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Fall of Protector Somerset (1549)

Type Event Region England Time 1549

In October 1549 Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector of England, was overthrown and imprisoned in a Privy Council coup.

Timeline

  1. 1549England · EnglandIn summer 1549 the Prayer Book Rebellion and Kett's Rising broke out simultaneously; Somerset hesitated in his suppression strategy and took an ambiguous stance on enclosures, angering Privy Council colleagues. The war against Scotland was hugely costly yet failed to achieve its dynastic marriage goal, damaging both finances and prestige.
  2. 1549Hampton Court · SurreyJohn Dudley joined with Privy Council members such as William Paget to accuse Somerset of usurping power in the name of protecting Edward VI. Somerset was forced to leave the court, then arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London.
  3. 1549–1552London · LondonDudley replaced Somerset as de facto regent and was later created Duke of Northumberland. Somerset was briefly released in 1550 but attempted a comeback, was re-arrested in 1551, and executed for treason in 1552; Edward VI's later politics entered a Dudley-dominated phase.

Sources