The Future King of England! Edward Tudor's christening

Edward VI as a Child (Hans Holbein the Younger, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1538).

Edward VI was born on October 12th, 1537 after Jane Seymour endured an intense two-day labour. Jane had gone into confinement at Hampton Court Palace in September to prepare for little Edward’s birth. Henry VIII and those around him had been anxiously awaiting news about Edward’s arrival; he was the heir to the Tudor dynasty.

Jane was Henry’s third wife. He had been married to Katherine of Aragon for over twenty years before annulling their marriage and had his second wife beheaded on fabricated charges after only three years. Henry already had two children, but unfortunately for him they were daughters. Katherine of Aragon’s mother, Isabella was a powerful monarch in Spain in her own right. Katherine did not see a problem with her and Henry’s daughter Mary being heir to the throne.

To signal and celebrate the birth of Edward, Henry’s long-awaited son, two thousand rounds of ammunition were fired from the Tower of London. There were celebrations across the country. Edward was described as “the most beautiful boy that ever was seen.”

Edward was christened in a nothing short of extravagant and lavish ceremony. Every detail of the occasion was overseen by the King. It was held at the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court on October 15th, 1537. The christening was held at night and the long procession was led by torch bearers. An octagonal platform was built for the font. This allowed guests a good view of the moment the baby prince was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. High ranking members of the court as well as foreign diplomats and ambassadors were in attendance. Edward’s half sisters, Mary and Elizabeth were also there.

Baptism took place within the first eight days of birth but most families opted to baptize as soon as possible. If a child died before baptism, they were destined to spend eternity in limbo without being able to enter Heaven. A mother if she could afford it would not attend the baptism as she would remain in her chambers recovering. Edward’s christening would go down as one of the most prestigious events to take place at Hampton Court.

Edward’s Godparents were Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, longtime friend of the King, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, high ranking nobleman and Archbishop Cranmer as his Godfathers. Edward’s half-sister Mary stood as his Godmother. It is ironic to think about how Mary was chosen to be Edward’s Godmother. He would be a staunch Protestant and Mary a staunch Catholic.

Bread and sweet wine were served and after the ceremony, Edward was carried to the Queen’s apartments so that his parents could bless him. Jane Seymour unfortunately did not enjoy motherhood for long; she fell ill days later and passed away in the same bedchamber she had given birth to Edward. Jane passed away only twelve days after giving birth to Henry’s long-awaited son and male heir, most likely from puerperal fever.

Henry ordered that Edward would remain at Hampton Court Palace, as he was paranoid about his safety and wellbeing. He was awarded a suite of rooms of the Chapel Court. Edward had a magnificent cradle where privileged few visitors were allowed to see him. He had a private privy chamber which he would occupy during the day then a bedchamber which he slept in at night.

Resources:

1. https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/edward-vi/

2. https://www.tudorsociety.com/the-christening-of-edward-vi/