Prince Arthur: The Tudor king who never was

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The National Archives WO 106/33/1916-1920

Arthur

During the early part of the sixteenth century, England should have been ruled by King Arthur Tudor, not Henry VIII. Had Arthur, the first-born son of Henry VII, lived into adulthood, his younger brother Henry would never have become King of England. The nation’s subsequent history would have been very different, since the massive religious, social and political changes of Henry VIII’s reign might not have been necessary at all.

In this talk, our Head of Medieval Records, Dr Sean Cunningham, will look at Prince Arthur’s life and assess what type of king he might have been in lieu of the changes wrought by his brother Henry VIII.