Arthur Tudor

As we have discussed Henry VII in class, and have viewed some of the musical and historical accounts of his life, one question I had was what exactly happened to his children?  We have learned that Henry the VII stumbled through many marriages and produced a number of offspring.  His ultimate goal was to conceive a son to become heir to his throne.  Arthur Tudor, pictured above, was the son of Henry VII and was born a mere eight months after Henry's marriage to Elizabeth of Yorkshire. 

Henry had great plans for Arthur, and appointed him the prince of Wales at a very young age.  At just three years old Arthur was Knighted, and by seven he was sent away to learn the ropes as a prince.  The painting above depicts Henry Tudor as a young man in 1502.  As we can see he is dressed in elegant clothing that portrays his high status, and is accompanied by a variety of jewelry.  From the picture, one might see Arthur as more of a boy than a man, which essential is what he was at the time he obtained his prince hood.  For Henry, the grandiose views of a son that would proceed him wrote the history of Arthur.  The depiction of Arthur in this painting and in his known history sums up his life as the son of Henry VII who was an interesting character in himself.  The fascination of Henry often focuses more on his life than on the lives of his children or wives, and this piece help bring to light one of the many offspring of the infamous king.

Sources:
http://thefreelancehistorywriter.com/2013/04/01/arthur-tudor-prince-of-wales/