Arthur Tudor

Arthur Tudor ~ Prince Of Wales

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Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales was the firstborn child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

The first Tudor Prince, he was the elder brother, to the formidable Henry VIII.

Arthur was born prematurely, at Winchester, after an eight months pregnancy, on 20th September 1486.

Henry's parents chose the symbolic name of Arthur, in honour of the legendary King Arthur, whom Henry claimed to descend from.

The birth of the heir to the throne, was celebrated with bonfires in the streets, and the singing of the Te Deum at Winchester Cathedral.

When Arthur was two years old, he was betrothed to Katharine of Aragon, youngest daughter of the joint Spanish sovereigns, Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

Arthur was created Prince of Wales, at the age of three in November 1489.

As it was custom for an heir to the Throne, to be created Prince of Wales, the 6 year old Arthur, was sent to live at Ludlow Castle in the Welsh Marches, in 1492.

Arthur was carefully educated, and was a studious child, thoughtful and reserved.

Arthur grew up to be unusually tall for his age, and was considered handsome.

He had reddish hair, small eyes, and a high-bridged nose.

Arthur had an amiable and gentle personality and was considered a delicate lad, unlike his handsome, athletic brother, Henry VIII.

Arthur and Katharine of Aragon, had kept up a constant correspondence, over the years.

Arthur spoke no Spanish, and Katherine very little English, so they wrote to each other in Latin, a language they had both learned. When Arthur, having attained the age of 15, was deemed old enough to be married, Katharine was sent for.

Katharine of Aragon arrived in her new country in 1501, with much rejoicing.

Katharine was a sweet faced, pretty 15 year old girl, with attractive red-gold hair.

She was quite short in stature, with wide blue eyes, in a round face, and a fair complexion.

Little has been recorded about the couple's first impressions of each other, but Arthur did write to his parents-in-law that he would be "a true and loving husband"

He later related to his parents, that he was immensely happy to behold the face of his lovely bride.

Arthur and Katharine were married at St. Paul's Cathedral, on 14th November 1501, at St Paul's Cathedral.

What followed in the evening, was a bedding ceremony.

The bed was sprinkled with holy water, after which Katharine was undressed, veiled and "reverently" laid in bed, while Arthur, "in his shirt, with a gown cast about him," was escorted by his gentlemen into the bedchamber.

The Bishop of London blessed the bed, and prayed for the marriage to be fruitful, after which the couple were left alone.

This is the only public bedding of a royal couple, recorded in Britain in the 16th century.

Arthur returned to Ludlow Castle with his young bride.

During the spring, an epidemic of sweating sickness was rife in the area.

Its victims experienced intense heat, to the extent that in their delirium, they felt as if their blood was actually boiling, whilst sweating so profusely that it soaked through bedclothes.

Both Arthur and Katharine contracted it.

Katharine recovered, but Arthur did not, and he died at Ludlow Castle.

He was just 15 years old.

Katharine, now 16, found herself a Widow,

She would, however, one day become Queen of England, when she married her husbands brother, Henry VIII.

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Source~EnglishMonarchs

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https://ko-fi.com/thetudorintruders

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Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales c1500

This portrait is regarded as the only surviving contemporary portrait of Arthur.

Anglo-Flemish School.