The Doomed Story Of Prince Arthur, King Henry VIII’s Tragic Brother D
Arthur Prince of Wales was the tutor’s great golden hope the elder brother of the notorious King Henry VII Arthur was supposed to lead his country into Glory instead fate dealt him one of the most infamous twists in history changing the future forever here’s a tragic story of Arthur Tudor the king who never was the strange and sudden death of Prince Arthur baffled the boy doctors and it remains a mystery to this day but modern researchers believe they may finally have found the cause for the tragic loss stay tuned for more on that later Arthur’s birth was one of the most momentous occasions of the 15th century his parents King Henry iith and Elizabeth of York were kickstarting the new tutor Dynasty after the tumultuous Wars of the roses and Arthur’s birth in September 1486 cemented their ascendancy into Power even so there was a bizarre
aspect to the boy entrance Arthur’s father King Henry won his crown through battle not through Royal Blood and he was super insecure about that origin story so insecure in fact that he named his son after the legendary King Arthur as if to prove that he descended from the English hero this was embarrassing enough for the little boy but the Monarch didn’t stop there in addition to saddling his son with the heavy-handed moniker of Arthur King Henry iith also forced his wife Queen Elizabeth to give birth to the boy at St swithin’s prior because that was near where most people believed King Arthur’s Camelot was seriously Arthur’s dad was really into making his medieval fanfiction real obviously this wasn’t the best parenting idea and the King’s next move was even more outrageous desperate to solidify their power the Royal parents started planning to marry Arthur off from almost the moment he was out of his cradle they
began the formal marriage search when he was still just a toddling three-year-old not that the rest of Europe seemed to mind soon enough baby Arthur found himself in a very big catch eventually Henry and Elizabeth landed on Katherine of Aragon the daughter of the Catholic power couple Isabella the of Cel and Ferdinand II of Aragon don’t get it twisted though this wasn’t a love match Katherine was also only a toddler herself and Arthur’s parents viewed the Union as a political alliance against France romance indeed to be fair even people in medieval times thought that three was a little young to get hitched so everyone did the sensible thing and waited until Arthur turned 15 which is obviously the exact age all boys turn into emotionally responsible men so for more than a decade the baby love birds waited patiently for marriage and in that time a lot changed despite all the
heavy expectations thrust upon his shoulders Arthur surpassed everyone’s Wildest Dreams he was strong and able since birth and shot up to be remarkably tall for his age with auburn hair and a straight nose Arthur also looked like a prince out of a fairy tale and many people considered him to be incredibly handsome as the Golden Boy of the Tudor Court Arthur knew darn well that he had to be an overachiever and he more than delivered the 15th century Dreamboat had an extensive education in the classics was a superb Archer a skilled pupil and he could cut a rug on the castle Dance Floor there was however one Insidious problem although many people considered Prince Arthur the model of a modern medieval gentleman he was far from perfect although he was physically healthy he did have a somewhat subdued personality corders described him as amiable and gentle deeming him a
delicate lad for a long while this wasn’t a problem but it would catch up with him during this time King Henry iith and Elizabeth of York kept trying to make some spare heirs but the royal family only found heartbreak Arthur lost sibling after sibling to infant diseases and only three of his younger brothers and sisters Henry Margaret and Mary made it to adulthood as it turned out these premature ends also doubled as ominous foreshadowing trauma is a heck of a bonding tool and and the Royal children were all very close with one another Arthur was particularly fond of his sister Margaret who was just 3 years younger than him he also shared a nursery with his baby brother Henry who came along when Arthur was 5 years old Arthur took to being a big brother showing little Henry all his older bro wisdom too bad Henry didn’t take notes
in 1497 Arthur and Katherine of Aragon moved one step closer to matrimony in an official betral C ony maybe that sounds romantic but in reality the day was incredibly bizarre the engagement took place by proxy a common practice at the time where the couple weren’t actually in the same room together instead a Spanish Emissary stood in for Catherine if that sounds like the opposite of romance just wait 2 years later the royal couple still hadn’t even met yet but they were ready to take it up a notch in 1499 they performed a full-blown Mar ceremony Again by proxy yep the 13-year-old Arthur and Catherine knew each other even less than Bachelor couples and they were tying the knot even so Arthur’s response was touching the young romantic Arthur had obviously built up the idea of Catherine into Epic Proportions inside his head because he
was still over the moon about his lonely wedding for one as Catherine’s Burly male standing described he much rejoiced to contract the marriage because of his deep deep and sincere love for the princess buddy she’s a total stranger and Arthur has soon found that out the hard way during this time Arthur and Catherine wrote letters to each other in their common tongue of Latin the prince took it way overboard two years later Catherine still hadn’t crossed the channel and Arthur lamented I cannot tell you what an Earnest desire I feel to see your highness and how vexatious to me is this procrastination about your coming the princeling was chomping at the bit and his desperation soon manifested in other forms not content to romance Catherine Arthur also took it upon himself to correspond with her parents assuring them that he would be a true and loving husband once you know he could meet his bride ah I shouldn’t be
so hard on the kid he was just a hopeless romantic yet as we all know high expectations can lead to Big disappointments on October 2nd 1501 Katherine of Aragon finally landed in England a month later the royal couple met for the first time when they opened their mouths they came to a crushing conclusion although they both knew Latin they each had learned a different pronunciation and without speaking each other’s native tongue they couldn’t even understand each other cue the sad trombone music like it or not though the wheels had been set in motion to be fair Catherine probably didn’t disappoint Arthur in the looks Department she had long auburn hair bright blue eyes and a cherubic face people actually called her the most beautiful creature in the world and one CER noted that few women could compete with her maybe that’s why she had Arthur
acting like such a darn fool because this is royalty we’re talking about Prince Arthur and Katherine of Aragon had another wedding finally in person on November 14th 1501 and this time they went all out the pair married in the historic St Paul’s Cathedral and the bride and groom wore matching White Satin for the ceremony and that wasn’t all Arthur’s father King Henry knew how to do propaganda and he made sure his son’s nuptuals were the height of Royal opulence to accompany the ceremony there were three days of tournaments at Westminister Palace and St Paul’s provided a fountain just beside the church that flowed with endless wine for the people but then things went from civilized to extremely awkward oh sure the celebrations immediately after the wedding were lavish enough as well the newlyweds went to bayard’s Castle for their reception where a choir entertained them and other high-ranking members of the court with songs except
as the time Drew near for Arthur and Catherine to retire the party really got going as the teenage Prince Arthur and his bride got up to leave the evening took a disturbing turn Arthur’s grandmother mother Margaret bort started up a betting ceremony for the couple yeah it was as gross as it sounds after sprinkling the marriage bed with holy water Margaret called Catherine in undressed her reverently and laid her on the bed but you can guess what came next after Catherine of Aragon was creepily primed Prince Arthur scantily CLA himself then entered the bed chamber alongside the gentleman in his wedding party accompanied by musicians playing VI and tabers to top the whole mortifying event off the bishop of London then blessed the bed to be fruitful seriously ew and it gets worse when it comes to this great betting of two teenagers you might be thinking hey
it was the Medieval Era they did wear stuff like this on the daily well hold on to your hats because they actually didn’t Arthur and Catherine’s ceremony is the only recorded instance of a public bedding in 16th century Britain so yeah it was weird ironically exactly what happened that night would soon be an Infamous part of history but before that Arthur had to go through hell for a brief moment Arthur’s Royal Wedding was like something out of a fairy tale the new couple spent their honeymoon period at ticken Hill Manor which is just as picturesque as it sounds following this Arthur went to live in llo Castle in the Welsh marshes because after all he was the prince of Wales this is where it all started to go wrong Arthur’s father King Henry iith noticed something alarming after he married off his son his a was growing weaker as if some unnamed illness was besieging him the king eventually decided to send Catherine
after Arthur to llo perhaps thinking Arthur could Comales better if his wife was around however this decision would spell Arthur’s Doom when Catherine arrived in llo Castle it was the height of the Christmas season she and her new husband celebrated Christmas Day the new year and 12th night together for the first time as a couple with Katherine’s Spanish Entourage arriving at the small village shortly after sadly though it was their first time it was also their last after Christmas the pair began to W away the next part of their teenaged honeymoon and playact at being fully functioning adults May months later though their celebrations turned into utter Terror both Arthur and C grew sick with a mysterious illness and took to their beds tragically their Affliction turned fatal in an instant Katherine was in an intense delirium because of her sickness and when she finally came to
she made a shocking Discovery she was a widow Arthur had passed on April 2nd 1502 just half a year away from his 16th birthday cathine was now a teenage Widow and the prince’s body was growing cold in his sick bed but there were still many questions left to answer when the news reached Arthur’s mother and father that their eldest son had passed in the bloom of his youth the response was absolutely devastating it was King Henry’s Confessor who delivered the tragic Tidings telling him his dearest son hath departed to God upon hearing those words the great warrior king burst into tears once King Henry knew the truth he then had to tell his wife Elizabeth who spent the night consoling her husband and assuring him that they still had other children to take on the duties of the crown of course this was only a brave face the queen left her husband’s room entered her own and
immediately collapsed into sobs over her beloved Son Prince Arthur’s funeral was a massive mournful and lengthy affair on April 8th nearly all of London came out for a procession for his soul and every Parish Church sang A durge for their lost Prince that evening on April 23rd attendants sprinkled his embalmed body with holy water and laid him to rest at lllo Castle only there was one big thing missing although Catherine of Aragon was reeling from her lost she wasn’t even at Arthur’s funeral somewhat irrationally Royal tradition dictated that the Widow could not attend the morning services so Catherine had to suffer alone and confused without her prince Arthur to guide her then again she had bigger things to worry about Prince Arthur is mostly forgotten today but if he had survived the responsible loving boy would have very likely become an
excellent Fair King of England instead we got something much different his younger brother took his place as air becoming the infamous King Henry VII and that wasn’t the only way Arthur’s tragic End changed the course of history the minute she became Arthur’s Widow Katherine of Aragon’s position was incredibly precarious King Henry iith was anxious to keep her dowy dollars and sending her back to Spain meant giving a full refund instead of doing that the king made a faithful suggestion Katherine should marry Arthur’s younger brother Henry this very famously did not end well and eventually it all came down to Arthur again Katherine’s marriage to Henry was unimaginably scandalous for the time because she had already been married to his brother they had to get special dispens ation from the pope for the union even then the Royals only got a reluctant go ahead and only after Catherine made an extremely
controversial confession the Royal petition to the pope hinged on a single claim Katherine’s assurance that she and Arthur had never consummated their Union although it took a long time it worked and Arthur’s ex-wife married his brother 7 years later tying the knot on June 11th 1509 but was Katherine’s claim true had they really never slept together well despite the fact that they had a very public first bedding we may never know for sure what really went on behind Catherine and Arthur’s closed door but if they didn’t seal the deal the reason might be pretty gross both of them might have been simply too young to go through with the ACT still there is another disturbing possibility because Arthur’s Health seemed to decline right after his wedding some historians argue that that he was already too infirm to be of much use in the marriage bed then once his fatal illness hit the scrawny weak
teenager was too busy trying to survive to get it on either way the entire situation would still come back to haunt Catherine as a child Arthur was the very definition of spoiled when he was just 4 years old his father King Henry iith decided it was high time for his son to get his own household structure that is his own servants and chamberlains to attend his every princely whim whenever he wanted Royals they’re just not like us King Henry iith wasn’t the only one who was excited about what Arthur could have done for his dynasty many people all over Europe once predicted that the boy would bring about a villian Golden Age after he took the throne and said that he was a living symbol of strength of the English crown hindsights 2020 guys to be fair to the infamous Henry VII Arthur did leave him in the Lurch at the time of Arthur’s passing Henry was just a green 10-year-old and probably
just as much in mourning over his brother as everybody else besides that the Old King Henry iith fearful of losing another ear kept the young boy strictly supervised in short the whole thing would mess anyone up not that it’s an excuse for what Henry did to Arthur’s memory in the end Katherine of Aragon was King Henry’s Queen for over 20 years but the ghost of Arthur still followed her around waiting for a chance to pounce see Katherine never managed to give Henry a male air by 1525 she could no longer bear children and Henry was infatuated with his mistress and Bolin that’s when Arthur Rose from his grave hot under the collar for Anne and wanting to make her his fertile Queen Henry started thinking of every excuse in the book to drop Catherine like a hot potato and when I say the book I mean mean the Bible according to Henry his marriage to Catherine was cosmically cursed all because he had broken God’s
law when he married Arthur’s Widow and that led to the most unsettling allegation of all King Henry’s convenient turn toward the Bible also meant he could no longer trust his wife he believed that his lack of a male Heir was a part of this divine retribution so that Cather must have been lying through her teeth when she claimed that she and Prince Arthur had never slept together so with one final knife twist Arthur’s end cemented the future of the English Monarchy King Henry’s desperation to get rid of Catherine via his brother Arthur turned into the king’s great matter today everyone knows it ended in Revolution with Henry taking over as head of church annulling his own marriage and starting the English reformation and all because Prince Arthur had to go and kick the bucket after denying her the crown Henry sealed the deal by insisting on calling
Catherine The Dowager Princess of Wales sure that sounds kind of respectful but it gets a whole lot more insulting once you realize that this title pointedly turns her into merely Prince Arthur’s Widow and makes no reference to her previous title of Queen for what it’s worth Catherine of Aragon went to her deathbed denying that she and Prince Arthur had taken each other’s virginity she was so certain and staunch in her convictions that she even continued to demand that her household servants call her by her royal title long after King Henry VII had officially split from her today historians can only guess at what faed Prince Arthur sources from the time say that the prince and princess battled a malign Vapor which proceeded from the air for nearly a month however that’s not exactly helpful medieval people thought that all disease came from the air anyway still some researchers believe believe they have an answer although there’s no way to confirm it
for sure historians do know that the Fatal sweating sickness a plague that broke out in the late 15th century before disappearing suddenly in 1551 was ravaging the Welsh borderlines at the time it’s entirely possible that this is what fatally attacked Prince Arthur just as it had many of his generation if you’ve enjoyed these stories don’t forget to show some love by hitting that like button and subscribe to our Channel stay tuned because we’ll be back with more incredible narratives soon thanks for joining us today and until next time
