ON THIS DAY - 06 July 1553

On This Day (06 July) in 1553, Edward VI died at the ‘Palace of Placentia’, Greenwich, at around 8 o'clock in the evening, in the presence of his doctors and his close friend, Sir Henry Sidney.

‘Edward VI’s Last Physician’ Unknown English Artist, 19thc © Bridgeman Images

The 15-year-old king, who had sat on the English throne since January 1547, following the death of his father, Henry VIII, had been suffering from ill health, since the previous year.

In Spring 1552, the young king had been exposed to both measles and smallpox, which had ravished his immune system, leaving him susceptible to infections. By the following Spring, Edward was showing symptoms of pulmonary infection, likely tuberculosis; despite treatment by doctors, the king continued to show symptoms and continued to grow weak, until he was eventually bedbound by May 1553.

It was at this time that Edward first compiled his ‘Devise for the Succession’, nominating his Protestant kinswoman Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk’s daughters’ “heires masles” as his preferred successors. However, as his health continued to fail, and despite a rush of marriages, including the eldest Jane Grey to Guildford Dudley, a younger son of the king’s Lord President of the Council, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, there was no sign of any male heirs. Therefore further changes to the ‘devise’ were made, identifying “L. Jane” and the king’s nominated heir.

Edward’s death was not announced for several days, giving time for John Dudley and his allies to put their plan into place and declare Jane Grey Queen of England, and attempt a coup against the ‘rightful’ Queen, Edward’s half-sister Mary.