Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
(1506?-1552), Known as 'The Protector'; statesmanSitter associated with 17 portraits
Edward Seymour was the eldest brother of Jane Seymour, who became King Henry VIII's third wife in 1536. The death of his sister following the birth of her only child, Edward, in 1537 diminished Hertford's influence at court, but he remained prominent, particularly in military affairs, for the remainder of Henry's reign. After Henry's death in 1547, Seymour was appointed Lord Protector of the Realm and Governor of the King's Person. He retained great influence over the boy king Edward VI, in whose name he ruled the country, and was created Duke of Somerset in 1547, early in King Edward's reign. However, he fell from power and was executed for treason in 1552.
by Unknown artist
oil on panel, circa 1575
NPG 4165
Unknown man, formerly known as Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Unknown artist
oil on panel, after 1785
NPG 1375
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Magdalena de Passe, or by Willem de Passe
line engraving, 1620
NPG D23465
Queen Mary I; called Lady Jane Grey; Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset; Nicholas Ridley
printed for Richard Chiswell
line engraving, late 17th century
NPG D23526
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Robert White, printed for Richard Chiswell
line engraving, published 1679
NPG D15192
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Pieter Stevens van Gunst, after Adriaen van der Werff
line engraving, 1697
NPG D24813
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Pieter Stevens van Gunst, after Adriaen van der Werff
line engraving, 1697
NPG D19906
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
after Unknown artist
line engraving, probably 18th century
NPG D24816
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
after Unknown artist
line engraving, possibly mid 18th century
NPG D24815
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Jacobus Houbraken, published by John & Paul Knapton, after Hans Holbein the Younger
line engraving, published 1738
NPG D24807
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Jacobus Houbraken, published by John & Paul Knapton, after Hans Holbein the Younger
line engraving, published 1738
NPG D41815
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Jacobus Houbraken, published by John & Paul Knapton, after Hans Holbein the Younger
line engraving, published 1738
NPG D41816
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Jacobus Houbraken, published by John & Paul Knapton, after Hans Holbein the Younger
line engraving, published 1738
NPG D20480
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by William Sherlock, after Hans Holbein the Younger
line engraving, 1757
NPG D24814
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
after Unknown artist
stipple engraving, late 18th-early 19th century
NPG D24824
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Henry Meyer, published by Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones, published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, after William Hilton
stipple engraving, published 1 March 1819
NPG D41814
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
by Jacobus Houbraken, published by John & Paul Knapton, after Hans Holbein the Younger
line engraving, published 1738
NPG D42884
Related People
- Jane Seymour (sister)
- Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour (brother)
- Anne Seymour (née Stanhope), Duchess of Somerset (wife)
Tell us more back to top
Can you tell us more about this person? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitter’s life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? If you have information to share please complete the form below.
If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. You can buy a print of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at £6 for unframed prints, £25 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service.
Please note that we cannot provide valuations.
We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
Watch
Our channel
View a wide collection of video content on our YouTube channel from past projects to our latest films.
Artist and sitter interviews
Get insights into creating portraiture from BP Portrait Award 2020 artists and their sitters.
Sleeping Awake
Watch our film created to say ‘goodbye’ to the Gallery before we closed for our major transformation project.