Edward Seymour

Timeline

1. c. 1520–1537England · EnglandSeymour early on distinguished himself in Henry VIII's service through military exploits, taking part in multiple campaigns against France and Scotland and accumulating a record of valor. After his sister Jane Seymour became Henry VIII's third queen, his political standing rose markedly; he was granted an earldom and entered the inner circle of the royal court.
2. 1547–1549London · Greater LondonAfter Henry VIII's death, Seymour became Lord Protector to the young King Edward VI as his uncle, was created Duke of Somerset, and directed the government. He advanced Protestant reform, issued England's first English-language Book of Common Prayer, and pursued enclosure policies that provoked popular uprisings and weakened his political base.
3. 1549–1552Tower of London · Greater LondonIn 1549, John Dudley (later Duke of Northumberland) joined with the Privy Council to overthrow Seymour and imprison him in the Tower of London. Though briefly released, he was re-arrested in 1551, convicted of treason, and beheaded at Tower Hill in January 1552.