The son Henry VIII always wanted is often maligned as a sickly child – but does he deserve this reputation? The real Edward VI, writes historian Tracy Borman, was a hearty lad who could have been as terrible as his father had he not met his untimely death in 1553 (aged 15)
Only three out of Henry VIII's four legitimate children reached adulthood. Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I each went on to reign and leave their mark on English history.