Editing Arthur, Prince of Wales

{{Short description|Heir apparent of Henry VII of England (1486–1502)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name            = Arthur
| title           = [[Prince of Wales]]
| image           = Anglo-Flemish School, Arthur, Prince of Wales (Granard portrait) -004 (cropped).jpg
| caption         = Portrait, {{circa}} 1500
| spouse          = {{marriage|[[Catherine of Aragon]]|14 November 1501}}
| house           = [[House of Tudor|Tudor]]
| father          = [[Henry VII of England]]
| mother          = [[Elizabeth of York]]
| birth_date      = 19/20 September 1486
| birth_place     = [[Winchester Cathedral Priory]], [[Winchester]], England 
| death_date      = {{Death date and age|1502|4|2|1486|9|20|df=y}}
| death_place     = [[Ludlow Castle]], [[Ludlow]], [[Shropshire]], England
| burial_date     = 25 April 1502
| place of burial = [[Worcester Cathedral]], Worcester, England 
}}
'''Arthur, Prince of Wales''' (19/20 September 1486&nbsp;– 2 April 1502), was the eldest son of King [[Henry VII of England]] and [[Elizabeth of York]], and an older brother to the future King [[Henry VIII]]. He was [[Duke of Cornwall]] from birth, and he was created [[Prince of Wales]] and [[Earl of Chester]] in 1489. As the [[heir apparent]] of his father, Arthur was viewed by contemporaries as the great hope of the newly established [[House of Tudor]]. His mother was the daughter of the Yorkist king, [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]], and his birth cemented the union between the [[House of Lancaster]] and the [[House of York]].

Plans for Arthur's marriage began before his third birthday. At the age of eleven, he was formally betrothed to [[Catherine of Aragon]], a daughter of the powerful [[Catholic Monarchs]] in Spain, in an effort to forge an Anglo-Spanish alliance against France and Scotland. Arthur was well educated and was in good health for the majority of his life. Soon after his marriage to Catherine in 1501, the couple took up residence at [[Ludlow Castle]] in [[Shropshire]], where Arthur died six months later, possibly from the [[sweating sickness]], which Catherine survived. Catherine later firmly stated that the marriage had not been [[consummated]].

One year after Arthur's death, Henry VII renewed his efforts to seal a marital alliance with Spain by arranging for Catherine to marry Arthur's younger brother [[Henry VIII|Henry]], who would ascend to the throne in 1509 as King Henry VIII. The question over whether Arthur and Catherine had consummated their marriage was much later, and in a completely different political context, exploited by Henry VIII and his court. This strategy was employed in order to cast doubt upon the validity of Catherine's union with Henry VIII, eventually leading to the separation between the [[Church of England]] and the [[Roman Catholic Church]].

== Infancy ==
[[File:Family-of-Henry-VII.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|The family of [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]], depicted on an illuminated page.]]
[[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] became [[King of England]] upon defeating [[Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]] in 1485. In an effort to strengthen the [[House of Tudor|Tudor]] claim to the throne, Henry decided on naming his firstborn son "Arthur" and having him born in Winchester – where the Legend of [[King Arthur]] originated – in order to emphasise the Welsh origin of the Tudors.<ref>Lauren Rose Browne, 'Elizabeth of York: Tudor Trophy Wife', Aidan Norrie, ''Tudor and Stuart Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022), p. 28.</ref> On this occasion, [[Camelot]] was identified as present-day [[Winchester]],{{sfn|Wagner|Schmid|2011|p=1104}} and his wife, [[Elizabeth of York]], was sent to Saint Swithun's Priory (today [[Winchester Cathedral Priory]]) to give birth.{{sfn|Wheeler|Kindrick|Salda|2000|p=377}} Born at Saint Swithun's<ref name="odnb">{{cite ODNB | url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/705 | title=Arthur, prince of Wales (1486–1502) | year=2004 | access-date=7 October 2013 | author=Horrox, Rosemary | doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/705 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> on the night of 19/20 September 1486 at about 1 am,{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=1}} Arthur was Henry and Elizabeth's eldest child.{{sfn|Weir|2008a|p=151}}

Arthur's birth was anticipated by French and Italian [[Renaissance humanism|humanists]] eager for the start of a "Virgilian golden age".{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=1}} Sir [[Francis Bacon]] wrote that although the Prince was born one month premature, he was "strong and able".{{sfn|Fuller|1840|p=6}} Young Arthur was viewed as "a living symbol" of not only the union between the House of Lancaster and the [[House of York]], to which his mother belonged as the daughter of [[Edward IV]], but also of the end of the [[Wars of the Roses]].{{sfn|Wagner|Schmid|2011|p=1104}} In the opinion of contemporaries, Arthur was the great hope of the newly established House of Tudor.{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=1}}

Arthur became [[Duke of Cornwall]] at birth.{{sfn|Weir|2008a|p=151}} Four days after his birth, he was baptised at [[Winchester Cathedral]] by the [[Bishop of Worcester]], [[John Alcock (bishop)|John Alcock]], which was immediately followed by his [[Confirmation (Catholic Church)|confirmation]].{{sfn|Wheeler|Kindrick|Salda|2000|p=377}} His godparents were [[John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford]]; [[Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby]]; [[William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel]]; Arthur's grandmother, Queen [[Elizabeth Woodville]]; and his aunt [[Cecily of York]]. Elizabeth and Cecily carried the prince during the ceremony.{{sfn|Grose|1784|pp=193–197}} Initially, Arthur's nursery in [[Farnham]] was headed by Elizabeth Darcy, who had served as chief nurse for Edward IV's children, including Arthur's own mother. After Arthur was created Prince of Wales in 1489, he was awarded a household structure at the behest of his father.<ref name="odnb" /> Over the next thirteen years, his parents would have six more children, of whom only three{{snd}}[[Margaret Tudor|Margaret]], [[Henry VIII of England|Henry]] and [[Mary Tudor, Queen of France|Mary]]{{snd}}would reach adulthood.{{sfn|Crofton|2006|p=129}} Arthur was especially close to his sister Margaret (b. 1489) and his brother Henry (b. 1491), with whom he shared a nursery.{{sfn|Marshall|2003|p=85}}

On 29 November 1489, after being made a [[Knight of the Bath]], Arthur was appointed [[Prince of Wales]] and [[Earl of Chester]],{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=10}} and was invested as such at the [[Palace of Westminster]] on 27 February 1490.{{sfn|Allison|Riddell|1991|p=605}} As part of his investiture ceremony, he progressed down the [[River Thames]] in the royal barge and was met at [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] by the [[Lord Mayor of London]], John Mathewe, and at [[Lambeth]] by Spanish ambassadors.{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|pp=2–3}} On 8 May 1491, he was made a [[Knight of the Garter]]{{sfn|Weir|2008a|p=151}} at [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|Saint George's Chapel]] at [[Windsor Castle|Windsor Palace]].{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=3}} 

Around 1491, Arthur began his formal education under [[John Rede]], a former headmaster of [[Winchester College]].<ref name="odnb" /> His education was subsequently taken over by [[Bernard André]], a blind French poet and [[Order of Saint Augustine|Augustinian friar]],{{sfn|Weir|2008b|p=5}} and then by [[Thomas Linacre]], formerly Henry VII's physician.{{sfn|Weir|2008b|p=150}} Arthur's education covered [[grammar]], [[poetry]], [[rhetoric]] and [[ethics]] and focused on [[history]].{{sfn|Ives|2007|p=2}}

Arthur was a very skilled pupil and André wrote that the Prince of Wales had either memorised or read a selection of [[Homer]], [[Virgil]], [[Ovid]], [[Terence]], a good deal of [[Cicero]] and a wide span of historical works, including those of [[Thucydides]], [[Julius Caesar|Caesar]], [[Livy]] and [[Tacitus]].{{sfn|Scarisbrick|1968|p=5}} Arthur was also a "superb archer",{{sfn|Weir|2008b|p=113}} and had learned to dance "right pleasant and honourably" by 1501.{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=9}}

== Childhood ==
The popular belief that Arthur was sickly during his lifetime stems from a misunderstanding of a 1502 letter,{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=39}} but there are no reports of Arthur being ill during his lifetime.{{sfn|Jones|2009|p=23}} He grew up to be unusually tall for his age,{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=39}} and was considered handsome by the Spanish court:{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=46}} he had reddish hair, small eyes, and a high-bridged nose, resembling his brother Henry,{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=30}} who was said to be "extremely handsome" by contemporaries.{{sfn|Scarisbrick|1968|p=13}} As described by historians Steven Gunn and Linda Monckton, Arthur had an "amiable and gentle" personality and was, overall, a "delicate lad".{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=48}}

In May 1490, Arthur was created [[Lord Warden of the Marches|warden of all the marches]] towards [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] and [[Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk|the Earl of Surrey]] was appointed as the Prince's [[wikt:deputy#Noun|deputy]].<ref>Charles H. Hunter Blair, "Wardens and deputy wardens of the Marches of England towards Scotland in Northumberland and the English wardens of Berwick upon Tweed", ''Archaeologia Aeliana'', 28 (1950), p. 60. {{doi|10.5284/1060129}}</ref> From 1491, Arthur was named on [[Peace Commission|peace commissions]]. In October 1492, when his father travelled to France, he was named [[Regency|Keeper of England]] and King's Lieutenant. Following the example of Edward IV, Henry VII set up the [[Council of Wales and the Marches]] for Arthur in [[Wales]], in order to enforce royal authority there. Although the council had already been set up in 1490, it was headed by [[Jasper Tudor|Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford]].<ref name="odnb" /> By 1493, Arthur had been sent with his household to [[Ludlow Castle]], near Wales.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thurley |first=Simon |title=Houses of Power: the Places that Shaped the Tudor World |publisher=Black Swan |year=2019 |pages=91}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Cunningham |first=Sean |title=Prince Arthur: the Tudor King Who Never Was |publisher=Amberley Publishing |year=2016 |location=Gloucestershire}}</ref> In March 1493, Arthur was granted the power to appoint justices of [[oyer and terminer]] and inquire into [[wikt:franchise#Noun|franchises]], thus strengthening the council's authority. In November of that year, the Prince also received an extensive land grant in Wales, including the [[Earl of March|County of March]].<ref name="odnb" />

Arthur was served by sons of English, Irish and Welsh nobility, such as [[Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare]], who had been brought to the English court as a consequence of the involvement of his father, [[Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare]], in the crowning of pretender [[Lambert Simnel]] in Ireland during Henry VII's reign.{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=16}} Other servants were Anthony Willoughby, a son of [[Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke]], [[Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex|Robert Radcliffe]], the heir of the 9th Baron FitzWalter and Maurice St John, a favourite nephew of Arthur's grandmother [[Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby|Lady Margaret Beaufort]]. He was brought up with [[Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas]], the son of powerful Welsh nobleman [[Rhys ap Thomas]]. Gruffydd grew quite close to Arthur{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=51}} and was buried in Worcester Cathedral upon his death in 1521, alongside the Prince's tomb.{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=94}}

== Marriage ==
[[File:ArthurCatherine.jpg|thumb|A Flemish tapestry depicting Arthur and Catherine's court.]]
[[File:Juan de Flandes 002.jpg|thumb| 1496 Portrait by [[Juan de Flandes]] thought to be of 11-year-old Catherine. She resembles her sister [[Joanna of Castile]].]]
Henry VII planned to marry Arthur to a daughter of the [[Catholic Monarchs]], [[Isabella I of Castile]] and [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]], in order to forge an Anglo-Spanish alliance against France.{{sfn|Kidner|2012|p=380}} It was suggested that the choice of marrying Arthur to Ferdinand and Isabella's youngest daughter, [[Catherine of Aragon|Catherine]] (b. 1485), would be appropriate.<ref name="odnb" /> Thanks to negotiations by the Spanish ambassador [[Rodrigo González de la Puebla]], the [[Treaty of Medina del Campo (1489)|Treaty of Medina del Campo]] (27 March 1489) provided that Arthur and Catherine would be married as soon as they reached [[canonical age]]; it also settled Catherine's dowry at 200,000 crowns (the equivalent of [[Pound sterling|£]]5 million in 2007).{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=17}} Since Arthur, not yet 14, was below the age of consent, a [[Dispensation (canon law)|papal dispensation]] (i.e., waiver) allowing the marriage was issued in February 1497, and the pair were betrothed by proxy on 25 August 1497.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=24}}{{sfn|Wheeler|Kindrick|Salda|2000|p=377}}

To demonstrate his status as heir to the throne, Arthur made a [[Royal Entry]] to [[Coventry]] in October 1498. He was welcomed with pageants of the [[Nine Worthies]], introduced by King Arthur, by Queen Fortune, and by [[Saint George and the Dragon|Saint George defending a maiden from the dragon]].<ref>[[Sydney Anglo]], ''Spectacle Pageantry, and Early Tudor Policy'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1969), pp. 54–6.</ref> In 1499, a [[Proxy marriage|marriage by proxy]] took place at Arthur's Tickenhill Manor in [[Bewdley]], near [[Worcester, England|Worcester]]; Arthur said to Roderigo de Puebla, who acted as proxy for Catherine, that "he much rejoiced to contract the marriage because of his deep and sincere love for the Princess".{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=23}} In October 1499, Arthur, referring to Catherine as "my dearest spouse", wrote: <blockquote>"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. Let be hastened, the love conceived between us and the wished-for joys may reap their proper fruit."{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=23}}</blockquote>

The young couple exchanged letters in [[Latin]] until 20 September 1501, when Arthur, having attained the age of 15, was deemed old enough to be married.{{sfn|Sanders|Low|1910|p=235}} Catherine landed in England about two weeks later, on 2 October 1501, at [[Plymouth]].<ref name="odnb" /> The next month, on 4 November 1501, the couple met for the first time at [[Dogmersfield]] in [[Hampshire]].{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=27}} Arthur wrote to Catherine's parents that he would be "a true and loving husband"; the couple soon discovered that they had mastered different pronunciations of Latin and so were unable to easily communicate.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=25}} Five days later, on 9 November 1501, Catherine arrived in London.{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=30}}

On 14 November 1501, the marriage ceremony finally took place at [[Old St Paul's Cathedral|Saint Paul's Cathedral]]; both Arthur and Catherine wore white satin. The ceremony was conducted by [[Henry Deane (archbishop of Canterbury)|Henry Deane]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], who was assisted by [[William Warham]], [[Bishop of London]]. Following the ceremony, Arthur and Catherine left the Cathedral and headed for [[Baynard's Castle]], where they were entertained by "the best voiced children of the King's chapel, who sang right sweetly with quaint harmony".{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=33}}

What followed was a [[bedding ceremony]] laid down by Arthur's grandmother [[Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby|Lady Margaret Beaufort]]: the bed was sprinkled with holy water, after which Catherine was led away from the wedding feast by her ladies-in-waiting. She 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 as [[viol]]s and [[tabor (instrument)|tabors]] played. 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.{{sfn|Weir|2008b|p=11}}

== Death ==
[[File:Prince Arthur transept window.jpg|thumb|right|Prince Arthur at prayer, depicted on a stained glass window in [[Great Malvern Priory]]]]
[[File:Prince Arthur's Tomb, Worcester Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 486860.jpg|thumb|Prince Arthur's Tomb in [[Worcester Cathedral]]]]
After residing at [[Tickenhill Palace|Tickenhill Manor]]{{sfn|Weir|2008b|p=35}} for a month, Arthur and Catherine headed for the [[Welsh Marches]], where they established their household at [[Ludlow Castle]].{{sfn|O'Day|2012|p=1554}} Arthur had been growing weaker since his wedding,{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=35}} and Henry VII thus seemed reluctant to allow Catherine to follow him, until ultimately ordering her to join her husband.{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=36}}

Arthur found it easy to govern Wales, as the border had become quiet after many centuries of warfare. In March 1502, Arthur and Catherine were afflicted by an unknown illness, "a malign vapour which proceeded from the air."{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=37}} It has been suggested that this illness was the mysterious English [[sweating sickness]],{{sfn|Hibbert|2010|p=4}} [[tuberculosis]] ("consumption"),{{sfn|Whitelock|2010|p=14}} [[Black Death|plague]]{{sfn|Tatton-Brown|Mortimer|2003|p=286}} or [[influenza]].{{sfn|Barber|Pykitt|1997|p=269}}{{refn|In 2002, Arthur's tomb was opened, but experts could not determine the exact cause of death; a genetic ailment which also affected Arthur's nephew, [[Edward VI]], was mentioned as a possible cause being investigated.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1394759/Discovery-of-grave-may-solve-mystery-death-of-Henry-VIIIs-brother-at-15.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1394759/Discovery-of-grave-may-solve-mystery-death-of-Henry-VIIIs-brother-at-15.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title=Discovery of grave may solve mystery death of Henry VIII's brother at 15 | publisher=telegraph.co.uk | work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] | date=20 May 2002 | access-date=9 October 2013 | author=Derbyshire, David}}{{cbignore}}</ref>|group=note}} While Catherine recovered, Arthur died on 2 April 1502 at Ludlow, six months short of his sixteenth birthday.{{sfn|Ives|2007|p=1}}

News of Arthur's death reached Henry VII's court late on 4 April.<ref name="odnb" /> The King was awoken from his sleep by his confessor, who quoted [[Job (biblical figure)|Job]] by asking Henry "If we receive good things at the hands of God, why may we not endure evil things?" He then told the king that "[his] dearest son hath departed to God," and Henry burst into tears.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=37–38}} "Grief-stricken and emotional," he then had his wife, Elizabeth, brought into his chambers, so that they might "take the painful news together";{{sfn|Richardson|1970|p=19}} Elizabeth reminded Henry that God had helped him become king and "had ever preserved him," adding that they had been left with "yet a fair Prince and two fair princesses and that God is where he was, and [they were] both young enough."{{sfn|Crawford|2007|p=166}} Soon after leaving Henry's bedchamber, Elizabeth collapsed and began to cry, while the ladies sent for the King, who hurriedly came and "relieved her."{{sfn|Crawford|2007|p=167}}

On 8 April, a general procession took place for the salvation of Arthur's soul. That night, a [[dirge]] was sung in [[St Paul's Cathedral]] and every parish church in London.{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=64}} On 23 April,{{sfn|Wheeler|Kindrick|Salda|2000|p=377}} Arthur's body, which had previously been embalmed,{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=38}} sprinkled with holy water and sheltered with a canopy, was carried out of [[Ludlow Castle]] and into the [[Parish Church of Ludlow]] by various noblemen and gentlemen.{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=64}} On 25 April, Arthur's body was taken to [[Worcester Cathedral]] via the [[River Severn]], in a "special wagon upholstered in black and drawn by six horses, also caparisoned in black."{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=65}} As was customary, Catherine did not attend the funeral.{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=38}} [[Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk|Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Surrey]] acted as chief mourner.{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=71}} At the end of the ceremony, Sir William Uvedale, Sir Richard Croft and Arthur's household ushers broke their staves of office and threw them into the Prince's grave.{{sfn|Hearne|1774|p=381}} During the funeral, Arthur's own arms were shown alongside those of [[Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd]] and [[Brutus of Troy]].<ref name="odnb" /> Two years later, a [[chantry]] was erected over Arthur's grave.{{sfn|Wheeler|Kindrick|Salda|2000|p=377}}

== Legacy ==
{{Main|English Reformation}}
Shortly after Arthur's death, the idea of betrothing the widowed Catherine to the new heir apparent, Henry, had arisen; Henry VII and Isabella I were keen on moving forward with the betrothal and the pope granted a dispensation towards that end.{{sfn|Loades|2009|p=22}} Henry VIII ascended the throne on 22 April 1509{{sfn|Loades|2009|p=24}} and married Arthur's widow on 11 June.{{sfn|Wagner|Schmid|2011|p=226}} They had six children; their three sons died before reaching three months of age, one daughter was stillborn, and another lived for only a week. The couple's surviving child was [[Mary I]] (b. 1516).{{sfn|Weir|2008a|p=154}} In 1526, Henry started to pursue the affections of [[Anne Boleyn]]. At the same time, he became troubled by what became known as the [[Catherine of Aragon#The King's great matter|King's "great matter"]], that is, finding an appropriate solution for his lack of male descendants. It soon became the King's wish to dissolve his marriage{{sfn|Brigden|2000|p=114}} and marry Anne, who was more likely to bear children.{{sfn|Loades|2009|pp=88–89}}

Henry believed that his marriage was cursed, and believed he found confirmation in the Bible, in {{Bibleverse||Leviticus|20:21|KJV}}.{{sfn|MacCulloch|1995|p=139}}{{refn|Although Henry would have read the verse in Latin, the translation provided by the 1604 [[King James Version]] states that "and if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless."|group=note}} Although in the morning following his wedding, Arthur had claimed that he was thirsty "''for I have been in the midst of Spain last night''" and that "''having a wife is a good pastime''", these claims are generally dismissed by modern historians as mere boasts of a boy who did not want others to know of his failure.<ref name="odnb" />{{sfn|Weir|2007|p=34}} Until the day she died, Catherine maintained that she had married Henry while still a virgin.{{sfn|Whitelock|2010|p=14}} After Henry's constant support of the claim that Catherine's first marriage had been consummated, an annulment was issued on 23 May 1533,{{sfn|Weir|2008b|pp=337–338}} while the King had already married Anne on 25 January.{{sfn|Williams|1971|p=124}} Anne was [[Decapitation|beheaded]] for [[high treason]] in 1536, after which Henry proceeded to marry [[List of wives of King Henry VIII|four more times]]. At the time of his death in 1547, Henry only had three living children; the only son, [[Edward VI of England|Edward VI]], succeeded but died six years later. His successors were Henry's daughters by Catherine and Anne, Mary I and [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]]. Upon Elizabeth's death in 1603, the House of Tudor came to an end.

In 2002, following the initiative of [[canon (priest)|canon]] Ian MacKenzie, Arthur's funeral was reenacted with a requiem mass at Worcester Cathedral, on occasion of the [[Anniversary|quincentenary]] of his death. Despite his role in English history, Arthur has remained largely forgotten since his death.{{sfn|Gunn|Monckton|2009|p=5}}

Henry VIII owned a portrait of Arthur wearing a "red cap with a brooch upon it, and a collar of red and white roses".<ref>[[Maria Hayward]], ''The 1542 Inventory of Whitehall Palace'', 2 (Illuminata Publishers, 2004), p. 94 no. 763: David Starkey, ''Inventory of Henry VIII'', 1 (London: Harvey Miller, 1998), p. 239 no. 10666: [https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/4/collection/403444/arthur-prince-of-wales-1486-1502 Arthur, Prince of Wales: RCIN 403444]</ref> A portrait of Arthur was rediscovered by English art dealer [[Philip Mould]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Trail-Lot-163-Search-Lost-Art-Treasures/1857025237|title=The Trail of Lot 163: In Search of Lost Art Treasures|last=Mould|first=Philip|date=1997|publisher=Fourth Estate|isbn=978-1857025231|location=London|language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Mould|1995|p=121}}

The stained-glass image of Arthur Tudor praying is in the west window of the nave in St Laurence's Church in Ludlow, Shropshire where he died at the castle in 1502.<ref>Lloyd, David ''Historic Ludlow: the Parish Church of Saint Laurence, a History and a Guide'', [[Birmingham]], England: SP Print, 1980, p. 7.</ref> Arthur's bowels (called euphemistically "the heart") had been buried in a lead box in the church's choir but were noted in 1723 as having been ''taken up not long since''.<ref>Lloyd, David ''Historic Ludlow: the Parish Church of Saint Laurence, a History and a Guide'', p. 13.</ref>

== In popular culture ==
Arthur has been featured in several [[historical fiction]] novels, such as ''The King's Pleasure'', by [[Norah Lofts]], ''Three Sisters, Three Queens'' by [[Philippa Gregory]] and ''Katherine, The Virgin Widow'', by [[Jean Plaidy]]. In ''[[The Constant Princess]]'', by [[Philippa Gregory]], Catherine promises Arthur to marry his brother, thus fulfilling not only her own destiny of becoming Queen of England but also the couple's plans for the future of the kingdom.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7432-7248-3 | title=The Constant Princess | publisher=publishersweekly.com | work=Publishers Weekly | date=9 May 2005 | access-date=18 October 2013 | author=Jackson, Melanie}}</ref> ''[[The Alteration]]'', by [[Kingsley Amis]], is an [[alternate history]] novel centred on the "War of the English Succession" during which Henry VIII attempts to usurp the throne of his nephew, Stephen II, Arthur and Catherine's son.

The historical drama ''[[The Six Wives of Henry VIII (BBC TV series)|The Six Wives of Henry VIII]]'' was broadcast in 1970, with Martin Ratcliffe as "Prince Arthur".{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} In 1972, [[BBC2]] aired a historical [[miniseries]] titled ''[[The Shadow of the Tower]]'', with "Lord Arthur, Prince of Wales" played by Jason Kemp.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} He is portrayed by [[Angus Imrie]] in 2019 period drama ''[[The Spanish Princess]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=See How the Spanish Princess Cast Stacks Up Against the Historical People They're Playing |last=Hallemann |first=Caroline |date=5 May 2019 |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g27313685/spanish-princess-cast/ |newspaper=Town & Country |access-date=10 November 2019 }}</ref>

== Ancestors ==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center |ref={{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;
| boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9;
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
| 1 = 1. '''Arthur, Prince of Wales'''
| 2 = 2. [[Henry VII of England]]
| 3 = 3. [[Elizabeth of York]]
| 4 = 4. [[Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond]]
| 5 = 5. [[Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby|Margaret Beaufort]]
| 6 = 6. [[Edward IV of England]]
| 7 = 7. [[Elizabeth Woodville]]
| 8 = 8. [[Sir Owen Tudor]]
| 9 = 9. [[Catherine of Valois]]
| 10 = 10. [[John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset]]
| 11 = 11. [[Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso|Margaret Beauchamp]]
| 12 = 12. [[Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York]]
| 13 = 13. [[Cecily Neville, Duchess of York|Cecily Neville]]
| 14 = 14. [[Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers]]
| 15 = 15. [[Jacquetta of Luxembourg]]
}}

== References ==
=== Endnotes ===
{{reflist|group=note|40em}}

=== Footnotes ===
{{reflist|20em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book | title=The Royal Encyclopedia | publisher=Macmillan Press | last1=Allison | first1=Ronald | last2=Riddell | first2=Sarah | year=1991 | location=London | isbn=0-333-53810-2 }}
* {{cite book | title=Journey to Avalon: The Final Discovery of King Arthur | publisher=Weiser Books | last1=Barber | first1=Chris | last2=Pykitt | first2=David | year=1997 | location=York Beach, ME | isbn=1-57863-024-X }}
* {{cite book | title=New Worlds, Lost Worlds | publisher=Penguin Books | last=Brigden | first=Susan | year=2000 | location=Westminster | isbn=978-0-14-014826-8 }}
* {{cite book | title=The Yorkists: The History of a Dynasty | publisher=Continuum Publishing | last=Crawford | first=Anne | year=2007 | location=London | isbn=978-1-85285-351-8 }}
* {{cite book | title=The Kings and Queens of England | publisher=Quercus Books | last=Crofton | first=Ian | year=2006 | location=London | isbn=978-1-84724-141-2 }}
* {{cite book | title=The Wives of Henry VIII | publisher=Vintage | last=Fraser | first=Antonia | year=1992 | location=London | isbn=0-679-73001-X }}
* {{cite book | title=The History of the Worthies of England | publisher=T. Tegg | last=Fuller | first=Thomas | year=1840 | location=London | oclc=3852251 }}
* {{cite book | title=The Antiquarian Repertory | publisher=F. Blyth, J. Sewell & T. Evans | last=Grose | first=Francis | year=1784 | location=London | oclc=6655387 }}
* {{cite book | title=Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales: Life, Death and Commemoration | publisher=Boydell Press | last1=Gunn | first1=Steven | last2=Monckton | first2=Linda | year=2009 | location=Woodbridge | isbn=978-1-84383-480-9 }}
* {{cite book | title=De Rebus Britannicis Collectanea | publisher=White | last=Hearne | first=Thomas | year=1774 | location=London }}
* {{cite book | title=The Virgin Queen: A Personal History of Elizabeth I | publisher=Viking Press | last=Hibbert | first=Christopher | year=2010 | location=New York | isbn=978-1-84885-555-7 }}
* {{cite book | title=Henry VIII | publisher=Oxford University Press | last=Ives | first=Eric | year=2007 | location=Oxford | isbn=978-0-19-921759-5 }}
* {{cite book | title=The Other Tudors: Henry VIII's Mistresses and Bastards | publisher=New Holland Publishers | last=Jones | first=Philippa | year=2009 | location=London | isbn=978-1-84773-429-7 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/othertudorshenry0000jone_v0n0 }}
* {{cite book | title=Making Europe: The Story of the West | volume=1 | publisher=Cengage Learning | last=Kidner | first=Frank L. | year=2012 | location=Stamford, CT | isbn=978-1-111-84133-1 }}
* {{cite book | title=Henry VIII: Court, Church and Conflict | publisher=National Archives | last=Loades | first=David | year=2009 | location=London | isbn=978-1-905615-42-1 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/henryviiicourtch0000load }}
* {{cite book | title=The Reign of Henry VIII: Politics, Policy and Piety | publisher=Palgrave Macmillan | last=MacCulloch | first=Diarmaid | year=1995 | location=New York | isbn=0-312-12892-4 }}
* {{cite book | title=Scottish Queens, 1034–1714 | publisher=Dundurn | last=Marshall | first=Rosalind Kay | year=2003 | location=Toronto | isbn=1-86232-271-6 }}
* {{cite book | title=Sleepers: In Search of Lost Old Masters | publisher=Fourth Estate | last=Mould | first=Philip | year=1995 | location=London | isbn=1-85702-218-1 }}
* {{cite book | title=The Routledge Companion to the Tudor Age | publisher=Routledge | last=O'Day | first=Rosemary | year=2012 | location=London | isbn=978-0-415-44564-1 }}
* {{cite book | title=Mary Tudor: The White Queen | publisher=Owen | last=Richardson | first=Walter Cecil | year=1970 | location=London | oclc=69105 }}
* {{cite book | title=The Dictionary of English History | publisher=Cassell Books | last1=Sanders | first1=Frederick | last2=Low | first2=Sidney | year=1910 | location=London | oclc=1107116 }}
* {{cite book | title=Henry VIII | publisher=University of California Press | last=Scarisbrick | first=J.J. | year=1968 | location=Los Angeles | isbn=0-520-01130-9 | url=https://archive.org/details/henryviii00scar }}
* {{cite book | title=Westminster Abbey: The Lady Chapel of Henry VII | publisher=Boydell Press | last1=Tatton-Brown | first1=T.W.T. | last2=Mortimer | first2=Richard | year=2003 | location=Woodbridge | isbn=1-84383-037-X }}
* {{cite book | title=Encyclopedia of Tudor England | publisher=ABC-CLIO | last1=Wagner | first1=John | last2=Schmid | first2=Susan Walters | year=2011 | location=Santa Barbara | isbn=978-1-59884-298-2 }}
* {{cite book | title=The Six Wives of Henry VIII | publisher=Grove Press | last=Weir | first=Alison | year=2007 | location=New York | isbn=978-0-8021-3683-1 | url=https://archive.org/details/sixwivesofhenryv00weir_1 }}
* {{cite book | title=Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy | publisher=Vintage Books | last=Weir | first=Alison | year=2008a | location=London | isbn=978-0-09-953973-5 }}
* {{cite book | title=Henry VIII: King & Court | publisher=Vintage Books | last=Weir | first=Alison | year=2008b | location=London | isbn=978-0-09-953242-2 }}
* {{cite book | title=The Malory Debate: Essays on the Texts of Le Morte Darthur | publisher=Boydell & Brewer | last1=Wheeler | first1=Bonnie | last2=Kindrick | first2=Robert L. | last3=Salda | first3=Michael Norman | year=2000 | location=Cambridge | isbn=978-0-85991-583-0 }}
* {{cite book | title=Mary Tudor: England's First Queen | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | last=Whitelock | first=Anna | year=2010 | location=London | isbn=978-1-4088-0078-2 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/marytudorengland0000whit }}
* {{cite book | title=Henry VIII and His Court | publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson | last=Williams | first=Neville | year=1971 | location=London | oclc=463240909 }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.pbs.org/opb/intimatestrangers/friends/sweate.html "Intimate Strangers"], a popular account of the sweating sickness theory.
* {{NPG name}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Tudor]]|19 September|1486|2 April|1502}}
{{S-reg|en}}
|-
{{S-bef|before=[[Edward of Middleham]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Prince of Wales]]|years=1486–1502}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Henry VIII of England|Henry Tudor]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{Princes of Wales}}
{{Dukes of Cornwall}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur, Prince Of Wales}}
[[Category:Arthur, Prince of Wales| ]]
[[Category:1486 births]]
[[Category:1502 deaths]]
[[Category:15th-century English nobility]]
[[Category:16th-century English nobility]]
[[Category:Burials at Worcester Cathedral]]
[[Category:Catherine of Aragon]]
[[Category:Children of Henry VII of England]]
[[Category:Deaths from sweating sickness]]
[[Category:Dukes of Cornwall]]
[[Category:English heirs apparent who never acceded]]
[[Category:House of Tudor]]
[[Category:Knights of the Bath]]
[[Category:Knights of the Garter]]
[[Category:Lords Warden of the Marches]]
[[Category:People from Winchester]]
[[Category:Princes of Wales]]
[[Category:English royalty who died as children]]
[[Category:Sons of kings]]
[[Category:English princes]]