of Duke of Somerset.

Some different opinions of Somerset

• ‘a kindly and amiable man’ • ‘dry, sour, and opinionated’• ‘better soldier than politician’• ‘quick-tempered who was prone to making

the wrong decisions when put under pressure’• ‘a genuine reformer sympathetic to the poor’• ‘arrogant self-seeker who refused to accept

advice

Council member to Lord Protector• Somerset and William Paget had control of Henry’s will

and kept Henry’s death secret for 4 days until February 1st 1547

• Somerset made leader of the council for ‘the better conduct of business’

• By the end of February Somerset had control of the council and became Lord Protector.

• This gave him the right to appoint and dismiss members of the privy council.

• Somerset’s success in reaching supreme power is often attributed to the support of the very able William Paget.