On this day in 1502, Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales and heir to the English throne, died at just 15 years old, altering the course of English history forever. 

Born in 1486, Arthur represented the long-awaited union of the houses of Lancaster and York, a living symbol of the peace forged by his parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. After their wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral on the 14th of November 1501, Arthur and Katherine of Aragon were sent to Ludlow Castle, where he assumed his duties as Prince of Wales. 

Just a few months later, Arthur fell ill in March 1502, possibly from the dreaded Sweating Sickness, tuberculosis, or another unknown disease. Despite efforts to save him, he died in early April and was buried in Worcester Cathedral. His sudden death changed the course of history. 

Had Arthur survived, Tudor England – and indeed the entire course of history – could have been vastly different. Katherine of Aragon would eventually have been queen alongside Arthur, meaning Henry VIII may never have become king. Without Henry’s tumultuous marriage to Katherine and his desire to marry Anne Boleyn, the English Reformation may never have occurred. England might have remained a Catholic nation, altering its religious, political, and cultural landscape forever.