After Edward VI died the throne passed to Henry's daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Did the English rules of succession favour a daughter over a male claimant such as a cousin or uncle and were there any major plots to find a male heir? Were these rules the same across Europe at the time?
There's a segment on female rulers in the FAQ.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/women#wiki_as_rulers
You may also be interested in my answer on 'why was it acceptable to be governed by a Queen...' which narrates a brief outline of the story of English Queens between the Norman Conquest and the Act of Union.