Edward VI was King of England from 1547 to 1553. He was a staunch Protestant, but beyond that it's difficult to say what his ideas were for governing the country, because he died before reaching the age of majority so he never got to exercise personal rule. But let's suppose he survives into adulthood. What sort of king would he be? What foreign and domestic policies would he adopt?
What kind of king would Edward VI make?
- Thread starter Fabius Maximus
- Start date
If he lives religion will always be an issue domestically, from what I remember he was constantly getting into fights with Mary over religion. If he manages to make a decently large royal family (aka several surviving sons who leave issue) I wonder if he tries to tinker with the line of succession to a) mandate Anglicanism and b) make women only able to transmit their claim to the throne but not take it themselves. Keep in mind, Edward's opposition to Mary was due to both her religion and her gender. Ideally, he wanted to pass the throne to a son of Jane Grey and only changed the language to include Jane when it became clear he was dying and there was no time for a son to pop out before his death.
I think one of his first orders of business would be to make a good marriage for Elizabeth to one of the more powerful Protestant princes (and by prince, I mean any sovereign ruler of their own state, whether their title is king, prince, duke, count, elector, etc), while simultaneously arranging his own marriage with an equally lofty Protestant princess to secure a few alliances from the get go. I also see him harboring any and all Protestants needing protection from Catholic persecution, which would definitely make him some powerful enemies, while aggressively forcing through England's conversion to his brand of Protestantism. If he lives long enough (and if the butterflies allow for this) to see the 80 Years War begin in the Low Countries, I think he would more actively support the Protestant Dutch rebels there by sending more English troops over than Elizabeth did in OTL.
Why not marry Mary to Philip of Bavaria who wanted to marry her, he is a Protestant, he died in 1548 during the time Edward VI became king.
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Mary probably takes the veil before being forced to marry a Protestant. And if someone could get her off the island altogether and arrange a marriage to a Catholic magnate, even better for Mary.
She did consider being married to Philip of Bavaria who is a protestant IOTL.
Edward will not marry any Protestant princess. He has no reason to go outside two possible brides, one who he likely can not have and the other who can have easily enough and they are both Catholics... Edward will marry the first if he can get her in his power or if he can not have her he will marry the latter...
I suspect he would be very much in the mold of his father. He was showing signs of determination and was as zealous in his religion as his sister Mary was in hers, he also had the will to make it clear that his word was law, he appeared pretty unmoved at the deaths of both his Seymour uncles. His affection for both his sister's was strong by all accounts however Mary's religion had increasingly strained their relationships and I suspect as he grew older her determination would have made relations even more difficult between them. He was more in tune religiously with Elizabeth which will probably make her position slightly easier.
In terms of marriage - he himself had enough Tudor pride to want a bride of appropriate status - and Elisabeth of France was effectively promised to him - that doesn't mean it will happen. Especially as a Protestant Edward may well have a more interventionist view towards the Protestant rebels in Scotland and the Low Countries and later in France than his sister Elizabeth did.
Religiously England becomes far more Protestant in form than it did in OTL - Catholics either convert or leave the country (as many Protestants did under Mary).
In terms of marriage - he himself had enough Tudor pride to want a bride of appropriate status - and Elisabeth of France was effectively promised to him - that doesn't mean it will happen. Especially as a Protestant Edward may well have a more interventionist view towards the Protestant rebels in Scotland and the Low Countries and later in France than his sister Elizabeth did.
Religiously England becomes far more Protestant in form than it did in OTL - Catholics either convert or leave the country (as many Protestants did under Mary).
Both Edward and Henry II of France were pretty determinated about that wedding so the only case in which I can see Edward not marrying Elisabeth is if he was able to get Marie Stuart
I agree Isabella - the only hitch might be if Elisabeth and Edward are not married before the end of the Franco-Spanish war which in OTL resulted in Elisabeth's marriage to Philip - however the chances are that Philip will have remarried before that point anyhow.
Henri was indeed determined despite threats of excommunication if he pursued the match.
Elisabeth was the best option politically for both sides in the 1550s if Edward is willing to wait for an heir (assuming he waits for her 14th birthday in 1559) - how a Catholic Queen Consort goes down would be interesting - I can see Edward promising freedom of worship in private to get to the altar - afterwards I suspect the pressure will be for the Queen to convert - interesting how she impacts on any children the couple have etc.
I am not convinced Edward will push either his half-sister's into marriage - to him they are both bastards, Mary's age means the options are few, as to Elizabeth if she continues to present the perfect Protestant lady to Edward she'll continue to live quietly in the country out of harms way being occasionally mentioned as a possible wife for someone in Edward's diplomatic efforts. I doubt he will force her to marry against her will unless it is absolutely vital for his policy.
Without Mary of England Philip would be already remarried (around the time of their wedding) to one of this three princesses: Margaret of Berry, Maria of Viseu or Kristina of Denmark.
Sure Elisabeth can be again be offered for don Carlos but the heir of Spain is worth to destroy the long standing agreement with the King of England?
Plus without England (or better with England on the other side) the Franco-Spanish war would go really differently...
The only way in which I can see a Don Carlos/Elisabeth wedding here is if the Dauphin Francis die earlier and his bethroted go back in Scotland and end marrying Edward VI...
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Edward VI as King would have most effect in Ireland. By all accounts he was a zealot and, in a dark mirror of what his sister did OTL, him letting Ireland stay Catholic is unlikely. So I'd see Ireland not only suffering the Plantation policy both earlier and more thoroughly, but Catholic priests being banned.
With the encouraged settlers have all sorts of economic reasons to be zealous,( excuse to grab land, force the forgiveness of debts etc ) as well as religious ones, by the end of his reign I can see Ireland being as Protestant as England was ( and he would be as tolerant of English Catholics as Elizabeth was at best ) as well as being more English ( but given the settlement pattern Dublin and Leinster being the most English with Ulster next )
With the encouraged settlers have all sorts of economic reasons to be zealous,( excuse to grab land, force the forgiveness of debts etc ) as well as religious ones, by the end of his reign I can see Ireland being as Protestant as England was ( and he would be as tolerant of English Catholics as Elizabeth was at best ) as well as being more English ( but given the settlement pattern Dublin and Leinster being the most English with Ulster next )
Actually, the Only option for Mary that is agreeable is Philip of Bavaria who she loves even if he is a protestant.