Survival of King Edward VI of England

Okay, so I have this idea for a TL, where King Edward VI does not die of consumption and manages to survive and rule England after attaining his majority.
However, soon after the POD, I want to get rid of Northumberland. Any ideas for how this could have happened and how I should go about doing this? My goal is to have a court plot ensure that Edward VI loses confidence in him, preferably by 1555.

Ideas?
 
Northumberland and the "Catholic" Assassination Conspiracy

Have one of his political rivals plot a suspicious "Catholic" assassination 'conspiracy' which isn't one, leading to his demise. BTW, if Edward VI
survives, does he marry? I assume that Bloody Mary still dies in 1558,
leaving Elizabeth I heiress presumptive/Princess Royal thereafter. Given
the historical closeness of Edward and Elizabeth, there's your eventual
long-term answer. Elizabeth becomes her brother's chief counsellor and a significant influence, perhaps even acting as Regent should Edward die before any viable offspring achieve majority. If not, then as Heiress Presumptive and Princess Royal, she succeeds anyway.

Craig
 
Just a question: if Edward VI lives longer but is still an unhealthy king, would he arrange a marriage to Elisabeth in order to preserve both his father's issue in the English throne and the Protestant religion in his kingdom?
 
Have one of his political rivals plot a suspicious "Catholic" assassination 'conspiracy' which isn't one, leading to his demise. BTW, if Edward VI
survives, does he marry? I assume that Bloody Mary still dies in 1558,
leaving Elizabeth I heiress presumptive/Princess Royal thereafter. Given
the historical closeness of Edward and Elizabeth, there's your eventual
long-term answer. Elizabeth becomes her brother's chief counsellor and a significant influence, perhaps even acting as Regent should Edward die before any viable offspring achieve majority. If not, then as Heiress Presumptive and Princess Royal, she succeeds anyway.

Craig
I'm thinking of having her wield considerable de facto power, and perhaps be married off to Huntingdon? He seems the most likely candidate.
As far as Edward VI marrying, I intended to have his marriage to Elisabeth of Valois proceed as planned, and continue the Tudor dynasty...
 
Would Edward VI Have *Been* Fertile, Though?

That is, assuming that he was capable of having children:confused:... his sister Mary (1)*wasn't*, although I concede that could be the Aragonese side of her genetic heritage (remember Joanna the Mad of Spain in the 16thC?)

Pinkcat

(1) As Phillip II went on to have children with subsequent wives, the problem wasn't on his side.
 
Longevity of Henry VIII's Surviving Children?

Also, Elizabeth I was the only one of Henry VIII's offspring to survive to considerable old age. Henry Duke of Richmond and Edward VI didn't, and Mary died in middle age. Or are you planning to make him more robust somehow?

Pinkcat
 
Pinkcat,

Edward VI, while commonly believed to have been sickly, actually was a somewhat robust child. His death was the result of tuberculosis; I am not sure where the misconception of his health originated from, but I cite Allison Weir and Antonia Fraser as my sources for what I have stated.

As for Queen Mary I, one can hardly say that she was infertile simply because her union with Philip II produced no issue. Mary was 38 at the time of her marriage, and nearing menopause, so her chances of conceiving were somewhat limited (her husband was also often away and rarely shared her bed, which didn't help matters much). The truth is we can never know if any of Henry VIII's children were fertile, as both Elizabeth and Edward never married, and Henry Fitzroy's marriage wasn't consummated before his premature death from tuberculosis (he was, however, also physically robust and not sickly either).

Everything we state here is pure speculation; it is AH after all...
 
Re: Mary and Phillip in OTL

Yes, although don't forget, Catherine of Aragon had several
other children, and Mary was the only one to survive to
adulthood. It may have simply been high childbed infant mortality
at work at royal childbirths, or it may have been genetic. In which
case, Mary might well have inherited fertility problems from her
mother.

Craig
 
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