The tragedy of Arthur Tudor and Catherine of Aragon

Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, was the son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. His birth was important because not only did it provide the Tudor line with an heir, it also cemented the alliance between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The warring houses had been brought together by the marriage of Henry VII of Lancaster and Elizabeth of York, but Arthur further cemented the bond. His birth is often seen as the end of the War of the Roses. While skirmishes still existed, the main fighting died down when the two houses came together. The new baby was seen as a symbol of the two houses coming together to form the Tudor house, as well as a symbol of the end of the giant civil war that had ruined England for years. Arthur’s name is thought by some historians to be selected for it’s royal past. Many assume Henry VII wanted the name of the great King Arthur and thought giving his son a powerful and royal name would help people see their seriousness in taking the throne. This is the urban legend about Arthur’s name and may or may not be true. But legend goes, Henry VII had genealogists trace back his family line to King Arthur and then decided to give his firstborn son this regal name to show their strong family ties and strength as rulers. When Arthur was three, he became the official Prince of Wales. At around age 6, Arthur was given several tutors, all famous scholars and doctors known throughout England. The prince was said to be an intelligent and hard working pupil, who covered a variety of topics. Arthur had an excellent memory and could recite passages from ancient texts of Greek poets and scholars. He was also a superb dancer and archer.

Henry VII planned early on for his son to marry a daughter of the famous Spanish rulers, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. These two monarchs both had a lot of land under their control that they had brought to their marriage. Henry VII thought it best if he could arrange a marriage with Arthur and the Spanish monarchs’ youngest daughter, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine was older than Arthur by a year. The arrangement was made when both were toddlers, so the Treaty of Medina del Campo for their union stated they would wed when both reached the appropriate age. This treaty also set Catherine’s dowry, which would greatly increase Henry VII’s wealth. The two were married by proxy and sent letters back and forth to each other; this was the only way they could communicate until Arthur reached age fifteen, when he was deemed old enough to be married. They were finally married and after a month of marriage, they left London and went to Wales. It was said that Arthur had been growing weaker since his wedding. Upon arrival in Wales, both Arthur and Catherine became ill from an unknown sickness that they believed was just hanging in the air. While Catherine went on to recover, Arthur died from the disease. He was six months away from age sixteen.

When Henry VII and Elizabeth were told of their son’s death, both burst into tears and were inconsolable. This was one of the first large public displays of affection by Henry VII. Now their second son, Henry VIII had to become the Prince of Wales. Henry VII and Queen Isabella were still planning on marrying their daughter to the heir of the English throne. At first Henry VIII rejected the idea, but after his coronation, he announced his intent to marry the Spanish princess. Arthur and Catherine’s marriage ended before it had truly began and the rest of Catherine’s days were marked with sorrow and bitterness from Henry VIII.

Morris, Christopher. The Tudors. London: Batsford, 1955.

Elton, G. R. England under the Tudors. 2nd ed. London: Methuen, 1974.

Weir, Alison. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1991.

Lisle, Leanda. Tudor: Passion, Manipulation, Murder : The Story of England’s Most Notorious Royal Family. PublicAffairs, 2013.

Meyer, G. J. The Tudors: The Complete Story of England’s Most Notorious Dynasty. New York: Delacorte Press, 2010.

Weir, Alison. Henry VIII: The King and His Court. New York: Ballantine Books, 2001.

Weir, Alison. Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books, 2008.