When we think of the Tudors, Henry VIII and his six wives immediately come to mind. His break from Rome, the English Reformation, and the establishment of the Church of England are defining moments of British history. But what if that story had never happened? What if Henry had never been king at all?

That was the original plan. Henry was never meant to rule England. That destiny belonged to his elder brother, Arthur Tudor – the firstborn son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. However, Arthur’s sudden and tragic death at the age of 15 in April 1502 changed the course of English history forever.

Arthur Tudor: The Future of England

Born on the 19th of September 1486, Arthur represented the union of the houses of Lancaster and York, solidifying the legitimacy of the newly established Tudor dynasty. His name evoked the legendary King Arthur, reinforcing his destiny as a strong and just ruler who would usher England into a golden age.

From birth, Arthur was trained for kingship. He was given the title Prince of Wales, raised at Ludlow Castle, and provided with an education befitting a future monarch. His marriage to Katherine of Aragon – daughter of Spain’s monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella – was meant to cement England’s alliance with Spain, one of the strongest European powers of the time.

On the 14th of November 1501, Arthur and Katherine were married at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The couple soon departed for Ludlow, where Arthur was expected to begin his formal rule as Prince of Wales. Everything seemed set for Arthur to inherit the throne and lead England into a stable and prosperous future, but fate had other plans.

A Life Cut Short: Arthur’s Sudden Death

In March 1502, Arthur fell gravely ill – most likely from the Sweating Sickness, a highly contagious and often fatal disease. After weeks of suffering, he died on the 2nd of April 1502 at Ludlow Castle. He was just 15 years old.

Arthur had been the centrepiece of the Tudor dynasty’s future, and without him, uncertainty loomed. He was buried in Worcester Cathedral, but his passing would leave consequences far beyond his own lifetime. 

What if Arthur Had Lived?

Arthur’s survival would have drastically changed the course of English history. His marriage to Katherine of Aragon would have continued, ensuring England’s strong alliance with Spain. Since Katherine was still young – only 15 at the time of their marriage – it is likely that they would have had enough time to produce a healthy heir, securing the Tudor line and preventing the succession crisis that later plagued Henry VIII’s reign.

Without Arthur’s death, his younger brother Henry would have never been king. Instead, he would have remained a secondary royal figure. This means that there would have been no need for an annulment, no break with Rome, and no English Reformation. England may have remained a Catholic nation, tied to the authority of the Pope.

The Domino Effect: A Tudor Timeline Without Henry VIII

Had Arthur ruled instead of Henry, many key events in Tudor history might never have occurred:

• No Anne Boleyn: Henry VIII’s obsession with Anne Boleyn was the catalyst for the English Reformation. Without Henry on the throne, Anne would likely have remained a lady-in-waiting with no lasting impact on history.
• No English Reformation: Without Henry’s desperate need for an annulment from Katherine of Aragon, England may have remained a Catholic country under Papal authority.
• No Elizabeth I: Without Henry and Anne’s marriage, Elizabeth I would never have been born – meaning no Elizabeth Golden Age, no defeat of the Spanish Armada, and no Shakespearean era.
• No Mary I: Without Henry’s rule, Mary I would never have been born either, preventing her Catholic reign and the persecution of Protestants.
• A Stronger Catholic England: If England had remained Catholic, would Mary, Queen of Scots, have ever been executed? Would England have avoided centuries of religious conflict? The possibilities are endless.

Arthur Tudor: A Forgotten Prince?

Despite his importance in shaping Tudor history, Arthur Tudor is often just a footnote in the grander narrative of his younger brother. But in reality, he was the heir who never was – the king who might have changed everything.

His brief life and early death serve as a powerful reminder that history often hinges on a single moment. Had Arthur lived, England’s entire future could have taken a different path – one without the Reformation, without the six wives of Henry VIII, and perhaps even without the great Tudor legacy we know today.

Would England have been better off under Arthur? We will never know. But one thing is certain – his death shaped history just as much as his reign might have.