Cultural depictions of Edward VI of England
Edward VI of England has been depicted in popular culture a number of times.
Literature
Edward VI is a central character in Mark Twain's novel The Prince and the Pauper, in which the young prince and a pauper boy named Tom Canty, who bears a strikingly uncanny resemblance to Edward, deliberately exchange places. This ultimately leads to the eventual alarm and discomfort of both. Ultimately, both are saved by a semi-impoverished nobleman named Sir Miles Hendon.
In the young adult novel Timeless Love by Judith O'Brien, the main character, Samantha, goes back in time and finds herself with Edward VI. Other historical characters in the book include Lady Jane Grey, the Duke of Northumberland, Princess Elizabeth and Barnaby Fitzpatrick.
Green Darkness (1972) by Anya Seton has Edward VI visiting the estate where the heroine lives.
Heirs of Squire Harry (1974) by Jane Lane accurately portrays the political intrigue in the court of the young king, who is beset by ruthless ambitious men and overshadowed by his sisters.
Film
Edward has been played on film by the following actors, mainly in versions of The Prince and the Pauper:
- Marguerite Clark in The Prince and the Pauper (1915)
- Tibi Lubinsky in the Austrian silent film Prinz und Bettelknabe (1920), a version of The Prince and the Pauper
- Forbes Dawson in the British silent film Lady Jane Grey; Or, The Court of Intrigue (1923)
- Desmond Tester in Tudor Rose (1936), about Lady Jane Grey
- Billy and Bobby Mauch in The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
- Mariya Barabanova in Prints i nishchiy (1943), a Russian adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper
- Rex Thompson in Young Bess (1953), about the early life of Elizabeth I, and The Prince and the Pauper (1957)
- Kenny Morse in The Adventures of the Prince and the Pauper (1969)
- Mark Lester in Crossed Swords (1977), an adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper
- Warren Saire in Lady Jane (1986), about Lady Jane Grey
- Cole and Dylan Sprouse in A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper (2007)
Television
Edward has been played on television by the following actors, again mainly in versions of The Prince and the Pauper:
- Sean Scully in The Prince and the Pauper (1962), part of the American series Disneyland
- Jason Kemp in the BBC series Elizabeth R (1971)
- Kadu Moliterno in O Príncipe E o Mendigo (1972), a Brazilian adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper
- Nicholas Lyndhurst in The Prince and the Pauper (1976), a BBC television adaptation by writer Richard Harris
- Philip Sarson in the British drama The Prince and the Pauper (1996)
- Jonathan Timmins in the British drama The Prince and the Pauper (2000)
- Hugh Mitchell in the Granada Television serial Henry VIII (2003), with Ray Winstone as Henry
- Eoin Murtagh and Jake Hathaway in the Showtime series The Tudors (2007-2010), with Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII
Further reading
Sue Parrill and William B. Robison, The Tudors on Film and Television (McFarland, 2013). ISBN 978-0786458912.