Book Review: "Edward VI: The Last Boy King" by Stephen Alford

As you should already know by now (it's been an awfully long time), I am reading one book about every single king and queen of England after Edward teh Confessor. So far, I have read a book about each of the following monarchs: Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwinson, William the Conqueror, William II (William Rufus), Henry I, Stephen, Matilda, Henry II, Richard I, John, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VII, Henry VIII and now, as we move on, I come to the boy king, Edward VI.

This book starts off somewhat upsetting. A young child, Edward, is given the news that his father has died. I mean, yes he is going to be king, but Edward is still a child and therefore, would've probably felt terrible. The fact that there is some evidence suggesting that Edward started to cry makes it even more difficult. I mean, first and foremost, he's just a child at nine years' old - and now he's the King of England. The Earl of Hereford on the other hand is described as someone who was practically waiting for the infamous six-wived king to kick the bucket whilst pacing the palace hallways. It's written brilliantly, showing the juxtaposition between child and adult. To the child, King Henry VII may have been terrifying but that was still his father - whereas to adults, King Henry VII was simply a symbol of power that had to be replaced now that he was dead.

After the prologue, we get straight into Edward VI's reign. There is something really uncomfortable about all these grown men fighting over the power they have to order around a little kid during the time his father has just died. Yes, I know that it's royalty but a child is still a child and should be under some sort of guardian protection rather than being shoved this way and that way in accordance to who wanted to rule for him. I think Stephen Alford does a brilliant job of making the court of England look like a circus at the time of Henry VIII's death in which nobody really knew what they were doing and everyone wanted a slice of what was yet to come. They were fully aware that Edward VI couldn't rule in his own right and Stephen Alford makes it very clear that people were at each other's necks.

My favourite chapter was probably the last one though, at the point where Edward VI dies (and as we know, dies very young). It is called: My Device for the Succession. Famously, Edward VI wanted to stop his half-sister Mary I from entering the succession and coming on to the throne once he died so, as he was getting sicker and sicker and possibly accepting his death, he named his cousin - Lady Jane Grey - as his successor instead in order to prevent Mary from getting the crown. It was as calculated as it was dooming the teenager to death. Edward VI died, Jane ruled for nine days and then was executed on the orders of Mary I. Stephen Alford again, writes this motivation of Edward VI to stop his half-sister from becoming queen, brilliantly - showcasing the true extent of the political Edward VI as well as his notion for trying to keep the peace amongst his people.

In conclusion, though Edward VI only ruled for a short time, I think that Stephen Alford makes a great spectacle of it, taking us through every bit and every turn of this turbulent reign. And it's a lot more turbulent than many people care to realise.