historicall.y

In 1547, Henry VIII died and his nine year old son became King Edward VI of England. As he was not yet an adult, Edward's uncle Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (brother of the king's dead mother-  Jane Seymour ) became Lord Protector, ruling the country on behalf of Edward VI. He was Lord Protector between 1547 and 1549. Thomas Seymour (young Edward's 'favourite' uncle) had been promoted to Lord High Admiral, this gave him the power to control the royal navy. Seymour took advantage of this power and tried to lead a rebellion on the throne. Now, the officials had there eye on the scheming uncle... Jealous of his brother's high position in the country, Thomas Seymour  snuck into the palace one night in an attempt to kidnap his nephew. Whilst breaking into the palace, one of Edward's favourite pets, a spaniel began barking. Afraid that the dog would alert the guards, Seymour shot it. On 28th March 1549, Thomas Seymour was beheaded for high treason. ...

Katherine Parr By the time Henry VIII married his sixth and final wife- Katherine Parr, he had been previously married five times and she had been married two previous times. When the king married Katherine, he didn't really need a wife. The majority of his court, they knew that he was nearing the end of his life, but to say it publicly, was treason and you could even die for suggesting the death of a monarch! To be absolutely honest, he needed a nurse. However the royal couple did grow to love each other, and Katherine was a wonderful stepmother to Henry's three children: Mary, Elizabeth and Edward.  Katherine was the daughter of the Tudor knight Sir Thomas Parr and his wife Maud Green . She was the eldest surviving child of Thomas and Maud and she was born in the year of 1512, probably in August. Katherine had two little siblings- William and Anne. In 1517, her father died, more than likely due to the sweating sickness. With their mother in charge of the royal ed...

Catherine Parr died a few days after the birth of her daughter Mary on 30th August 1548. Mary's father, Thomas Seymour, was sent to the block after being charged for high treason less than a year later.  Seymour knew he would face execution, so shortly before his death, he appointed his late wife's friend the Duchess of Suffolk as his baby daughter's guardian.   Mary moved to her guardian's family's estate but the Duchess was annoyed at the cost of Mary therefore she wrote to Lord Cecil asking for funds to support the orphan. Cecil granted these in 1549 and the next year Seymour's lands were granted to his infant daughter. However, because Mary never claimed her father's lands, it has lead to the belief that she died around the time of her second birthday. She then disappears from history.  It is likely that she died in 1550 but there are theories that Mary grew up and married a courtier of James I's wife- Anne of Denmark's court. Unfo...