Portrait of Edward VI when Prince of Wales

This striking portrait depicts Edward VI in the regalia of the Prince of Wales, shortly before he was to become the King of England. The Roman numerals on the painting indicate a creation year of 1546, meaning that Edward was only nine when this likeness was captured. It is believed that this work is a copy of a portrait held by the Met Museum of New York, completed by the Flemish portraitist William Scrots, who worked extensively with Henry VIII as the King’s Painter.

Henry VIII had utilised the side-profile perspective as an artistic motif to assert the power of his Tudor dynasty. The perspective became associated with royalty, and its application in this portrait affirms Edward’s succession and future role as the English monarch. Portraits were an important way in which those in the 16th century captured likenesses of important public figures, such as the crown prince - for this reason, Edward VI is one of the most well documented Tudor monarchs, with multiple portraits capturing his childhood.

This current work is exquisitely detailed, with great care taken to depict Edward’s lavish clothing. It is possible to make out the most minute of details, from the acorns on his collar to the individual barbs of the feathers on his cap. The gold chains fixing his jacket in place and themetallic aglets on his cap are also remarkable, indicating the absolute wealth and power of the Tudor dynasty.

This portrait recently underwent dendrochronological analysis, which revealed that the work was painted during Edward’s lifetime. It was later altered to fit the diamond format that we see currently, which is also likely when the ‘ich dien’ (the motto of the Prince of Wales, meaning ‘I serve’) was added.

King Edward VI

On the 12th of October 1537, Jane Seymour gave birth to Henry VIII’s only son, who would be named Edward. As a celebration of this new heir to the throne, two thousands rounds of ammunition were shot from the Tower of London, and parties and festivities occurred all across England. Edward was baptised three days after his birth by Thomas Cranmer in a lavish ceremony before retiring to the Queen’s apartments to receive parental blessings. In a sad turn of events, Jane Seymour never recovered from the birth of her son, dying only 12 days after giving birth.

Increasingly paranoid about Edward’s wellbeing as his only male heir, Henry VII ordered that he would remain at Hampton Court Palace. Edward was afforded a luxurious suite, but was initially kept in the presence chamber in a ‘cradle of state’ so that nobles and courtiers could visit the young prince. After this, Edward lived in his own bedchamber and was served by his own kitchen to avoid contamination. Once weaned, his food was tested by a servant to ensure it was safe for the prince to consume. Edward’s clothes were washed before he wore them, everything he touched had to be cleaned before he could do so, and the walls, floors and ceilings of his suite had to be scrubbed clean multiple times a day. Any visitors were forced to wash before seeing the prince, and they could not attend the chambers if they had even the smallest sign of sickness.

Edward was raised by the women of the court and was known as a healthy, handsome, tall and well-fed young boy. He was shy and looked to his nurses for reassurance, and it is documented that even the most stern of nursemaids doted upon him. His elder half-sister Mary visited him regularly and showered him with lavish gifts - this makes their later divide over religion all the more heartbreaking. He was educated alongside his sister, Elizabeth, to whom he was the closest in age. Edward saw little of his father until he became an ‘adult’ at the age of six.

From this point on, Edward was expected to play the heir to the throne. His female attendants were dismissed and his education became that of a prince. His suite and wardrobe were redesigned to match Henry VIII’s own. His schoolmasters noted him for his maturity, but also for his fierce temper. Edward studied humanist subjects such as classics, Latin, Greek and rhetoric, as well as gentlemanly pursuits of fencing, riding, and music. He was also educated in religion and scripture by the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who became somewhat of a father figure for the prince.In 1547, when Edward was nine years old, Henry VII died - his young son was crowned as King only a month later. Due to his young age, Edward was supported by a regency council, but this was quickly overpowered by the King’s uncle, Edward Seymour, who seized control as Lord Protector. Edward kept a diary during this period, whose writings characterise him as a cold and unfeeling young boy - these qualities may well have become disastrous for a monarch if he had survived.

Edward is most renowned for his Protestant reforms. He introduced a new Book of Common Prayer in 1549, and again in 1552. This second Book provided the basis for worship within the Church of England for the next four hundred years. He also banned Catholic rituals such as casting of holy water, pilgrimages, and using rosaries.

Although Edward executed a lot of religious power, his political power was limited. Edward Seymour took ruthless control of the young prince and was even labelled ‘the King of the King’.

He was eventually ousted and executed, an event which received a cursory mention in Edward’s diary.

In 1552, Edward fell ill with measles and smallpox. Although he recovered from these illnesses, his health was fatally weakened. He gradually became more and more ill, with a constant cough and fever. His body was covered in ulcers and his digits were becoming gangrenous. It is believed that he was suffering from tuberculosis.

Edward named Lady Jane Grey, the granddaughter of his aunt, his successor, fearing that his half-sister Mary (a devout Catholic) would reverse his religious reforms. At the age of fifteen, in July of 1553, Edward died.

Lady Jane Grey took to the throne, although she was never crowned - she ruled for only nine days before she was captured and executed by Mary I’s supporters. Mary I then became Queen, overturning her brother’s reforms and becoming a notorious prosecutor of religious dissenters and earning her the moniker of ‘Bloody Mary'.