Edward VI, was crowned King of England and Ireland on January 28, 1547. He was nine years old. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and became king upon the death of his father.
Because Henry VIII had broken with the Catholic Church, Edward VI became the first Protestant monarch of England. During his reign, the relam was ruled by a Regency council because Edward never came of age while on the throne, he died at teh age of 15.
While Edward was king, the Church of England became more and more Protestant. In 1548 the Book of Common Prayer was introduced. Statues and stained glass were removed from churches. And perhaps most significant, clergy were allowed to marry.
Edward knew he was dying and named his cousin Lady Jane Grey as his heir, but a dispute placed his half sister Mary on the throne. Jane was eventually beheaded.
Mary was the surviving child of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Mary reversed the Protestant reforms put in place by Edward. Mary died without child and her half sister became her lawful successor.
Elizabeth I, Edward's other half sister brought into play the Elizabethan Relgious Settlement which, also called "The Revolution of 1559" included two Acts of Parliament. The Act of Supremacy of 1558 re-established the independence of the Church of England from Rome. Elizabeth I was given the title Supreme Governor of the Church of England The Act of Uniformity of 1559 set the form of the English Church, including the Book of common Prayer.
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