The British Royals Message Board: Re: Edmund Tudor

If Edmund had survived he would have been Heir Presumptive to his brother until the latter's first legitimate child was born ie. Mary in 1516 (In English Common Law daughters had rights of succession over uncles). No doubt Henry would still have sought to secure a male heir of his own so that his own lineage would succeed him and so would probably have proceeded with the divorce from Catherine.

As for Edward VI, it was not a simple matter for him to alter the legitimate line of succession and certainly not without an Act of Parliament to endorse it. The Lady Jane Grey fiasco quickly bore this out. Interestingly if Edmund had survived and produced heirs of his own he or they would have succeeded the childless Elizabeth I and the Tudor line would have continued. No need for Stuarts.

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Im wondering what would have happened if Edmund Tudor the third and youngest son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York would have survived.

Would Henry VIII have divorced Katherine of Aragon if his younger brother had lived and had one or more sons? Even if Henry VIII would still have ended up with 6 wives im sure Edward VI would have left the throne to his uncle or male cousin over his half-sisters or any female in the family.