On this day in history, 20th September 1486, Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, was born at St Swithun's Priory in Winchester. Arthur was the first child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and he was born just eight months after his parents' marriage.
Elizabeth had travelled to Winchester to give birth because the city was believed to have been the capital of King Arthur's Camelot and the site of his castle. Her husband the king believed that his firstborn son would be a hero like his namesake, legendary King Arthur, and that his reign would bring about a golden age in England.
News of the prince's birth was celebrated with bonfires in the streets and the singing of the Te Deum at Winchester Cathedral. The birth of a living, healthy prince and heir to the throne just a year and a month into the Tudor dynasty was indeed worth celebrating.
You can read all about Arthur's life, albeit quite a short one, in the article Arthur, Prince of Wales, and here are some other resources:
- The Procession and Pageants for the wedding of Catherine of Aragon and Prince Arthur - A Claire Chats video
- Catherine of Aragon – A true maid? - A Claire Chats video
- When hope turns to tragedy with the death of Arthur, Prince of Wales by Lauren Browne - an article in September 2017's Tudor Life magazine.
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