Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, was executed on January 22, 1552, at Tower Hill. He had been Lord Protector of England for nearly three years, governing as king in all but name after his nine-year-old nephew, Edward VI, ascended the throne in January 1547. However, some of his policies proved unsuitable for the time in which he lived, and his attempts to lessen the authoritarian rule imposed by Henry VIII and to improve the well-being of the poor folk raised their expectations unrealistically and led to the outbreak of widespread rebellion. His attempt to subdue the Scots and bring about the union of Scotland with England failed and left the government desperately short of money. Towards the end of 1549, his policies were failing, and his increasing single-mindedness and over-bearing attitude towards the privy councillors alienated the very men whose support he needed, and they finally lost patience with him. In a coup d’etat led by John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, Somerset was removed from his position as Lord Protector. After a short spell in the Tower, he returned to court and the privy council, but fearing Somerset’s continuing influence and popularity, Warwick plotted for his adversary to be arrested on false charges of planning to imprison and murder Warwick and two other councillors. Despite uncertainty amongst his trial judges, Somerset was found guilty and sentenced to death.