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A review by hmalagisi
Arthur, Prince of Wales: Henry VIII's Lost Brother by Gareth Streeter
4.0
The tales of the Tudor kings are unique in how they became kings of England. We all know the story of how Prince Henry became King Henry VIII. His eldest brother, Prince Arthur, died shortly after he married the Spanish Princess Katherine of Aragon. Much has been discussed about Arthur's wedding night and death, but not much has been written about his time as the Prince of Wales. In his debut book, "Arthur, Prince of Wales: Henry VIII's Lost Brother" Gareth Streeter explores the life of the first Tudor prince.
I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. Prince Arthur has been mentioned in numerous accounts of the Tudors, but it is very rare for a book to focus on the young prince. I wanted to see what new information Streeter would bring to the story of the crown prince who would never become king.
Streeter begins his book by exploring the origins of the Tudor line and the significance of King Arthur and ancient Briton kings like Brutus and Cadwaladr. He then dives into the birth and baptism of Prince Arthur, which shows a lot of symbolism that the Tudors wanted to employ to establish their young dynasty. During the part about the baptism of the young prince, Streeter gives his audience a bit of background on those in attendance and the Wars of the Roses.
Most of this book focuses on Arthur's life as the crown prince and the Prince of Wales, including the duties he was expected to take on. As the heir to the young Tudor dynasty and the son of King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York, he was the hope of the entire country. Unfortunately, the pretenders Perkin Warbeck and Lambert Simnel threatened the fragile peace that Henry VII established. Amid the pretender drama, we see the young prince's education and the arduous marriage negotiations between Spain and England. Finally, Streeter discusses the relationship between Arthur, Katherine of Aragon, and his family, until his untimely death, which left England with Henry VIII as the only heir to the Tudor dynasty.
For a debut, Streeter has done a great job presenting how he views Prince Arthur's life and showing new information that Tudor fans alike will find fascinating. As Streeter has said in this book, Prince Arthur was more than just a prince who died. He did live, and his life as the first Tudor prince set the standard for King Henry VIII and Edward VI after him. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Prince Arthur and look forward to reading the next book Gareth Streeter writes. If you want to learn more about the Tudor prince who never became king, I recommend reading "Arthur, Prince of Wales: Henry VIII's Lost Brother" by Gareth Streeter.
I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. Prince Arthur has been mentioned in numerous accounts of the Tudors, but it is very rare for a book to focus on the young prince. I wanted to see what new information Streeter would bring to the story of the crown prince who would never become king.
Streeter begins his book by exploring the origins of the Tudor line and the significance of King Arthur and ancient Briton kings like Brutus and Cadwaladr. He then dives into the birth and baptism of Prince Arthur, which shows a lot of symbolism that the Tudors wanted to employ to establish their young dynasty. During the part about the baptism of the young prince, Streeter gives his audience a bit of background on those in attendance and the Wars of the Roses.
Most of this book focuses on Arthur's life as the crown prince and the Prince of Wales, including the duties he was expected to take on. As the heir to the young Tudor dynasty and the son of King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York, he was the hope of the entire country. Unfortunately, the pretenders Perkin Warbeck and Lambert Simnel threatened the fragile peace that Henry VII established. Amid the pretender drama, we see the young prince's education and the arduous marriage negotiations between Spain and England. Finally, Streeter discusses the relationship between Arthur, Katherine of Aragon, and his family, until his untimely death, which left England with Henry VIII as the only heir to the Tudor dynasty.
For a debut, Streeter has done a great job presenting how he views Prince Arthur's life and showing new information that Tudor fans alike will find fascinating. As Streeter has said in this book, Prince Arthur was more than just a prince who died. He did live, and his life as the first Tudor prince set the standard for King Henry VIII and Edward VI after him. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Prince Arthur and look forward to reading the next book Gareth Streeter writes. If you want to learn more about the Tudor prince who never became king, I recommend reading "Arthur, Prince of Wales: Henry VIII's Lost Brother" by Gareth Streeter.