Editing Edward VI (section)

=== Birth ===
[[File:Hans Holbein the Younger - Edward VI as a Child - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Painting of Prince Edward as a baby, depicted with regal splendour and a kingly gesture. He is dressed in red and gold, and a hat with ostrich plume. His face has delicate features, chubby cheeks and a fringe of red-gold hair.|Prince Edward in 1538, by [[Hans Holbein the Younger]]. He holds a golden rattle that resembles a sceptre; and the Latin inscription urges him to equal or surpass his father.{{Sfn|Foister|2006|p=100}}]]

Edward was born on 12 October 1537 in his mother's room inside [[Hampton Court Palace]], in [[Middlesex]].{{Sfn|Loach|1999|p=4}} He was the son of King [[Henry VIII]] by his third wife, [[Jane Seymour]], and the only son of Henry VIII to outlive him. Throughout the realm, the people greeted the birth of a male heir, "whom we hungered for so long",<ref>[[Hugh Latimer]], bishop of Worcester, quoted by {{Harvnb|Erickson|1978|p=181}}.</ref> with joy and relief. ''[[Te Deum]]s'' were sung in churches, bonfires lit, and "their<!--{{sic}}--> was shott at the Tower that night above two thousand gonnes".<ref name=Lbapt>{{Harvnb|Loach|1999|pp=5–6}}.</ref> Queen Jane, appearing to recover quickly from the birth, sent out personally signed letters announcing the birth of "a Prince, conceived in most lawful matrimony between my Lord the King's Majesty and us". Edward was [[Infant baptism|christened]] on 15 October, with his 21-year-old half-sister [[Mary I of England|Lady Mary]] as godmother and his 4-year-old half-sister [[Elizabeth I|Lady Elizabeth]] carrying the [[chrisom]];<ref name="Lbapt"/> the [[Garter King of Arms]] proclaimed him as [[Duke of Cornwall]] and [[Earl of Chester]].{{Sfn|Erickson|1978|p=182}} The queen, however, fell ill and died from postnatal complications on 24 October, days after Edward's birth. Henry VIII wrote to [[Francis I of France]] that "Divine Providence ... hath mingled my joy with bitterness of the death of her who brought me this happiness".{{Sfn|Skidmore|2007|p=20}}