1552: Edward Seymour, deposed Lord Protector

ExecutedToday.com ^ | January 22, 2009 | Headsman

[CheshireTheCat]

The set of any given Tudor-era costume drama is a walking Who’s Who of scaffold superstars, most notably, of course, the wives of Henry VIII. That king’s bed did not cease exuding power and danger with Henry’s death.

With Henry’s demise, the crown fell to the only legitimate son the old man had produced in a lifetime of trying, the sickly 9-year-old Edward VI, son of Henry’s beloved* third wife Jane Seymour....

Jane’s brothers had leveraged their late sister’s favor into political muscle, and Edward Seymour smoothly outmaneuvered rival factions late in Henry’s life to set himself up as the true ruler of England during the boy king’s regency.

Created Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector,** Edward ran the country for going on three years, executing the other Seymour sibling as a rival along the way.

[ComputerGuy]

Brother of Jane. He was one of at least three of my ancestors put to death by jolly old Henry VIII.

[chajin]

Between SUVs, crossovers, and sedans, practically no one ever sees a Tudor anymore.