Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, (19 February 1594 – 6 November 1612), was the eldest son and
heir apparent
An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...
of
King James VI and I
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
and
Queen Anne. His name derives from his grandfathers:
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (1546 – 10 February 1567) was King of Scotland as the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, from 29 July 1565 until his murder in 1567. Lord Darnley had one child with Mary, the future James VI of Scotland and I ...
; and
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II (1 July 1534 – 4 April 1588) was King of Denmark-Norway, Denmark and Norway and Duke of Duchy of Schleswig, Schleswig and Duchy of Holstein, Holstein from 1559 until his death in 1588.
A member of the House of Oldenburg, Fre ...
. Prince Henry was widely seen as a bright and promising heir to the
English,
Irish, and
Scottish thrones. However, at the age of 18, he predeceased his father, dying of
typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...
. His younger brother, the future
Charles I, succeeded him as heir apparent to the thrones.
Early life
Henry was born on 19 February 1594 at
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
, Scotland, and automatically received the titles
Duke of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay ( ; ; ) is the main dynastic title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the Scottish and, later, British thrones. The dukedom was created in 1398 by Robert III of Scotland for his eldest son.
Duke of Rothesay i ...
,
Earl of Carrick
Earl of Carrick (or Mormaer of Carrick) is the title applied to the ruler of Carrick, Scotland, Carrick (now South Ayrshire), subsequently part of the Peerage of Scotland. The position came to be strongly associated with the Scottish crown when ...
,
Baron of Renfrew,
Lord of the Isles
Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles
( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was ...
, and
Prince and Great Steward of Scotland at birth. His nurses included
Mistress Primrose and Mistress Bruce.
His baptism, held on 30 August 1594, was celebrated with
elaborate theatrical entertainments written by the poet
William Fowler and took place in a newly constructed Chapel Royal at Stirling, purpose-built by
William Schaw
William Schaw (c. 1550–1602) was Masters of Work to the Crown of Scotland, Master of Works to James VI of Scotland and Anne of Denmark for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Free ...
. Ambassadors were given portraits of Henry depicting him as "a fine thriving child". To cover the expenses,
James VI
James may refer to:
People
* James (given name)
* James (surname)
* James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician
* James, brother of Jesus
* King James (disambiguation), various kings named James
* Prince Ja ...
imposed a tax of £100,000. Textiles and costumes for the event were purchased using the
dowry of £100,000 Scots belonging to
Anne
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), Annie a ...
, which had been held in trust by various towns. In the month leading up to the baptism, rumours circulated at the Scottish court that King James was jealous of
Queen Anne and suspected that
Ludovic Stewart, Duke of Lennox might be Henry’s biological father.

James placed the prince in the care of
John Erskine, Earl of Mar, and his mother
Annabell Murray at
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
, out of the care of Queen Anne. James worried that Anne's tendency toward
Catholicism
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
might affect Henry. The child's removal to Stirling caused enormous tension between Anne and James, and Henry remained there under the care of Mar's family until 1603.
James VI wrote a note to the Earl of Mar in June 1595 instructing him, in the event of his death, not to deliver Henry to Anne of Denmark or the
Parliament of Scotland
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
until he was 18 and gave the order himself.
Anne was reluctant to go to Stirling and was said to be afraid that her enemies would give her a poisoned
posset at the Castle. James frequently visited the prince, and travelled to Stirling for his son's first birthday. As early as August 1595, James encouraged the infant to hold a pen and make a penstroke on a document, which the king humorously certified, "I will testify this is the prince's own mark".
The prince had silver candlesticks, a silver cup and a silver plate with a salt cellar.
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
contributed to the expenses at Stirling, paying £5000
Scots in 1595. At this time,
Patrick Gray, Master of Gray, was keeper of Henry's wardrobe, and took delivery of a little coffer worth £8 Scots for the prince's clothes.
Adam Newton became his schoolmaster or tutor.
William Keith of Delny and then
George Lauder were his legal tutors, administrators of his estates and incomes.
In 1596 Queen Elizabeth, via
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, and his secretary
Anthony Bacon, sent her miniature portrait by
Nicholas Hilliard
Nicholas Hilliard ( – before 7 January 1619) was an English goldsmith and limner best known for his portrait miniatures of members of the courts of Elizabeth I and James I of England. He mostly painted small oval miniatures, but also some l ...
to Prince Henry, and this was received by the Earl of Mar at Stirling. It was said that Henry would be godfather to his younger brother
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
in May 1602 and afterwards stay at
Dunfermline Palace
Dunfermline Palace is a ruined former Scottish royal palace and important tourist attraction in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. It is currently, along with other buildings of the adjacent Dunfermline Abbey, under the care of Historic Environmen ...
with his mother, but James VI forbade this.
Alexander Wilson became Henry's tailor. In 1602 it was planned that Henry would visit his mother at
Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, who took refuge there from political and religious turmoil of her times.
Today it is under th ...
, but this was postponed because of her sickness. The French ambassador in London
Christophe de Harlay, Count of Beaumont, reported a rumour, spread by James's friends, that Anne of Denmark was cruel and ambitious, and hoped to rule Scotland as regent or governor for Henry after the death of her husband.
London
James became king of England in 1603 at the
Union of the Crowns
The Union of the Crowns (; ) was the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of the Kingdom of England as James I and the practical unification of some functions (such as overseas diplomacy) of the two separate realms under a single ...
and his family moved south. Queen Anne came to Stirling to collect her son, and after an argument with the prince's keepers,
Marie Stewart, Countess of Mar and the
Master of Mar, was allowed to take Henry to Edinburgh on 28 May. On the following Sunday Anne took him to
St Giles Kirk in her silver coach. Anne and Henry arrived in England, at the fortified town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
, on 1 June.
Henry's tutor
Adam Newton continued to serve the prince, and several Scottish servants from the Stirling household were retained, including the poet
David Murray. The prince was lodged at
Oatlands and
Nonsuch Palace
Nonsuch Palace was a Tudor architecture, Tudor royal family, royal palace, commissioned by Henry VIII of England, Henry VIII in Surrey, England, and on which work began in 1538. Its site lies in what is now Nonsuch Park on the boundary of the ...
, and was relocated to
Winchester
Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
during an outbreak of plague. At Winchester, in September 1603, Queen Anne produced a
masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A mas ...
to welcome her son, which was controversial. In November 1603 he was staying at
Wilton House
Wilton House is an English country house at Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, which has been the country seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years. It was built on the site of the medieval Wilton Abbey. Following the dissolution ...
, and King James joked that a letter presented to Henry by the Venetian diplomats was bigger than he was. Henry rode with the
Earl of Nottingham
:''See also Earl of Winchilsea''
Earl of Nottingham is a title that has been created seven times in the Peerage of England. It was first created for John de Mowbray, 1st Earl of Nottingham, John de Mowbray in 1377, at the coronation of Richard ...
and his governor
Sir Thomas Chaloner to Salisbury to dine with the Venetian ambassador
Nicolò Molin and other diplomats. This was the first time he had made an appearance and dined outside the royal household, and his father joked that Henry was the ambassador's prisoner.
On 15 March 1604, Henry rode on horseback behind his father through the streets of London during the
delayed Royal Entry. From 1604 onwards, Henry often stayed at
St James's Palace
St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, England. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster. Although no longer the principal residence ...
. Alphonsus Fowle improved the gardens for him. Henry's daily expenses in England were managed by the
Cofferer of the Household,
Henry Cocke and after 1610
David Foulis.
David Murray of Gorthy was keeper of the prince's privy purse and his accounts reveal some details of Henry's interests.
Two Scottish tailors, Alexander Wilson and Patrick Black, moved to London and made the prince's clothes. Wilson made him doublets and hose from cloth supplied by Robert Grigge, and a hunting coat of green chamlet lined with velvet. The prince was supplied with
perfumed gloves made of stag's leather, perfumed gloves from
Córdoba, and embroidered waistcoats "wrought very curiously in colour silks".
Music, games and sports

Prince Henry was introduced to a variety of sports at Stirling Castle. In September 1600 he was bought two golf clubs, two staffs, and four rackets. The handles were covered with velvet and dressed with metal
passementerie
Passementerie (, ) or passementarie is the art of making elaborate trimmings or edgings (in French, ) of applied braid, gold or silver cord, embroidery, colored silk, or beads for clothing or furnishings.
Styles of passementerie include the tass ...
. In September 1601, an English visitor,
Thomas Musgrave, saw Henry dance, leap, and wield a
pike. On Sunday 8 May 1603 Henry exercised in the castle garden, watched by his mother, played billiards after dinner, and after supper "ran and played at the boards". Henry had a huntsman,
Thomas Pott, who continued to serve him in England. Pott travelled abroad several times, taking gifts of dogs from the young prince to European rulers.
Henry was tutored in music by
Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger, Nicholas Villiard, and Walter Quinn. Thomas Giles taught him to dance. In August 1604 Henry danced for the Spanish envoy, the Constable
Velasco, and showed him military pike exercises in the palace garden. Charles Guerolt taught Henry the "science of defence",
fencing
Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre (also spelled ''saber''), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fe ...
. At Oatlands in 1603 Prince Henry told
Scaramelli, a Venetian diplomat, about his interests in dancing, tennis and hunting. George Moncrieff was his falconer and kept his hawks.
In 1606 the French ambassador
Antoine Lefèvre de la Boderie noted that Prince Henry played golf, which he described as a Scottish game not unlike "pallemail" or
pall-mall. One of Prince Henry's biographers, "W. H.", mentioned that Henry nearly hit Adam Newton with a golf ball, and Henry said that would have paid him back. Henry also played tennis, and in July 1606 played with his uncle
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and King of Norway, Norway and List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein, Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years and 330 days is th ...
at
Greenwich Palace. He had a court for "pall-mall", laid out at St James's Fields, north of
St James's Palace
St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, England. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster. Although no longer the principal residence ...
. It was a long alley surfaced with cockle shells crushed into clay or loam.
In 1607 Henry sought permission to learn to swim, but the Earls of
Suffolk
Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
and
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...
wrote to Newton that swimming was a "dangerous thing" that their own sons might practise "like feathers as light as things of nought", but was not suitable for princes as "things of great weight and consequence".
A riding school, one of the first in England, was built for him at St James's Palace in 1607.
Robert Douglas was the prince's master of horse by 1610. Henry competed at
running at the ring with foreign visitors and diplomats including
Louis Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Montbéliard, in April and May 1610. Henry talked of the merits of various breeds of horses and his own Barbary horses to the Venetian ambassador
Antonio Foscarini in 1611.
In March 1609, Henry was entertained by a man with a baboon. He revealed an interest in Venetian maritime power and had a plan of the fortification of
Palmanova
Palmanova () is a town and (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northeast Italy. The town is an example of a star fort of the late Renaissance, built up by the Venetian Republic in 1593.
Th ...
. As an indoor amusement, Henry played chess.
Literature in the schoolroom
In England, Henry's writing masters included Peter Bales, who practiced "small writing" and made a miniature copy of the king's book of advice, the ''
Basilicon Doron'' for him to wear as a tablet book. Bales encouraged Henry to copy improving Latin phrases, known as ''sententiae''. Henry translated works by
Guy Du Faur, Seigneur de Pibrac and sent them to his mother, Anne of Denmark. He was a patron of
Joshua Sylvester, who translated the poems of
Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas. Henry started to translate Sylvester's version into Latin to present to his father. He paid £100 to
George Heriot for a diamond ring sent to his friend the essayist
John Harington of Kelston, who sent him a translation of the sixth book of the ''
Aeneid
The ''Aeneid'' ( ; or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan War#Sack of Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Ancient Rome ...
'' with notes referring to his father's ''Basilicon Doron''. Henry seems not to have studied ancient Greek authors, but he apparently encouraged the translation project of
George Chapman
George Chapman ( – 12 May 1634) was an English dramatist, translator and poet. He was a classical scholar whose work shows the influence of Stoicism. Chapman is seen as an anticipator of the metaphysical poets of the 17th century. He is ...
(Chapman dedicated his translations of ''The Iliad'' and ''
The Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
'' to Prince Henry, but his ''Odyssey'' was not completed until after Henry's death.). He told the Venetian ambassador he would learn modern Italian.
Esther Inglis presented him with miniature manuscript books, including ''A Book of the Armes of England'', as a New Year's Day gift for which he rewarded her £5. The Venetian ambassador,
Nicolò Molin, judged that Henry learnt under the impetus of his father's spur, rather than his own inclination, and his brother
Charles, Duke of York, was more earnest in his studies.
Training and personality
James greatly preferred the role of schoolmaster to that of father, and he wrote texts for the schooling of his children. He directed that Henry's household "should rather imitate a College than a Court",
or, as Thomas Chaloner wrote in 1607, "His Highness's household
..was intended by the King for a ''courtly college'' or a ''collegiate court''"
He passionately engaged in such physical pursuits as hawking, hunting, jousting and fencing, and from a young age studied naval and military affairs and national issues, about which he often disagreed with his father. He also disapproved of the way his father conducted the royal court, disliked
Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset, a favourite of his father, and esteemed
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...
, wishing him to be released from the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
.
[
The prince's popularity rose so high that it threatened his father. Relations between the two could be tense, and on occasion surfaced in public. At one point, they were hunting near Royston when James criticised his son for lacking enthusiasm for the chase, and initially moved to strike his son with his cane, but Henry rode off. Most of the hunting party then followed Henry.
"Upright to the point of priggishness, he fined all who swore in his presence", according to Charles Carlton, a biographer of Charles I, who describes Henry as an "obdurate Protestant".][ In addition to the alms box to which Henry forced swearers to contribute, he made sure his household attended church services. His religious views were influenced by the clerics in his household, who came largely from a tradition of politicised ]Calvinism
Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...
. Henry listened humbly, attentively, and regularly to the sermons preached to his household, and once told his chaplain, Richard Milbourne, that he esteemed most the preachers whose attitude suggested, "Sir, you must hear me diligently: you must have a care to observe what I say."[
Henry is said to have disliked his younger brother Charles and to have teased him, although this derives from only one anecdote: when Charles was nine years of age, Henry snatched the hat off a bishop and put it on his brother's head, then told his brother that when he became king he would make Charles ]Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...
, and then Charles would have a long robe to hide his ugly rickety legs. Charles stamped on the cap and had to be dragged off in tears.[
]
Investiture and leadership
With his father's accession to the throne of England in 1603, Henry at once became Duke of Cornwall
Duke of Cornwall () is a title in the Peerage of England, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarch, previously the English monarch. The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created i ...
. In 1610 he was further invested as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
and Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester () was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England, extending principally over the counties of Cheshire and Flintshire. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs apparent to the English throne, ...
, thus for the first time uniting the six automatic and two traditional Scottish and English titles held by heirs-apparent to the two thrones. The ceremony of investiture was celebrated with a pageant '' London's Love to Prince Henry'', and a masque, '' Tethys' Festival'', during which his mother gave a sword encrusted with diamonds, intended to represent justice.
As a young man, Henry showed great promise and was beginning to be active in leadership matters. Among his activities, he was responsible for the reassignment of Sir Thomas Dale to the Virginia Company of London
The Virginia Company of London (sometimes called "London Company") was a Division (business), division of the Virginia Company with responsibility for British colonization of the Americas, colonizing the east coast of North America between 34th ...
's struggling colony in North America. The city of Henricus
The "Citie of Henricus"—also known as Henricopolis, Henrico Town or Henrico—was a settlement in Virginia founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1611 as an alternative to the swampy and dangerous area around the original English settlement at James ...
in colonial Virginia was named in his honour in 1611; his name also survives in Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is a County (United States), county located in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population wa ...
and Cape Henry
Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia located in the northeast corner of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to the long estuary of the Chesapeake Bay.
Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Ch ...
. He was the "Supreme Protector" of the Company of Discoverers of the Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, near the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. The eastern route along the Arctic ...
, and a patron of Robert Harcourt's expedition to Guiana.
The Irish Gaelic lord of Inishowen
Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland.
The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfor ...
, Sir Cahir O'Doherty
Sir Cahir O'Doherty ( or ; 1587 – 5 July 1608) was the last Gaelic Irish chief of the O'Doherty clan, who in 1608 launched a failed rebellion against the English crown.
O'Doherty was the eldest son of clan chief John O'Doherty, ruler of ...
, had applied to gain a position as a courtier
A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...
in the household of Henry, to help him in his struggles against officials in Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. Unknown to Sir Cahir, on 19 April 1608, the day he launched O'Doherty's Rebellion by burning Derry, his application was approved. Henry took an interest in the Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland (; , ) was a dependent territory of Kingdom of England, England and then of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1542 to the end of 1800. It was ruled by the monarchs of England and then List of British monarchs ...
and was known to be supportive of the idea of a reconciliation with the former rebel Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (; – 20 July 1616) was an Irish lord and key figure of the Nine Years' War. Known as the "Great Earl", he led the confederacy of Irish lords against the English Crown in resistance to the Tudor conquest of Ir ...
, who had fled into exile during the . Because of this Tyrone and his entourage mourned when the prince met his early death.
In 1611, King James gave Woodstock Palace
Woodstock Palace was a royal residence in the English town of Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
Henry I of England built a hunting lodge here and in 1129 he built of walls to create the first enclosed park, where lions and leopards were kept. The lodg ...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
to Prince Henry. Henry had a banqueting house built of leafy tree branches in the park, in which he held a dinner for his parents and his sister Princess Elizabeth. David Murray paid 110 shillings for transporting musical instruments from London to Woodstock for the event.
Marriage negotiations
In between 1610 and 1612, potential brides from across Europe were considered for Henry. In particular, Cosimo II de' Medici
Cosimo II de' Medici (12 May 1590 – 28 February 1621) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until his death. He was the elder son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Christina of Lorraine.
For the majority of his 12-year rei ...
of the House of Medici
The House of Medici ( , ; ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici and his grandson Lorenzo de' Medici, Lorenzo "the Magnificent" during the first h ...
, and the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...
in what is now Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, hoped to arrange a royal marriage between Henry and his sister, Caterina de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...
. To this end, Cosimo II sent fifteen small bronze statutes, including one of a trotting horse, as well as Giambologna, a famous sculptor, to the English court in 1611. However, Henry unexpectedly died in 1612, before the marriage negotiations could be finalized. Caterina instead married Ferdinando Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat in 1617.
In May 1612, the Duke of Bouillon
The Duchy of Bouillon () was a duchy comprising Bouillon, Belgium, Bouillon and adjacent towns and villages in present-day Belgium.
The state originated in the 10th century as property of the Lords of Bouillon, owners of Bouillon Castle. Crusad ...
came to London as the ambassador of Marie de' Medici
Marie de' Medici (; ; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France and Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV. Marie served as regent of France between 1610 and 1617 during the minority of her son Louis XIII. Her mandate as rege ...
, dowager queen of France, and cousin to Cosimo II de' Medici
Cosimo II de' Medici (12 May 1590 – 28 February 1621) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until his death. He was the elder son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Christina of Lorraine.
For the majority of his 12-year rei ...
through their paternal grandfather, Cosimo I de' Medici
Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second and last duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first grand duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Cosimo I succeeded his cousin to the duchy. ...
. According to the Venetian ambassador, Antonio Foscarini, his instructions included a proposal of marriage between Prince Henry and Christine, the daughter of Henry IV of France
Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...
. Queen Anne, Henry's mother, told one of the Duke's senior companions that she would prefer Henry married a French princess without a dowry than a Florentine princess (Caterina de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...
) with any amount of gold.
With Henry's death, Christine of France instead married Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus I (; 8 May 1587 – 7 October 1637) was the Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 26 July 1630 until his death in 1637. He was also known as the ''Lion of Susa''.
He was succeeded by two of his sons; Francis Hya ...
, in 1619. His brother Charles, who became the heir apparent to the English and Scottish thrones on his brother's death, fulfilled their mother's wishes by wedding Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ( French: ''Henriette Marie''; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until his execution on 30 January 1649. She was ...
in 1625.
Death
Henry died from typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...
at the age of 18 on 6 November 1612, during the celebrations that led up to the wedding of his sister Elizabeth. (The diagnosis can be made with reasonable certainty from written records of the post-mortem examination, which was ordered to be carried out in order to dispel rumours of poisoning.) His mother, Anne of Denmark, had sent requests to Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...
in the Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
for his special "great cordial", which failed to effect a cure. It was reported that his last words were to ask for his sister Princess Elizabeth, who was discouraged from visiting him by their parents' order for fear of contagion.
After Henry's death, his brother Charles fell ill but was the chief mourner at the funeral, which King James (who detested funerals) refused to attend.[ The body lay in state at St. James's Palace for four weeks. On 7 December, over a thousand people walked in the mile-long cortège to ]Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
. On top of the coffin there was a wooden effigy of the prince made by Richard Norris, with lifelike features modelled in wax by Abraham van der Doort, clothed in robes of crimson velvet edged with fur. The Archbishop of Canterbury, George Abbot, gave a two-hour sermon. As Henry's body was lowered into the ground, his chief servants broke their staves of office at the grave.
Prince Henry's death was widely regarded as a tragedy for the nation. According to Charles Carlton, "Few heirs to the English throne have been as widely and deeply mourned as Prince Henry." Henry's titles of Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay passed to Charles, who until then had lived in Henry's shadow. Four years later, Charles, then 16 years old, was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.
Literature and music occasioned by the prince's death
Sermons
Henry's chaplain, Daniel Price, delivered a series of sermons about the young man's death. (Price borrowed from John Donne
John Donne ( ; 1571 or 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a clergy, cleric in the Church of England. Under Royal Patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's, D ...
's unrelated '' The First Anniversary'', published in 1611, and '' The Second Anniversary'', published in 1612, for some of his language and ideas.):
* ''Lamentations for the death of the late illustrious Prince Henry ..Two Sermons'' (1613; see 1613 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1613.
Events
*January–February – The English royal court sees massive celebrations for the marriage of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, to King James's daughte ...
): "Oh, why is there not a generall thaw throughout all mankinde? why in this debashed Ayre doe not all things expire, seeing Time looks upon us with watry eues, disheveld lockes, and heavie dismall lookes; now that the Sunne is gone out of our Firmament, the ioy, the beautie, the glory of Israel is departed?"[
* ''Spirituall Odours to the Memory of Prince Henry. In Four of the Last Sermons Preached in St James after his Highnesse Death'' (Oxford, 1613; see ]1613 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1613.
Events
*January–February – The English royal court sees massive celebrations for the marriage of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, to King James's daughte ...
) From "Meditations of Consolation in our Lamentations": " ..his body was so faire and strong that a soule might have been pleased to live an age in it ..vertue and valor, beauty and chastity, armes and arts, met and kist in him, and his goodnesse lent so much mintage to other Princes, that if Xenophon were now to describe a Prince, Prince HENRY had been his Patterne. ..He hath gon his Passover from death to life, where there is more grace and more capacity ..where earthly bodies shalbe more celestiall, then man in his Innocency or Angels in their glory, for they could fall: Hee is there with those Patriarchs that have expected Christ on earth, longer than they have enjoyed him in heaven; He is with those holy Penmen of the holy spirit, they bee now his paterns, who were here his teachers ..[
* ''Teares Shed over Abner. The Sermon Preached on the Sunday before the Prince his funerall in St James Chappell before the body'' (Oxford, (1613; see ]1613 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1613.
Events
*January–February – The English royal court sees massive celebrations for the marriage of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, to King James's daughte ...
): "He, He is dead, who while he lived, was a perpetuall Paradise, every season that he shewd himselfe in a perpetuall spring, eavery exercise wherein he was scene a special felicity: He, He is dead before us ..He, He is dead; that blessed Model of heaven his face is covered till the latter day, whose shining lamps his eyes in whose light there was life to the beholders, they bee ecclipsed until the sunne give over shining. ..He, He is dead, and now yee see this ..[
]
Prose memorials
Price also wrote two prose "Anniversaries" on the death:
* ''Prince Henry His First Anniversary'' (Oxford, 1613; see 1613 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1613.
Events
*January–February – The English royal court sees massive celebrations for the marriage of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, to King James's daughte ...
): "in HIM, a glimmering light of the Golden times appeare, all lines of expectation met in this Center, all spirits of vertue, scattered into others were extracted into him ..[
* Another "Anniversary", published in 1614][
]
Verses
Within a few months of the prince's death, at least 32 poets had versified on it. In addition to those listed below, the writers included Sir Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellio ...
(a friend), John Donne
John Donne ( ; 1571 or 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a clergy, cleric in the Church of England. Under Royal Patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's, D ...
, Edward Herbert, Thomas Heywood
Thomas Heywood (early 1570s – 16 August 1641) was an English playwright, actor, and author. His main contributions were to late Elizabethan and early Jacobean theatre. He is best known for his masterpiece ''A Woman Killed with Kindness'', a ...
and Henry King.[
These poems were published in 1612 (see 1612 in poetry):
* Sir William Alexander, ''An Elegie on the Death of Prince Henrie'']
* Joshua Sylvester, ''Lachrimae Lachrimarum; or, The Distillation of Teares Shede for the Untimely Death of the Incomparable Prince Panaretus'', also includes poems in English, French, Latin and Italian by Walter Quin[
* ]George Wither
George Wither (11 June 1588 O.S. (21 June 1588 NS) – 2 May 1667 O.S. (12 May 1667 NS)) was a prolific English poet, pamphleteer, satirist and writer of hymns. Wither's long life spanned one of the most tumultuous periods in the history of En ...
, ''Prince Henries Obsequies; or, Mournefull Elegies Upon his Death''[
These poems and songs were published in 1613 (see 1613 in poetry):
* ]Thomas Campion
Thomas Campion (sometimes spelled Campian; 12 February 1567 – 1 March 1620) was an English composer, poet, and physician. He was born in London, educated at Cambridge, and studied law in Gray's Inn. He wrote over a hundred lute songs, masque ...
, ''Songs of Mourning: Bewailing the Untimely Death of Prince Henry'', verse and music; music by Giovanni Coperario (or "Copario"), said to have been John Cooper, an Englishman[
* ]George Chapman
George Chapman ( – 12 May 1634) was an English dramatist, translator and poet. He was a classical scholar whose work shows the influence of Stoicism. Chapman is seen as an anticipator of the metaphysical poets of the 17th century. He is ...
, ''An Epicede or Funerall Song, On the Most Disastrous Death, of the Highborne Prince of Men, Henry Prince of Wales, &c.'', the work states "1612" but was published in 1613[
* John Davies, ''The Muses-Teares for the Losse of their Hope''][
* ]William Drummond of Hawthornden
William Drummond (13 December 15854 December 1649), called "of Hawthornden", was a Scottish poet.
Life
Drummond was born at Hawthornden Castle, Midlothian, to John Drummond, the first laird of Hawthornden, and Susannah Fowler, sister of the ...
, ''Tears on the Death of Moeliades''[
* Mary Oxley, or Oxlie, a Scottish poet living in Morpeth, wrote a response to William Drummond of Hawthornden's ''Moeliades'', which was published in 1656.
]
Music
Thomas Tomkins
Thomas Tomkins (1572 – 9 June 1656) was a Welsh-born composer of the late Tudor and early Stuart period. In addition to being one of the prominent members of the English Madrigal School, he was a skilled composer of keyboard and consort mu ...
composed an anthem for the funeral, "Know ye not" which set words from the Old Testament selected by Arthur Lake.
Both Thomas Tomkins and Thomas Weelkes
Thomas Weelkes (1576 (?) – 1623) was an English composer and organ (music), organist. He became organist of Winchester College in 1598, moving to Chichester Cathedral. His works are chiefly vocal, and include madrigal (music), madrigals, a ...
composed settings of "When David heard", a passage from the Books of Samuel
The Book of Samuel () is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Book of Joshua, Joshua, Book of Judges, Judges, Samuel, and Books of ...
in which King David
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament.
The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
laments the loss of his son Absalom
Absalom ( , ), according to the Hebrew Bible, was an Israelite prince. Born to David and Maacah, who was from Geshur, he was the only full sibling of Tamar. He is described in the Hebrew Bible as being exceptionally beautiful, as is his siste ...
in battle; it has been suggested that these settings were directly inspired by the death of the prince, although the association has been regarded as speculative.
John Ward composed two elegies for six voices on the death of the Prince. Ward included ''Weep forth your tears'', a "mourning song" for Prince Henry in his ''First Set'' of Madrigals (published in 1613).
The other elegy, ''No object dearer'', remained unpublished during the composer's lifetime.[Ward, John (bap. 1590, d. 1638)]
, Ian Payne in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, See online ed., ed. Lawrence Goldman, Oxford: Oxford University Press (subscription or UK public library membership required). Accessed 14 November 2014.
Honours and arms
Honours
* KG: Knight of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...
, ''14 June 1603''
Arms
Henry Frederick as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
bore the arms of the kingdom, differenced by a ''label of three points argent''.Marks of Cadency in the British Royal Family
/ref>
Ancestry
References
Sources
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* in .
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Further reading
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External links
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
at the official website of the Royal Collection Trust
The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world.
Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...
*
A poem by Andrew Melville on the birth of Prince Henry, 'Principis Scoto-Britannorum natalia' (1594), Bridging the Continental Divide, University of Glasgow
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
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