Last Will & Testament of King Edward VI

I did not know this story, but William Kelleher and Christina Smith have a fantastic article in the January/February 2025 issue of Probate & Property titled “My Lady Jane, a King’s Will, and Undue Influence on a Testamentary Instrument” about King Edward VI’s Devise for the Succession, a controversial document signed shortly before his death in 1553. Determined to preserve the Protestant Reformation, Edward sought to prevent his Catholic half-sister Mary from inheriting the throne, and just weeks before his death at age 16, he named his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his heir. However, Jane reigned for only nine days before being deposed by Mary I. Given recent historical analysis, the Devise might not have been considered valid under modern legal standards—not only due to Edward’s minority but also because of potential undue influence by John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who had much to gain politically. This story was recently fictionalized in the Amazon Prime series My Lady Jane, though I have not seen the show. Interesting history.