Arthur, Prince of Wales,
20th September, 1486
Wales is often referred to as a principality, not least by a good proportion of the Welsh themselves. It isn’t. Whilst the eldest son of the English monarch, currently Prince William of course, is given the title of ‘Prince of Wales’, it is an honorific and has no constitutional value at all. He can call himself the Prince of Mars if he likes, but it is nothing more than a name.
Wales was once ruled by a Prince, but then it was once ruled by a King, too. The last Welshman to be, officially at least, Prince of Wales was Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, who was killed in 1282, although his brother Dafydd also claimed the title for a few months until he became the first named person in history to be hung, drawn and quartered.
Edward I, when he had completed his campaign of conquering Wales, invested his son Edward of Caernarfon with the title in 1301, thereby beginning the tradition of giving the title to the English male heir apparent. It was designed purely as a snub to the Welsh people and some of them still take it that way, seven hundred and twenty-three years later.
Long memories, the Welsh.
One chap who also had a long memory was Henry Tudor, who gave Richard III a good hiding at the Battle of Bosworth and became King Henry VII. He was also Welsh.
Henry knew a good bit of propaganda when he saw one, and with the release of Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur generating a lot of chatter at court, he decided that what the realm needed was the spiritual ancestor to the mythical King Arthur. With Malory identifying the city of Winchester as Arthur’s Camelot, it was there that, on 20 September 1486, in St Swithun’s Priory, Henry’s wife, Elizabeth of York, gave birth to a child who they named Arthur. What better way to cement one’s place in legend than to give the kingdom a new King Arthur with which to herald a golden age of prosperity and peace?
Beacons were lit, choirs sang, proclamations went around the land, and everyone rejoiced. And they all lived happily ever after, except for Arthur, who didn’t live very long at all. He did manage to get married before he died, though, to Catherine of Aragon, who is rather more famous for then marrying Arthur’s younger brother, some chap also called Henry.
Arthur, Prince of Wales, was born on September 20, 1486, the eldest son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Arthur was the first Tudor prince born into a united England following the War of the Roses, symbolizing the union of the warring houses of Lancaster and York. His birth was a momentous event, eagerly anticipated as a testament to the new stability of the Tudor reign. Named after the legendary King Arthur, his father hoped the name would imbue his son with the qualities of a unifying, almost mythical ruler.
Arthur's early life and education were meticulously planned to shape him into the ideal Renaissance prince. From a young age, he was immersed in the principles of humanist thought, receiving a well-rounded education that included languages, history, theology, and the arts. Under the guidance of prominent scholars like John Rede, Arthur excelled in his studies, quickly becoming proficient in Latin and French, essential languages for any European ruler of the time. The presence of leading intellectuals at his court highlighted Henry VII’s intention to mould Arthur into a king who was not just a warrior but also a cultured and enlightened leader.
By the time he was three, Arthur had been created Prince of Wales, a title traditionally bestowed upon the heir apparent. His upbringing reflected his status; he was given his own household and established his court at Ludlow Castle on the Welsh borders, a practice that aimed to familiarize him with the governance of his future kingdom. Ludlow was more than a residence—it was a centre of learning and administration where Arthur could observe and participate in the day-to-day running of his principality, gaining valuable experience that would prepare him for his eventual kingship.
One of the most pivotal moments in Arthur's life came in 1489 when he was betrothed to Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. This marriage was a significant diplomatic coup, securing an alliance between England and Spain, two of Europe’s most powerful kingdoms. The alliance promised mutual support against common enemies, notably France, and underscored England’s emergence from the isolation of civil war into the broader European stage. The engagement was formally ratified when Arthur was just two years old, and the marriage was finalized in 1501 when he was fifteen.
Catherine arrived in England in October 1501, bringing with her a dowry that was as much a financial boost as a symbol of Spain’s investment in England's future. Arthur and Catherine met for the first time at Dogmersfield in Hampshire, where, despite the language barrier, they exchanged polite greetings that marked the beginning of their short-lived union. The wedding took place on November 14, 1501, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in a ceremony marked by great pomp and public celebration. The union was lauded as the herald of a new era, with the couple representing a powerful, youthful alliance that would steer England toward a prosperous future.
However, the marriage, which had held such promise, proved tragically brief. Arthur and Catherine were sent to Ludlow Castle shortly after their wedding, where they began their married life in the shadow of the damp and chilly Welsh border. In April 1502, just six months after their marriage, Arthur fell gravely ill. The exact nature of his illness remains debated among historians, with suggestions ranging from tuberculosis to the sweating sickness, a mysterious and deadly disease prevalent in Tudor England. On April 2, 1502, Arthur died at the age of fifteen, plunging the country into mourning and casting uncertainty over the Tudor succession.
Arthur’s death was a devastating blow not just to his family but also to the nation. As the carefully nurtured heir to the Tudor throne, his sudden demise left a void that thrust his younger brother, Henry, Duke of York, into the spotlight. Henry VII and Elizabeth of York were heartbroken, reportedly taking solace only in the remaining children, most notably the now crucial Henry. The loss of Arthur meant that Henry, initially destined for a clerical career, was now the next in line to the throne, dramatically altering the course of English history.
The implications of Arthur’s death extended beyond the immediate grief of his parents. It cast a shadow over the union with Spain, as Catherine of Aragon’s status was suddenly uncertain. Initially, she was left in a precarious position as a widow in a foreign court, with questions swirling around her dowry and future. The alliance that her marriage represented was now at risk of dissolution. To preserve the valuable Spanish alliance, it was decided that Catherine would marry Arthur’s younger brother, Henry. However, this union would not materialize until 1509, following a drawn-out negotiation involving papal dispensations and political manoeuvring.
Catherine’s second marriage to Henry VIII was fraught with challenges, many of which stemmed from her first marriage to Arthur. A crucial aspect of the union’s legitimacy rested on whether her marriage to Arthur had been consummated. Catherine steadfastly maintained that her marriage to Arthur had never been consummated, a claim that became central to the later annulment proceedings initiated by Henry VIII. When Henry sought to end his marriage to Catherine to marry Anne Boleyn, he argued that his union with Catherine was invalid because it contravened a biblical prohibition against marrying a brother’s widow. This debate over the consummation—or lack thereof—of Arthur and Catherine’s marriage played a pivotal role in England’s eventual break with the Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England.
Arthur’s premature death also had a significant impact on the Tudor dynasty's trajectory. As the presumed future king, he was the embodiment of the Tudor dream of a stable, enduring line of succession. His loss not only altered the future for his immediate family but also for England as a whole. Henry VIII, who had been raised in the shadow of Arthur’s expectations, ascended to the throne with a very different approach to kingship, one that would see England undergo significant religious, political, and cultural transformations.
Though Arthur's life was short, his legacy loomed large. His death marked a pivotal turning point for the Tudors, setting the stage for Henry VIII’s reign, which would be defined by his marital machinations and his break with Rome. The diplomatic and personal ramifications of Arthur’s death echoed through the years, influencing events that reshaped the religious landscape of England and altered the course of European history. Arthur, though often overshadowed by his more famous brother, remains a figure of quiet significance in the Tudor story—a prince whose unrealized potential casts a long shadow over the history of his time.
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Been saving this one! We visit Ludlow fairly frequently and always pop into the church where Arthur's heart is interred. I very often wonder how history would have changed had he been king.