Arthur Tudor

Clearing up the Portrait Confusion: Arthur and Henry

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Arthur and Henry Tudor were brothers, so inevitably they looked alike. Today's topic is clearing up the confusion between which portrait is Arthur and which is Henry. The question really circulates around one portrait, the one of young Henry VIII at the beginning of his reign. This is the one that many people, when posted or shared online will say, "That's a portrait of Arthur, not Henry!" I usually follow those comments by sharing the confirmed portrait of Arthur and [More]

Arthur and Katherine Sent to Ludlow Castle

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Merely three months after their marriage, Arthur and Katherine, Prince and Princess of Wales were sent to Wales to reside at Ludlow Castle to preserve ancient customs (as the letter states). Here is a letter from Henry VII to Katherine's parents (Ferdinand and Isabel) letting them know that Arthur and Katherine were sent to Wales to reside at Ludlow Castle. The young couple were married on the 14th of November 1501 - this letter was dated the 20th of Februa [More]

Prince Arthur and Katherine of Aragon

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This letter from Arthur Tudor was dated 1499, nearly two years prior to Katherine arriving in England and wedding her prince, however they were just married by proxy. At the time this letter was written, Arthur was only thirteen years old. In her new book, Katherine of Aragon - The True Queen, Alison Weir stated that Arthur did not write the letter himself and that someone else assisted him or wrote it for him. After reading the letter I have to agree - I believe he was [More]

Wolsey’s Mistress and Children

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It was the Spring of 1509, King Henry VII lay dying in his bed surrounded by his most intimate courtiers and household. His son, the seventeen year old Prince of Wales would soon become the next King of England. King Henry VIII. Henry, however, was never supposed to be heir apparent to the throne. He was raised as a ‘spare heir’ with his sisters, and his education was that of a second son and not that of someone who would someday become King. In the Spring of 1502 [More]

Arthur: The Man Who Would Be King

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Parents of Arthur When we examine the date of marriage for Henry and Elizabeth of York, along with the birth of their first child, it's evident that Arthur was either premature one month, or Henry and Elizabeth consummated their relationship prior to marriage. While looking through my own family history I have discovered how common it was for the wife to be pregnant prior to marriage but not to announce the pregnancy until some time after the marriage. Let's be honest, it [More]

The Redemption of Elizabeth of York

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Part 1: Elizabeth of York, mother of Arthur, Margaret, Henry, Elizabeth, Mary, Edmund & Katherine Tudor In 1485 Henry Tudor took the throne of England from Richard III on the battlefield -- with this win he successfully ended the Wars of the Roses. Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of Elizabeth of York, and Henry Tudor's mother, Margaret Beaufort, had made an arrangement for Elizabeth of York to wed Henry if he won at the Battle of Bosworth against Elizabeth's [More]