Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-3-edward-vi [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [A Level](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level.md) › [History](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history.md) › [Edexcel](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel.md) › Edward VI # Edward VI History: Edexcel A Level England, 1509-1603, topic 1.1.3 ## Edward VI Edward VI ascended to the throne when he was nine years old. Because he was too young to rule, England was led by a Regency Council. ### Protectors ![Protectors](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-10/5a5a7edd-b1ff-450d-baa3-a974363bc977/Duke-of-Somerset.jpg) - As a minor, Edward VI’s government was run first by Lord Protector Somerset and then by Lord President of the Council Northumberland. - Edward VI’s influence in government increased greatly under Northumberland. - Edward VI and Northumberland tried to alter the succession set out by Henry VIII. The ‘Devise’ is in Edward’s hand. ### Edward's personality ![Edward's personality](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-10/ff4369bd-4dfd-45c8-ab13-cb3036d36d47/edward-vi-.jpg) - Edward was serious, studious (interested in political and military history) and a committed Protestant. He was self-disciplined in public and aware of his status. - He was cold towards others, suspicious and could be vindictive. He did have a close childhood friend, Barnaby Fitzpatrick (his whipping boy). - He was healthy until 1553, enjoying sport, hunting and horse riding. ### Edward VI's approach to government ![Edward VI's approach to government](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/33d1c595-68d6-4357-8788-521d8b9b4886/edward-vi-.jpg) - It is difficult to tell how much influence Edward VI had in governing the kingdom. - Although Edward VI was young, some historians have argued that he began to have considerable influence in the later years of his reign. - Edward VI appeared to take a keen interest in the shape of England's religious settlement. ### Popular attitudes to Edward VI (Somerset, Northumberland) ![Popular attitudes to Edward VI (Somerset, Northumberland)](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/eb892082-8011-4b0a-afc9-f36a64d1b692/edward-vi-tudor-.jpg) - Somerset faced rebellions and uprisings across England in 1549. - Jordan (1968): People at the time spoke of Somerset as the ‘Good Duke.’ This was due to his social policies. - Northumberland helped stabilise the English economy. His coup against Somerset and the Lady Jane Grey plot means historians have viewed him badly. - Hoskins (1976): Northumberland was ‘unprincipled’ and a political ‘predator’. ## Test yourself on Edward VI - What did Edward VI and Northumberland write to alter the line of succession? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/c32e8aa5-abeb-44ce-b7ad-e2162a2d0658/section/b2bc4a9e-70ea-4233-a21d-4849354e1ebd/session) - Previous topic: [1.1.2 Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-2-henry-viii.md) - Next topic: [1.1.4 Mary I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-4-mary-i.md) ## History: Edexcel A Level England, 1509-1603 contents ### 1 Monarch & Government - 1.1 Tudor Monarchs - [1.1.1 Henry VII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-1-henry-vii.md) - [1.1.2 Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-2-henry-viii.md) - [1.1.3 Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-3-edward-vi.md) - [1.1.4 Mary I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-4-mary-i.md) - [1.1.5 Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-5-elizabeth-i.md) - [1.1.6 Succession Disputes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-6-succession-disputes.md) - 1.2 Changing Role of Parliament - [1.2.1 Parliament & Henry VII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-2-1-parliament-and-henry-vii.md) - [1.2.2 Parliament & Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-2-2-parliament-and-henry-viii.md) - [1.2.3 Parliament After the Reformation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-2-3-parliament-after-the-reformation.md) - 1.3 Principal Servants to the Crown - [1.3.1 Principal Servants to the Crown](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-3-1-principal-servants-to-the-crown.md) ### 2 Religious Changes - 2.1 Tudor Monarchs & Religious Change - [2.1.1 The Henrician Reformation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-1-the-henrician-reformation.md) - [2.1.2 Impact of Religious Change Under Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-2-impact-of-religious-change-under-henry-viii.md) - [2.1.3 Religious Change Under Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-3-religious-change-under-edward-vi.md) - [2.1.4 Religious Change Under Mary I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-4-religious-change-under-mary-i.md) - [2.1.5 Elizabethan Settlement](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-5-elizabethan-settlement.md) - 2.2 Catholicism & Survival - [2.2.1 Popular Attitudes to Catholicism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-1-popular-attitudes-to-catholicism.md) - [2.2.2 Catholicism Under Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-2-catholicism-under-henry-viii.md) - [2.2.3 Catholicism Under Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-3-catholicism-under-elizabeth-i.md) - [2.2.4 Catholic Nobility](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-4-catholic-nobility.md) - 2.3 Protestantism & Puritanism - [2.3.1 Protestant Influences](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-3-1-protestant-influences.md) - [2.3.2 Protestantism Under Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-3-2-protestantism-under-edward-vi.md) - [2.3.3 Protestantism Under Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-3-3-protestantism-under-elizabeth-i.md) ### 3 State Control & Popular Resistance - 3.1 Tudor Control of the Country - [3.1.1 Councils](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-1-councils.md) - [3.1.2 Role of Nobility](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-2-role-of-nobility.md) - [3.1.3 Justices of the Peace](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-3-justices-of-the-peace.md) - [3.1.4 Lord Lieutenant](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-4-lord-lieutenant.md) - 3.2 The State & the Poor - [3.2.1 Reasons for Growth of Poverty](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-2-1-reasons-for-growth-of-poverty.md) - [3.2.2 Punishments for Paupers](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-2-2-punishments-for-paupers.md) - [3.2.3 Role of Charities](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-2-3-role-of-charities.md) - 3.3 Resistance to Tudor Rule - [3.3.1 Resistance to Tax & Subsidies](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-1-resistance-to-tax-and-subsidies.md) - [3.3.2 Uprisings Against Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-2-uprisings-against-henry-viii.md) - [3.3.3 Uprisings Against Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-3-uprisings-against-edward-vi.md) - [3.3.4 Uprisings Against Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-4-uprisings-against-elizabeth-i.md) - [3.3.5 Decline of Popular Resistance](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-5-decline-of-popular-resistance.md) ### 4 Economic, Social & Cultural Change - 4.1 Patterns of Domestic & Foreign Trade - [4.1.1 Wool & Cloth](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-1-1-wool-and-cloth.md) - [4.1.2 Exploration & Trade](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-1-2-exploration-and-trade.md) - 4.2 Changing Structure of Society - [4.2.1 Population](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-2-1-population.md) - [4.2.2 Dissolution of Monasteries](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-2-2-dissolution-of-monasteries.md) - [4.2.3 Enclosure](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-2-3-enclosure.md) - 4.3 Cultural Change - [4.3.1 Education & Literature](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-1-education-and-literature.md) - [4.3.2 Impact of Religious Change](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-2-impact-of-religious-change.md) - [4.3.3 Patronage](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-3-patronage.md) - [4.3.4 The Arts](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-4-the-arts.md) - [4.3.5 Cult of Gloriana](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-5-cult-of-gloriana.md) ### 5 Historical Interpretations - 5.1 Significance of Threats to National Security - [5.1.1 Spain](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-1-1-spain.md) - [5.1.2 The Spanish Armada](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-1-2-the-spanish-armada.md) - [5.1.3 Ireland](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-1-3-ireland.md) - 5.2 Court Politics - [5.2.1 Court Factions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-2-1-court-factions.md) - [5.2.2 Essex's Rebellion](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-2-2-essexs-rebellion.md) - 5.3 Elizabeth & Parliament - [5.3.1 Conflict with Parliament](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-3-1-conflict-with-parliament.md) - 5.4 Social Distress in the 1590s - [5.4.1 Social Distress in the 1590s](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-4-1-social-distress-in-the-1590s.md)