4. Arsenic Poisoning (Or Syphilis Inherited From His Mother) Ended King Edward VI's Reign (1553)
At just 15 years old, King Edward VI died on July 6, 1553 - but what exactly caused his death has been the result of much debate. Congenital syphilis, inherited from his mother Jane Seymour, has been suggested, as has tuberculosis or a lung abscess. What is known is that weeks before his death, Edward VI collapsed and spewed a liquid from his mouth that was "sometimes coloured a greenish yellow and black, sometimes pink, like the colour of blood". Interestingly, many conspiracies theories also exist which claim the king was poisoned. The Duke of Northumberland has usually been the alleged orchestrator of an attempt to assassinate the King, although others have claimed Catholics poisoned Edward VI with arsenic in order to allow his half-sister, Mary Queen of Scots, to be elevated to the throne. Poisoning a 15-year-old boy? Now that is stooping low...
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.