Edward VI was born on October 12, 1537, at Hampton Court Palace, the only son of King Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. His mother died just twelve days after giving birth, and Edward was raised by a series of governesses and tutors. When Henry VIII died in 1547, Edward was just nine years old and became king, with his uncle Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, serving as his Lord Protector. The political situation in England at the time was somewhat unstable, with ongoing religious and political conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. Edward VI was a devout Protestant, and during his short reign, he oversaw a number of religious reforms, including the establishment of the Church of England as a Protestant church and the adoption of the Book of Common Prayer. He also supported a number of social and economic reforms aimed at improving the lives of ordinary people. However, Edward's reign was marked by political instability and conflict, particularly between the Duke of Somerset and other members of the royal court. In 1551, Somerset was deposed as Lord Protector and later executed for treason. dward VI was raised as a Protestant mainly due to the influence of his father, King Henry VIII, who had broken with the Catholic Church in order to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII had established the Church of England as a Protestant church, and Edward's education was heavily influenced by Protestant reformers. One of the most significant figures in shaping Edward's religious views was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. Cranmer was a leading figure in the English Reformation and worked closely with Edward to implement Protestant reforms, including the publication of the Book of Common Prayer and the adoption of a more Protestant form of worship. Another important influence on Edward's religious views was John Calvin, the French theologian and Protestant reformer. Edward corresponded with Calvin and was deeply impressed by his ideas, particularly his emphasis on predestination and the authority of Scripture. Overall, Edward VI was a committed Protestant who saw the English Reformation as a crucial part of his mission as king. He was deeply committed to the idea of a "godly commonwealth" in which the Church and the state worked together to promote the welfare of the people, and his religious and political reforms reflected this vision. Edward VI's relationship with his sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, was complex and strained. Edward was the youngest of Henry VIII's children and was born to his third wife, Jane Seymour, after both Mary and Elizabeth. As a result, Edward was raised somewhat separately from his sisters, and he did not have a close relationship with either of them. Mary was a devout Catholic, and her strong religious convictions put her at odds with Edward's Protestant beliefs. She also resented the fact that Edward was named as heir to the throne over her, and the two had a difficult relationship throughout Edward's reign. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was more sympathetic to Edward's Protestant views, but their relationship was still somewhat distant. Elizabeth was also excluded from the succession under Edward's Devise for the Succession, which named Lady Jane Grey as his heir instead. Despite these tensions, there were occasional moments of reconciliation between Edward and his sisters. For example, when Mary fell ill with smallpox in 1551, Edward visited her and offered his support. And after Edward's death, both Mary and Elizabeth mourned his passing and spoke fondly of him in their writings. Overall, however, the relationships between Edward and his sisters were shaped by religious and political differences, as well as the complex dynamics of the Tudor court. Despite his youth and relatively short reign, Edward VI played an important role in shaping the course of English history. His religious and political reforms laid the groundwork for the later reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, and his support for the English navy helped establish England as a major maritime power.