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{{Infobox royalty
| name = Edward VI
| title = King of England and Ireland
| image = Edward VI of England c. 1546.jpg
| caption = Edward as Prince of Wales, 1546. He wears the Prince of Wales's feathers and crown on the pendant jewel. Attributed to [[William Scrots]].
| succession= [[King of England]]
| reign = 30 January 1547 – 6([[Old Style and New Style dates|OS]])10 July 1553 ([[Old Style and New Style dates|NS]])
| regent = [[Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset|Lord Somerset]] (1547–1549)<br />[[John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland|Lord Northumberland]] (1549–1553)
| coronation = 20 February 1547
| predecessor = [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]
| successor = [[Lady Jane Grey]] ''or'' [[Mary I of England|Mary I]]
| house = [[House of Tudor]]
| father = [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]
| mother = [[Jane Seymour]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1537|10|12|df=yes}}/{{birth date|1537|10|14|df=yes}} ([[Old Style and New Style dates|NS]])
| birth_place = [[Hampton Court Palace]], near London
| death_date = {{death date|1553|7|6}}/{{death date and age|1553|7|10|1537|10|12|df=yes}} ([[Old Style and New Style dates|NS]])
| death_place = [[Palace of Placentia]], Greenwich, near London
| burial_date = 9 August 1553
| burial_place = [[Henry VII Lady Chapel]], [[Westminster Abbey]]
|reg-type=Lord Protecters|birth_name=Edward Tudor of Hampton, Prince of Wales}}
[[File:Edward VI, aged 6.jpg|thumb|Edward VI of England, at the age of six]]

'''Edward VI''' (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was [[List of English monarchs|King of England]] and [[Ireland]], from 28 January 1547, until his death on 6 July 1553.

Edward was the son of [[Henry VIII of England]] and [[Jane Seymour]]. His mother died 12 days after his birth. He became king at the age of 9 when his father died. Although he had two older sisters, [[Mary I of England|Mary]] and [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth]], Edward was the next in line for the throne because he was male. Because he was such a young king, the country was governed by nobles. He had two advisors (or [[regent]]s). The first was his uncle, [[Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset|Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset]], who became [[Lord Protector]]. 

For the first two-and-a-half years of Edward's reign, Lord Somerset advised and guided the young king. Somerset was then replaced by [[John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland|John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland]].

Edward was the first [[Protestant]] king of England. Although his father, Henry VIII, had broken the [[Church of England]] away from the [[Roman Catholic Church]], he had not changed much else. Most of the major changes to the Church of England happened during Edward's reign. They were led by Somerset, Northumberland and Archbishop [[Thomas Cranmer]]. Also during his reign, England tried to take over Scotland. After a good start, it ended in defeat. His reign also saw economic problems and unrest.

He died when he was {{frac|15|1|2}} years old, probably from [[tuberculosis]]. Before he died, Edward named his cousin, [[Lady Jane Grey]], as his heir and excluded his half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. He was trying to prevent Mary, a Catholic, from returning the country to [[Catholicism]]. However, Mary overthrew Jane less than two weeks later and became the queen. Mary undid the reforms of Edward's reign, but Elizabeth [[Elizabethan Religious Settlement|restored them]] in 1559.

== Religious changes ==
Laws were passed to make churches more plain. Catholic churches were rich in decorations and colour. Now under Edward, [[stained glass]] windows and [[icon]]s were removed from churches; the furniture within churches became very basic and plain.

The actual services became more plain and the common person could now understand what was being said at [[Mass (liturgy)|services]] – now called [[Holy Communion]] – were in [[English language|English]] rather than [[Latin]]. Archbishop [[Thomas Cranmer]] wrote the [[Book of Common Prayer]] also in English. Priests did not have to dress in the bright clothing associated with the Catholic Church and under Edward. They were also allowed to [[Marriage|marry]]. The king remained as Head of the Church.

All of these changes were a major break from the traditions of the Catholic Church. In parts of Germany and [[Switzerland]], religious groups had also broken away in protest against the wealth and [[corruption]] of the Catholic Church. They became known as [[Protestant]], and England under Edward, became a Protestant country with an independent Church of England.

Edward had never been a healthy boy and his health failed in 1553. After the nine-day reign of Lady Jane Grey, his Catholic half-sister Mary became queen of England and the country went through another period of religious changes.

{{English monarchs}}
{{Princes of Wales}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edward 6 of England}}
[[Category:1537 births]]
[[Category:1553 deaths]]
[[Category:House of Tudor]]
[[Category:Kings and Queens of England]]
[[Category:16th century in England]]