Henry VIII's Forgotten New Years Prince: Henry, Duke of Cornwall

As pop history goes, Henry VIII is most remembered as the king who struggled to have a son, and who went through multiple divorces and two executions to get one. Yet, what is often forgotten is that the story never started like that: in fact, in the beginning of his reign, Henry VIII fathered two living sons: one who died in infancy and the other being illegitimate. Henry, Duke of Cornwall was the firstborn son of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, and lived for only 9 weeks before dying suddenly, possibly from SIDs. Called by historians “The New Years Prince,” due to the fact he was born on January 1st, 1511, his presence in the royal household brought much needed hope to the kingdom; a hope that died with the infant prince. By 1511, Henry VIII would have been king for 2 years come April, and would have turned 20 that coming June. Young, gregarious and kindly, the young Henry was a breath of fresh air for the kingdom, the tyrant of legend having yet appeared. He had proven to be everything his aged father had not, and had righted many wrongs from the previous reign. To make a happy situation happier, his wife Catherine, whom he had married for love the year prior, was with child, and safely within confinement with no sign of complication. It seemed everything was going right for the new royal couple. On New Years Day, 1511, Catherine of Aragon gave birth to her first living child: a boy. The kingdom rejoiced at the news that their young king now had a son and heir, and the child was named Henry for his father. Beacons were lit ablaze in his honor, and the child’s birth was well timed: Catherine had suffered a stillbirth January prior, so the live birth of this son must have felt like a long awaited blessing. On January 5th, the child was baptized in a lavish ceremony befit for a prince, and the gifts were many: the child was given a gold salt holder and cup by his godfather, Louis XII. The child was to be raised by his father’s own former governess, Anne Denton.

Between the 12th and 13th of January, Henry held a themed tournaments in honor for his beloved child, in which he himself jousted as “Sir Loyal Hearte,” and with the favors of his wife. This event was commemorated with The Westminster Tournament Roll, which is a part of the College of Arms collection. Yet, the hope and joy that the kingdom lavished in soon turned to grief when on February 22nd, 1511, Prince Henry suddenly died. Whether the child was ill at his time of death, or whether it was sudden, is undocumented; yet infantile mortality during that time was somewhere around 1 in 4. Young Henry was buried in Westminster Abbey, aged 52 days old. Henry, Duke of Cornwall is often forgotten in the grand scheme of his father’s life; however he was a beloved son, and what we in the modern era would call a “Rainbow Baby.” His birth harkened a time of happiness and peace for the realm, and it is unfortunate that such was ripped away so soon. Young Henry’s death definitely contributed to the tyrant his father became, and possibly to the fight his father made in order to marry again and have a son. If only he had lived, things would have been very, very different.

Back from Hiatus!

Hello! Sorry for the disappearing act: unfortunately around November and December, I had some family things I had to take care of. Thankfully I am now free to write again! New posts coming soon! Thank you so much for the support. Kate

On This Day In History, August 22nd, 1485: The Battle of Bosworth.

As it had stood for the last two years, King Richard III, the brother of his predecessor King Edward IV, stood to rule until his distant death. Having just lost his heir the year prior, gossip-mongers wondered if his wife, consort, and cousin, Queen Anne, would announce that her ill condition was that of a pending child, or whether the rumors were true and that Richard was seeking out other advantageous matches, either with the Princess Juana of Portugual or his own niece, Elizabeth. Nevertheless, once Anne died from a prolonged, unknown illness (which some historians believe to have been consumption), did the future seem very uncertain. When news reached England that Henry Tudor had set sail from Brittany with twelve ships, did things become precarious. Henry Tudor, at the time of his departure, was twenty six years old; having spent his formative years in exile in Brittany following the Battle of Tewksbury fourteen years prior. Having lived at the Breton court with his uncle, Jasper, he had waited for his return with baited breath. For his mother, the stoic Margaret Beaufort, this must've seemed like a dream come true: her boy was returning home, and the King who had stymied every attempt she had made at court intrigue was becoming politically weaker and weaker by the day. This was her chance to kill two birds with one stone- and maybe become the mother of a king. As for Richard, things were not going well: his health was not good (which we know now was due to a combination of roundworm and mercury poisoning), Juana was refusing to marry him, according to legend because of a prophecy that he was going to die in battle, he was having to bet on his nephew, the Earl of Lincoln, as his heir, and now a Breton youth, the nephew of the Mad King Henry VI, was threatening battle. Rumors were still circulating that Richard had killed his nephews two years prior, which gave pause to nobles as to whether to support a kinslayer, or a traitor and exile. As summer approached, so did plague: a new illness stretched across England, one that would become infamous during the next 50 years: sweating sickness. For a very religious populous, this did not bode well for Richard, either: it was seen as God punishing him. By August 1st, Henry Tudor had landed safely in Mill Bay, and began his march towards England. News reached the king by the 11th, yet he did not gather his armies until the 16th. On the 19th, York sent 80 men to help the Yorkist cause. The next day, Richard rode from Nottingham to Leicester. Although where exactly Richard stayed before the battle is unknown, legend has it he stayed at the now lost Blue Boar Inn. According to the Croyland Chronicle, Richard's last nights were fitful, and in the morning "his face was more livid and ghastly than usual." Historian John Ashdown-Hill believes this was due to illness, possibly sweating sickness, yet it could have been anything from stress to symptoms related to roundworm.

The morning of the battle, Richard's army was stationed on Ambion Hill, numbering about 7,000-12,000. Ambion Hill gave a good view of the opposition: Henry Tudor's own army ranged somewhere between 4,000-6,000, 1,800 being French Mercenaries. However, how much of the army was composed of Scottish Lancastrian supporters is contested: three decades after the battle, historian John Mair reported a large fraction of the army were Scottish reinforcements, however modern historians believe the numbers were exaggerated. To the south, Lord Stanley's men waited for order. Richard had taken Lord Stanley's son, Lord Strange, as prisoner before the battle in order to have leverage over Stanley, as he was Henry Tudor's stepfather. Yet, as to whether Stanley would react at this time in the battle was unknown to both sides. The Earl of Oxford, being the more experienced leader in Tudor's army, decided to keep the army together in order to counteract Richard's manouvres. The order was not to stray more then 10 feet from their banners, in order to avoid splitting into the traditional battle formations of vanguard, centre, and rearguard. The army flanked their wings with horsemen in order to form one large group. Once on firm land after trudging through the swampy terrain, Oxford's men began hand-to-hand combat. Richard, seeing that his men were falling in large numbers, signalled to Northumberland, who did not move, possibly due to his changing allegiance from Richard to Henry. Richard then proceeded to lead a mounted charge at Henry with a group of men. The number of this group is contested by historians, ranging from a handful to 1000. Richard killed Sir William Brandon, the father of the future Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. After the battle, the surviving mercenaries told of how the charge caught them off guard, and was incredibly sudden- so much so that it caused Henry to dismount in order to blend into the crowd. Seeing that Tudor was on the ground, Oxford sent an array of pikemen to surround Henry as protection. As the pikemen slowed the calvary, Henry's bodyguards took over and made distance between him and Richard. The pikemen ran the calvary into a marsh, which caused Richard's horse to stumble, and for him to gain multiple fractures on his right side. As Richard fell, Stanley made the move to join Henry, thus putting Richard at a massive disadvantage. Per legend, it is said Richard was offered a fresh horse, yet Richard refused, stating "God forbid I retreat one step- I will either win the battle as king, or die one." Polydore Vergil wrote in his chronicles that, as the Yorkists were slain around him, that Richard took up arms and charged Henry Tudor in order to end the battle once and for all. Richard came within a sword's length of Henry Tudor, before being struck down with a halberd by a Welsh soldier. The Welsh poet Guto'r Glyn implied that the man who did the deed was Rhys Ap Thomas, a Welsh defector from the Yorkist regime, by writing "Lladd y baedd, eilliodd ei ben," or,"Killed the boar, shaved his head." Nevertheless, Richard III, the last Plantagenet King, and youngest son of Cecily Neville and the late Duke of York, died valiantly. He was aged just thirty-two, and was a mere two months away from his thirty-third birthday. The Battle of Bosworth marked the end of the Wars of The Roses: a bloody conflict that had spanned multiple generations, as well as decades. The original players of the war were gone, and with Richard's death, only their children lived on. Yet, a new rose grew in the dead garden: The Tudor Rose. Henry Tudor would be crowned King Henry VII on October 30th, 1485, and his reign would be much, much longer than his predecessor. However, the Tudor Dynasty would be a short lived one, and they, too, would be overthrown by the Stuarts on the death of Henry's granddaughter, the virgin queen Elizabeth I.

April 4th, 1471: The Battle of Tewksbury

1471 was proving to be promising for the Yorkists: Edward IV and his brother had just returned from exile, had reconciled with George, there was now a Yorkist Prince of Wales, and they had found success at The Battle of Barnet. There was only one hurdle left: they needed to eliminate the threat that was Margaret of Anjou, as well as her 17 year old son, Edward of Westminster. By the time that the dead from Barnet were in the ground, Margaret had set foot once again in her previous kingdom, and was on the run, trying to raise armies to her cause to retake the throne, all the while trying to remove herself and her supporters to Wales.

Yet, all would come to ahead in the little town of Tewskbury, in the beginning of May. It had only been a few weeks since the previous battle, and those weeks had been spent chasing Margaret all through the English countryside. There was very little rest in between Barnet and Tewksbury. Similarly to the Battle of Barnet, the Yorkists were once again outnumbered by the Lancastrians, this time by about 1,000 men. Edward, Richard, and Hastings remained the Yorkist commanders, while the Lancastrians relied on The Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Devonshire, Lord Wenlock, and a very green Edward of Westminster. Although he was 17, Edward of Westminster had never fought in a battle before, nor had any combat experience. This would be his first (and last) hands on military encounter. The Lancastrians positioned themselves a mile south of the town, near Tewksbury Abbey, whilst the Yorkists used a wooded area to their advantage, much like they had with the fog at Barnet. Edward stationed some 200 men in the woods in order to smoke out any opposing soldiers, while also using the element of ambush, as the thicket had very low visibility. The Yorkist army also relied heavily on archery, which proved to be a smart move, as the Lancastrians couldn't see where exactly the arrows were coming from. Edward stationed himself alongside George in the main battle, whilst Hastings handled the rear, and Gloucester manned the left. During the battle itself, Somerset attempted to attack the left vanguard with something called "evil lanes." He, however, fell directly into the 200 men ambush in the woods, killing the majority of his men. Who did make it attempted to flee via the Severn, but found they were unable to, and were hacked to pieces. For this reason, the area near Colnbrook is called "The Bloody Meadow." Meanwhile, according to legend, Somerset dashed Wenlock's brains with his battle axe for failing to help him.

As the conditions for the Lancastrian army deteriorated, those choosing to flee found they were trapped due to the rivers, and those who did cross successfully were killed by pursuers. Others drowned, the rushing waters sweeping them under. While chaos ensued, there is little known of the whereabouts of the Lancastrian prince. It is not clear in the annals of history what happened to him, if he were caught underfoot by his fleeing army, murdered by someone on the opposing side, or what exactly, but we do know he perished. There is an account that he was murdered while calling for help from his brother-in-law The Duke of Clarence, yet by who isn't clear. For centuries, the murder was pinned to the Duke of Gloucester, who a year later would marry his widow, Anne Neville; however this has been contested. Of the Lancastrian nobles who did survive, they sought sanctuary at the Abbey, alongside Margaret of Anjou and her daughter-in-law. However, two days after the battle, Edward had them dragged out and executed, choosing to spare the women involved. By Medieval standards, this was considered heinous, yet it was not questioned, and the Abbey needed to be re-consecrated. Nearly a week later, Margaret of Anjou surrendered, and the battle was officially won. In the following months, the Bastard of Falconburg would try to take London in the name of Henry VI, but the siege would be short lived. Once back in London, however, Edward had to figure out what to do with Henry: he was much too dangerous alive, as his subjects saw him as needing rescue, and as the rightful king. Although Henry himself posed no threat to the new regime, nor did he partake in warmongering, he could not be left alive. As to who did it, or how, is also lost to history, but in the aftermath of Tewksbury, Henry VI, the son of Henry V was murdered. Notorious for choosing peace first no matter what, as well as the possibility that he was disabled, his sudden and suspicious death, although necessary, left a foul taste in people's mouths. Yet, Edward's reign was secure finally, and he would reign until his own sudden death in 1483. As for his peace with his brothers, that would last a mere 6 months: Richard, Duke of Gloucester began vieing for land, and began talking of marrying Anne Neville, George's ward. Anne was a mere 14-15 years of age; not yet the age of majority, as well as an important widow. George was set to inherit the Neville lands through his wife, Isabel, however Richard's interest in the youngest legitimate daughter threw a wrench in those plans. Richard would marry Anne in secret in 1472, and they would go on to have a son, Edward of Middleham, sometime between 1473 and 1475. George himself would have three children with Isabel before her sudden death in 1476, which caused him to go mad and to seek out the company of a necromancer, who urged him to commit treason. George, Duke of Clarence would be executed in 1478, at the mere age of 28 years old. The Battle of Tewksbury was the end of the second part of The Wars of The Roses: it successfully neutralised the Lancastrian threat, and affirmed Edward's reign. Although the peace would be short lived due to in-fighting, it did assure a peace between Lancaster and York until 1483.

A Tale of Two Series: Wolf Hall Season 2

After 10 years, the (literal) death of the author, a world-wide pandemic, and a third book, Wolf Hall has returned to screens. The hype surrounding the return was duly earned: the first season had been immaculate, with costuming, cast, and set design being impeccable. Yet, there were going to be some differences: many of the actors from season 1 had since gone on to become much more famous, and the show runners could not afford to have them back. The best example of this was Gregory Cromwell's actor, Tom Holland: he had used Wolf Hall as a launchpad for his career, and had since become Hollywood famous after he took the role of Peter Parker shortly after his stint in Tudor history. Yet, other characters' changes in actor weren't as clear, such as Amalric as Chapuys and both Richard Riche's and Wriosley's actors. The first episode handles the changes of actors in the cast pretty well: because they wanted to recap how Anne Boleyn was executed, a few of the scenes were re-shot to include the new actor. I didn't even recognise him, nor the fact it was changed at first! Yet the rest of the show was so poorly executed (pun intended): not only do some characters change actors, they also change personalities; Joel MacCormack's Call-Me Risley was a very meek, ginger haired man who hesitated to question the intentions of the lords around him, while Harry Melling's (who played Dudley in Harry Potter) dark haired portrayal is more like that of season 1's Richard Riche, who has also gone from ginger haired, to meek and brown haired. Chapuy was played by Mathieu Almaric as a bitchy Frenchman who was constantly lecturing Cromwell as to how the behaviors of his king were going to fail in the long run, yet his successor, a very faux French Karim Kadjar is much more naive and gregarious; not only a departure from the character in season 1, but the books. Even the characterisation of Cromwell faces irresponsible changes: in season 1, Cromwell was portrayed as a very private, thoughtful person. Season 2's Cromwell, however keeps announcing his darkest secrets, flirting with every young woman he sees, and seems to be showing some sort of cognitive deterioration. There are some glimmers of the old Cromwell from time-to-time, yet seeing how Cromwell is in season 2 is akin to watching a beloved family member die of dementia: this is just the way he is now, and we have to prepare for the worst, now. The writing has also taken a nose-dive: unlike many other reviewers, I really enjoyed the slow, yet meticulous pacing of season 1. Yet season 2 is so eager to reach the end of the story, many plot points have been lost in the fray. Jane Seymour and her marriage to the king is a main part of this season, yet her pregnancy, death, and funeral are all lost: Jane is a few months pregnant at the end of episode 3, heavily pregnant during the cold open of episode 4, and the hardship of the birth is not touched. The real Jane labored for 3 days before her longed for son was born, yet in Wolf Hall, it is the work of a moment, as if Jane had sneezed in the night and Edward fell out. Even in the books, the long labor fuels the outburst that Cromwell later has when Jane dies, that if she had been his wife, that he would have been better to her. Yet in the show, for all the viewer knows, Jane had a normal childbirth and got food poisoning after giving birth (another deviation from the book). Henry doesn't mourn her outside of wearing black-and-white once and then returning to normal clothing and duties. Also in the books, the council has to handle Henry's immense grief over the loss of his wife, and rule in his stead. There is also talk of the funeral, as well as how the loss affects England. None of this happens in the show. Now, we should probably address the elephant in the room: Wolf Hall season 2 partakes in colorblind casting, and there are a handful of POC in the show. Particularly, people are very upset about the fact that Elizabeth Seymour is played by Guyanese actress Maisie Richardson-Sellers. To be quite frank, I don't give a damn: we had this same fight when the Hollow Crown premiered their season 2, and everyone's grandparents have been fighting about this since. I'm exhausted by this conversation, especially when it comes to things like Shakespeare. So long as the actor is good for the role, they deserve to be in the role. I'll also point out that we should have more representation of this time period in other cultures, allowing for mostly overlooked stories to be told, but the color blind casting thing doesn't bother me that much. Now, back to the meat of the problem. I don't think I can watch the rest of this show: I am so discouraged, especially after episode 4 superimposed Damien Lewis' face onto Henry's body in a portrait. It's beginning to feel like it's slipping down the road of The Tudors, which is my comfort show, but not a good period drama. I am tired of being disappointed, and I feel as if Hilary Mantel would have been deeply offended by how this show is going. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light has two more episodes here in the US before it's over, and whether you have the strength to finish it is up to you. I would not recommend this show, however.

The Tale of Two Series: Wolf Hall, Season 1

In 2009, Hilary Mantel wrote a revolutionary novel: Wolf Hall. Unlike the novel's forebears, the book took the perspective of Thomas Cromwell, the infamous chancellor of King Henry VIII, who has often been portrayed as a villain in media. The plot follows Cromwell from 1525 into the middle of the reign of Anne Boleyn. The book was a hit; critics praised Mantell for her writing style, and her meticulousness when it came to the portrayal of history. Mantel would later write two more books, Bring Up The Bodies, which follows the fall of Anne Boleyn and her execution in 1536, and The Mirror And The Light, which follows the reign of Henry's third wife, Jane, through to the death of Cromwell. The last book would be released in 2020, years after the first two, and unfortunately would be Mantel's last before she died of a heart attack two years later. In 2015, Mantel's first two books were adapted into a miniseries, called simply "Wolf Hall." Spanning 6 episodes, the series would include big names such as Mark Rylace (Other Boleyn Girl), Damien Lewis (Band Of Brothers, Homeland), Tom Holland (Avengers), Harry Lloyd (Game Of Thrones, The Lost King, Jane Eyre), Johnathon Price (The Storyteller), Claire Foy (The Crown), Bernard Hill (Lord of the Rings, Titanic), and Luke Roberts (Game of Thrones, Silent Hill 2) to name a few. Many of the actors starred in the show before they became big names, interestingly enough. The show boasted immaculate historical accuracy, with the only detractors being some of the french hoods and the codpieces being smaller. The lead costumer stated that The Tudor Tailor, a book that was created by Historical Palaces and uses real life examples of historical clothes, was used to create the costumes. Wolf Hall proved to be a breath of fresh air after a decade of smut like The Tudors, The White Queen series, and Reign; the show runners seem to genuinely take historical accuracy into account, and the actors could actually act. Wolf Hall did find some detractors, however: many people complained that the show was dry and boring, that Claire Foy's Anne Boleyn was "too mean," and that Antoine Lesser's Thomas More was not historically accurate. I will admit that I was not pleased with the portrayal of More in the show, yet Anne Boleyn's character is the basis of one of my favorite songs by the band Alt-J; "Deadcrush."

The biggest strength of Wolf Hall is its settings: each scene is in an immersive Tudor place, whether it's in the lushious gardens of Whitehall, or the petition hall at Greenwich. Even Cromwell's house comes off as cosy and inviting in the show. On top of that, the furnishings are period appropriate, adding another layer of immersion. Mark Rylace plays Cromwell as a father figure to many young people at court: he has been there, done that, and has the wisdom many of them need to hear when things get rough. He is gentle with the people around him, yet firm and even physically abrasive when needed. Many of his scenes with Gregory feel genuine: the way he gives his son advice on jousting while terrified of his son's future is very realistic. His little quarrels with Henry VIII in the beginning of the show feel like banter between relatives. Rylace plays the role with ease, as if the character of Cromwell is an extension of himself. I would have to say my favorite character is the series is Eustache Chapuys: Mathieu Amalric brings the character alive in his performance. Chapuys has always been described by historians as "a bit of a gossip girl" and Amalric nails that characterisation to a T. I cannot imagine the character any other way, now. Overall, Wolf Hall is a must watch for the Tudor fanatic: slow paced, with gorgeous costumes and wonderful actors, it brings comfort to any enthusiast who feels they have been snubbed by other dramas. Definitely check it out on Masterpiece! IU

On This Day In History, April 15th, 1912: The HMS Titanic Sinks

When the HMS Titanic made it's way to England in preparation for its maiden voyage, it was heralded as "the unsinkable ship." Boasting of luxury accomodations for its first and second classes, the Titanic had a (now infamous) grand staircase, gorgeous dining room, a Turkish bath, and gymnasium. It was the cream de la creme, and its maiden voyage was highly anticipated. As thousands boarded the ship on 10th of April, 1912, hope hung in the air: this was to be an historic launch. Unfortunately, they weren't wrong, but for the wrong reasons. Sometime around midnight on April 15th, Titanic scraped an iceberg somewhere in the North Atlantic. As the ice dragged across her iron hull, it pocked holes in her side, and the boat began to take on water. Attempts were made to evacuate, with emphasis on women and children, but it soon became clear that Titanic was not equipped with enough life boats, and so emphasis was made on getting the richer passengers to safety, leaving the third class to fend for themselves. To make matters worse, Titanic's crew had not been trained to evacuate in the event of a sinking, so protoccol was not clear. It is believed by most historians that lifeboats were only filled to 60%, proving the ineptitude of the crew. Distress signals were sent out to all nearby boats, but only the Carpathia responded by sheer luck. Within two hours of the iceberg striking the ship, it sank: the nature of the holes in her side caused the hull to raise up, exposing the propellers, causing gravity to split the ship in half, plunging all who weren't evacuated into the -2 degree celcius water. Those were not lucky found themselves either sucked into the smoke stacks or crushed by them as they fell. Others found themselves smashed between the freezing water and the boat itself. 1,517 people died that night: 63% of passengers, 76% of crew. A scant 39% of the First class died that night- mainly men, while a whopping 58% of Second Class met their demises. 76% of all Third Class passengers perished in the wreck. I have linked a video of a replica of the sinking of the HMS Titanic in real time. Feel free to watch it. Although the survivors of her disasterous maiden voyage are long gone, Titanic lives on in pop culture thanks to the 1997 movie of the same name. Although the movie is innacurate due to the love plot that steals the show, it is quite historically accurate in its depictions of the Titanic herself, as well as costuming and other sets. James Cameron is said to have genuinely poured his heart and soul into the project, even going so far as to study the ship from a submarine. He is one of the leading voices on not only the Titanic, but deep sea exploration. Unfortunately, as of 2023, Titanic gained a handful more victims when the Titan submersible imploded, killing all on board during a tour of the wreck. I have a lot of very stern words and sentiments on the matter, but this is not the place nor the time to talk about them. All I will say is that the submersible was unsafe, and OceanGate should never have been. On the submersible was the leading voice on the Titanic and its history, Paul Henri Nargoleot. He had been a part of 35 trips to see the wreckage, and his death was a blow to the history community. Although she sank long ago, The HMS Titanic left her mark on history with her disasterous maiden voyage and ill prepared crew. If not for the failures of many people during the 1910's, we would not have had Leonardo DiCaprio in suspenders, or that very odd time period in history where empire waist prom dresses were a thing. May all who died rest in peace.