1537-12th October born to Henry VIII and Jane Seymour who died 12 days after his birth. He was Henry's only legitimate son.
1547- At the age of nine became King of England and Ireland.
He was to leave very little trace of his personal influence on the events during his reign. Henry had decreed that during Edward's minority the government was to be run by a council regency; in fact Edward's uncle, Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset wielded almost supreme power as regent, with the title of protector.
1549-Edward Seymour was overthrown by the unscrupulous John Dudley, earl of Warwick (soon to become duke of Northumberland). The young king was the mask behind which Northumberland controlled the government.
The measures taken by both Somerset and Northumberland to consolidate the English Reformation, however, agreed with Edward's own intense devotion to Protestantism.
1553-January Edward showed the first signs of Tuberculosis.
May-it was evident that the disease would be fatal. His will drawn up under Northumberland's influence excluded his two half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, from the succession and put Northumberland's daughter-in-law Lady Jane Grey, and her male heirs in direct line for the throne.
July 6th died London.
Edward displayed a potential for effective administration, but many scholars have felt that, had he lived, his religious zeal and extreme obstinacy might have imprinted rigidity and narrowness on the Church of England.