History of the English line of succession of succession was governed by the Third Succession Act: Upon Henry's death, the throne passed to Henry's son, who became Edward VI. On the day of Edward VI's death, 6 July 1553, the line of succession to the English throne was as follows according to the will of Henry VIII, which excluded the descendants of his elder sister, Margaret, Queen of Scotland (note: Henry VIII's will was signed with a dry stamp rather than his hand, a technicality that eventually allowed the Stuarts to succeed): Edward VI left a Device for the Succession, in an attempt to remove the peculiarity
Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon While still incarcerated, Edward translated "Benefizio di Cristo" ("The Benefit of Christ's Death") into the English language and dedicated the manuscript to Anne Stanhope, wife of the Lord Protector Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, uncle of King Edward VI. The Cambridge University Library contains a copy autographed by Edward VI himself. Courtenay may have intended this work as a gift of reconciliation to his royal cousin. Whatever benefits the translation may have brought him, release from the Tower of London was not among them. King Edward VI died on 6 July 1553. His designated heir, Lady Jane Grey, ascended