20 February – King Edward VI’s Coronation

On this day in Tudor history, 20th February 1547, the boy-king Edward VI was crowned king by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer at Westminster Abbey.

In today's video, I share details of Edward's coronation, including the changes made due to his youth - the king was just nine years old. He needed cushions on his throne!

You can read some primary source accounts and read Archbishop Cranmer's speech in my article here.

Also on this day in history:

• 1516 – Baptism of Princess Mary, the future Mary I, in the Church of the Observant Friars at Greenwich. Click here to read more.
• 1523 – Hanging of Agnes Hungerford, Lady Hungerford, at Tyburn. Agnes was hanged, with her servant William Mathewe, after they were found guilty of murdering Agnes's first husband, John Cotell.
• 1552 – Death of Anne Herbert, sister of Catherine Parr and wife of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke. Anne died at Baynard’s Castle and was buried in St Paul’s. Anne was a maid of honour to Jane Seymour, keeper of the jewels to Catherine Howard and was serving the Lady Mary (future Mary I) at the time of her death. Click here to read more about her.
• 1579 – Death of Sir Nicholas Bacon, lawyer, administrator, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and father of Sir Francis Bacon at Old Gorhambury House, the house he had built in Hertfordshire. He lay in state for nearly two weeks at York Place before being buried in St Paul's Cathedral.