ABSTRACT
Edward VI was nine years old at his father’s death; government was carried out by others throughout his reign. The reigns of Henry’s three children saw each hold sway in turn; then, under Elizabeth I, a policy of steering a middle course, with royal authority paramount. The Succession Act 1536 gave Henry VIII power to provide for the future government of the realm by will, should his successor be a minor. The ideological and religious composition of the Council is much debated by specialists, particularly as to whether and to what extent Henry attempted to balance the various elements. Government during Edward’s reign was dominated first by Somerset and, after his fall in 1550, by John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who was never granted the title of protector, but came to exercise almost untrammelled authority over his fellow councillors, and a degree of influence over the king which is the subject of much scholarly debate.
