The Autobiography of Arthur

[DrakeRlugia]

Awesome,the Let's lock down Jasper as the name of the future King of Naples...Prince Jasper Tudor...Can't wait to see how the Prince of Wales deals with his father's search for a new bride...Keep it comming Lach

No offense Historico, but yuck.

Jasper is an awful name IMO.

Keep it as Edmund. I know Jasper is like, the founder of the Tudor dynasty, but I just... can't see them honoring him. If there were ever people super stingy about naming protocol, it was royalty. Hell, in this same period in France a row developed because Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany wanted to name their son Orlando, after the hero in the Song of Roland. The Princes of the Blood literally threw a fit and a compromise came were he would be named Charles Orland in French and then Orlandus Carolus in Latin. Plus, that'd be really funky when you translate it into Italian. I'd just keep it as Edmund. Otherwise, the names look fine. I presume the Princess Joanna is named after her grandmother, Joanna of Aragon?

 

[Brainbin]

Jasper is an awful name IMO.

Keep it as Edmund. I know Jasper is like, the founder of the Tudor dynasty, but I just... can't see them honoring him. If there were ever people super stingy about naming protocol, it was royalty.

I wasn't going to say anything about this at first, but since someone else got the ball rolling for me, I will. I have to agree, Edmund is the much better name. It's his father, after all, and there have actually been (pre-Norman) English Kings with that name. The fact that there was already a Prince Edmund Tudor doesn't mean anything; in this era, royals reused the names of their dead children quite often, in fact.

 

[LadyofWilusa]

I wasn't going to say anything about this at first, but since someone else got the ball rolling for me, I will. I have to agree, Edmund is the much better name. It's his father, after all, and there have actually been (pre-Norman) English Kings with that name. The fact that there was already a Prince Edmund Tudor doesn't mean anything; in this era, royals reused the names of their dead children quite often, in fact.

Also, the name Edmund was highly symbolic. It was the name of both the first Earl of Lancaster (Edmund Crouchback) and the first Duke of York (Edmund of Langley). This goes along with the Tudor theme of dynastic unity. It could also be used to imply a subtle threat from King Henry to Prince Arthur.

Incidentally, Edmund Crouchback was also the titular king of Sicily for a time.

BTW, this is my first post. Tudor England is one of my favorite eras.

 

[DrakeRlugia]

Also, the name Edmund was highly symbolic. It was the name of both the first Earl of Lancaster (Edmund Crouchback) and the first Duke of York (Edmund of Langley). This goes along with the Tudor theme of dynastic unity. It could also be used to imply a subtle threat from King Henry to Prince Arthur.

Incidentally, Edmund Crouchback was also the titular king of Sicily for a time.

BTW, this is my first post. Tudor England is one of my favorite eras.

Welcome to AH.com, Wilusa. I hope you enjoy your say.

Anyways... I agree that Edmund is a much better name for this instance. Jasper is just... eh. The OTL Jasper happened to have that name, and that's it. Nothing symbolic about it, whilst there are symbolic things about Edward and ect.

 

[Archangel]

Nice description of Arthur's feeling on his mother's death, LacheyS.

Hope Joanna brings a bit of compassion to João III regarding non-Catholics.

 

[LacheyS]

OK, rather than quoting everyone, I'll just post my responses here:

We'll stick with Prince Edmund and, yes, Princess Joanna is named after Joanna of Castile, who is actually her aunt and who will be in England with her husband, Philip the Handsome, when the young princess is born.

Thank you for everyone's comments, especially the "virginal" Lady of Wilusa. Welcome to ah.com!

Archangel, are you recommending that I marry the Princess Joanna to King John III of Portugal? I'm looking for a husband for her and a wife for Edmund, so it is possible. Maybe Edmund could have Catherine of Austria instead.

 

[LacheyS]

Plan for the next installment:

Princess Margaret leaves for Scotland under the Treaty of Eternal Peace.

Catherine of Aragon gives birth to Prince Arthur, her first child to survive to adulthood.

Arthur has a discussion with the King in the new Richmond Palace about the demise of Margaret of York, French defeats, the value of armaments, the strategic value of a Northwest Passage and the determinants involved in a royal marriage.

 

[Darth_Kiryan]

So Arthur's son is Arthur. Well, at least its a break from the normal Anglo-Norman/Plantagenet names.

 

[konigmarke333]

This is a very enjoyable read. I really like the autobiography style; the wedding night scene was particularly touching. Well done.

I'm very keen to see the geopolitical ramifications of a King Arthur rather than Henry. I guess we'll see England closer to Spain than to France, especially as we can expect Arthur to have better relations with Catherine than Henry did OTL.

 

[LacheyS]

So Arthur's son is Arthur. Well, at least its a break from the normal Anglo-Norman/Plantagenet names.

Well, that's why his Father chose it. Arthur is by now adjusting to his name and sees the value of it politically. His reign and that of his son should be "Arthurian", a new age for England.

This is a very enjoyable read. I really like the autobiography style; the wedding night scene was particularly touching. Well done.

Another virgin!!!

I'm very keen to see the geopolitical ramifications of a King Arthur rather than Henry. I guess we'll see England closer to Spain than to France, especially as we can expect Arthur to have better relations with Catherine than Henry did OTL.

I've developed a few ideas about how he might behave. I don't see him pursuing war lightly, but I do see him paying attention to modernising England's military, especially a considerable expansion of the Navy. I also see him as an explorer, who will finance those who want to explore and, in some cases, plunder the world. I am still working on how much expansion is possible without suffering the Portuguese problem and it is something which I am still researching.

I think, too, that he will come to power in an era dominated by aging giants: Louis, Ferdinand, Maxmilian. When they fall, they will each be replaced by children. So during his reign, Arthur will go from being the young gun to the leading patriarch pretty quickly. I don't think he will want to conquer France, but dismembering France would be a nice objective and, yes, he will seek to be close to his in-laws.

Thank you for the support.

 

[Historico]

Ah drats ***kicks up dust***, I guess I lost out on the naming of the future Duke of Gloucester and potential King of Naples lol. I concede to my colleague's arguments that although it certainly does have sentimental value to Henry, and that Jasper was a good General, it just doesn't have that same symbolic hook that Henry seems to have been searching for most of his reign. Maybe if Henry's heart thaws out a lil bit, he might bring in Jasper's illegitimate daughter's to court, and get parliament pass through a bill allowing for them to be considered legitimate, and thusly their offspring be of higher standing for potential royal wedding matches. Or you could just have Henry get it into his head that one of Arthur's son's should be named after the Earl of Pembrooke, and having the Prince of Wales follow suit...It's all up to you Lach lol

 

[LacheyS]

I was only responding to democracy, though I obviously have a preference for the name I originally chose. Sorry that things have been held up a little - Preliminary Year Exams and Reports, School Camp this weekend

However, the College goes on holidays in a week and I get to spend a fortnight recuperating. And writing. I might even do an installation on Gorby for those who read both.

 

[Archangel]

However, the College goes on holidays in a week and I get to spend a fortnight recuperating. And writing. I might even do an installation on Gorby for those who read both.

Excellent!

 

[LacheyS]

Holiday Started Today!

VIII.
​

My son, Arthur, was born on 9 May, 1503. He was robust and hearty, his first wails not at all piteous, as a newborn normally makes, but loud and demanding. He entered the world as Herculean compared to his rivals.

Catherine had been in an extraordinary good humour after Father included her in the planning of the new Henry VI Chapel at Westminster. She is supporting his claim that Pope Alexander should canonise my great-uncle. Strangely, the Chapel would eventually serve as the tomb for us all.

“Heavy, Your Grace”, Dr Linacre warned as he handed him to my waiting arms. “Very heavy. He must be made of muscle.”

Yes, the bundle was weighty and solid and I could feel power in his squirms. “Praise be to the Lord God,” I cried, holding him up to those gathered. “Now the future is assured. Now my successor is in my hands.”

Striding up to Catherine, who was already bathed and resting, I could scarcely contain my overwhelming desire to shout with joy. “You have given all of England all she could wish!” There she was – radiant, the Madonna who I had long adored. “Thank you, for the great gift you have given to me, and to my country.”

She chuckled. “What about the gift I’ve given myself?” she asked. I wanted to pull her out of bed and dance her around the room.

“He must be named Arthur,” she declared. “He is big and strong, like his father.” I had not planned to name him Arthur, but rather Edward, after my mother’s brother. But she repeated stubbornly. “Arthur...he must be called Arthur.”

“If it means so much to you, then, so shall it be.” As long as we were never forced to endure a Ferdinand or a Alfonso or a Felipe. “As soon as you are able, there will be celebrations across this realm. There will be tournaments, feasts and wine from the public fountains.”

In six weeks time, at the christening, the child had grown so amazingly that the christening gown Catherine had lovingly and diligently embroidered did not fit. It was made for a child, not this chubby giant, and extra panels were hastily added to both the sides and sleeves.

The baptism, performed by Archbishop Warham, was glittering and splendid. I gave Catherine free rein to celebrate lavishly. She insisted upon things for which Father would usually have no desire to pay. Excessive numbers of candles, cloth-of-gold and hundreds of guests as the infant Prince Arthur, wearing yards of white gown, became a member of the Body of Christ. When the water reached his head, he cried out – a good sign, as it meant that the Devil was being chased from him. A murmur of approval passed through the nave.

I watched the child with such deep excitement that it felt like serenity. My beautiful son was no puny creature, but was destined to be the tallest and strong King that England would ever have. They said that Edward III was a giant. My grandfather, at six feet four inches, was verified as a marvel. However, I believed that one day, Arthur II would be the Sun-King, the Helios of England.

Trumpets sounded their silver notes and the procession made its way like a languid serpent out of the church and curling around the courtyard before passing into the Great Hall of Westminster Palace.

I should probably not have implied earlier that all our palaces were outmoded. The Great Hall is a treasure. Its dimensions are enormous and I have heard that mounted knights once jousted inside. The roof is a single span. The building itself is just over one hundred years old, raised in 1395 for the wedding feast of Richard II and Isabella. Nothing has surpassed it in size to this day. Now this marvel welcomed us with places set on fair white linen and rows of golden platters, which looked like bright coins on a field of snow.

The dais included not only our whole immediate family, but all blood relatives. The prelates had a table of their own, at which sat Warham of Canterbury, Ruthal of Durham and Fox of Winchester. The rest of their table was taken up with the membership of the Convocation. The middle table held the peers of the realm, led by the Duke of Buckingham.

It was shortly thereafter that Catherine and I moved into Father’s new showpiece, Richmond Palace. Each time I came to the site, I noticed some improvement. He had recently put down polished wooden floors and raised some panelled wooden walls. They were far superior to the old bare masonry.

The next winter, Father summoned me into his “work closet”, as he called it. A small panelled area off the retiring room, it was much smaller and had its own fireplace ablaze. Unusually for my Father, it was more than scarcely functional. He scarcely looked up when he heard me come in, bent over an array of papers scattered across his desk. I was expected to stand mutely until he acknowledged my presence, which he eventually did by muttering.

“Another appeal from the cursed vagrants,” he exclaimed. Turning to me, he said, “And what do you say about it?”

“About what, Sire?”

“About the law on fortune-tellers.” I knew that they lost their ears and said as much.

“What if the fortune teller wore the priest’s habit and claimed that his revelations were divinely inspired? What then?”

“It would depend entirely, my Lord, on what his revelations were.”

The King nodded in approval. “You surprise me. I would have thought....”

We were interrupted by a servant, before he drilled me in various questions regarding the law of our land and eventually beamed, as his mother once had when I had successfully completed my Latin verbs. “You know the law, then. And will you apply it, Arthur, or do you imagine a Golden Age in which all shall be rich and dance together on the village green?” He looked away. “I once too had ideas, when I was – how old are you?”

“Seventeen, sire.”

“Seventeen,” he repeated with a faraway look in his eye. “When I was seventeen, I was in Brittany with all the other Lancastrians. That was after poor, daft Henry VI – my uncle – was toppled. He once prophesied that I would be given dominion over the kingdom. Did you know that? Should he have been punished?”

“Clearly, Sire, I was previously mistaken. It depends on both the revelation of the prophet and the status of the prophet.”

He laughed, but it turned into a deep cough – not a polite cough, but a hearty chest clearing. “I pray you, excuse me,” he said, before he made off to his privy closet, another of the innovations which Father had funded for Richmond. His privy was a great chair, clad in velvet, with a pewter vase de nuit. He turned to this and proceeded to void himself for what seemed like forever, all the while conversing in regal tones.

“Now, I did not summon you here to talk to you about mad King Henry,” he said above the noise of his bodily functions. “I wish to speak to you about marriage. It is much on my mind these days.”

He smiled that smug smile he affected whenever he thought himself clever and pronounced, “Margaret will do what armies cannot. I have just arranged the marriage of your sister to King James of Scotland.” I thought of her with that middle-aged and lusty Stuart and of his barbarous country. “With any luck, he’ll die soon after he conceives his heir and leave your sister to run the country.” He went to his desk and picked up a letter.

“I have received an interesting proposal. From your mother-in-law. That I marry Joan of Naples. Our ambassador reports that she is satisfactory.”

I will try now to remember my first honest thought. It was horror, then disgust. I schooled my face.

“Ferdinand’s widow?”

“Is there any other Joan of Naples? It pleases me as well. To keep on the good side of Spain. To get a dowry. To get a woman who warms my bed and eases my mind.”

He disgusted me in dishonouring my mother in this way. “Perhaps,” was all that I could trust myself to say.

“Then I shall arrange it,” he said. “And now you had best leave me to the plaintive cries of the commoners.” He turned back to the work table in exasperation.

On reflection, I cannot believe that Father then ever intended to marry that Italian woman.

 

[Brainbin]

Always nice to see another update.

My son, Arthur, was born on 9 May, 1503. He was robust and hearty, his first wails not at all piteous, as a newborn normally makes, but loud and demanding. He entered the world as Herculean compared to his rivals.

Robust and hearty, loud and demanding? Sounds like a Tudor monarch, all right!

“He must be named Arthur,” she declared. “He is big and strong, like his father.” I had not planned to name him Arthur, but rather Edward, after my mother’s brother. But she repeated stubbornly. “Arthur...he must be called Arthur.”

So it was Catherine's idea! How sweet. And still quite lovestruck, it seems. Being able to cut a rug is one thing, but Arthur, big and strong? Well, who is he to argue?

However, I believed that one day, Arthur II would be the Sun-King, the Helios of England.

It'll be interesting to see how Arthur raises him (and his other kids). Catherine will be a doting mother, if OTL is anything to go by... then again, she only had to focus her energies on one child, whereas here we're looking at three or maybe (hopefully!) more.

His privy was a great chair, clad in velvet, with a pewter vase de nuit. He turned to this and proceeded to void himself for what seemed like forever, all the while conversing in regal tones.

Wow! Thanks so much for that. Reminds me of Winston Churchill, when he met with FDR while taking a bath. Well, at least Arthur is family.

I thought of her with that middle-aged and lusty Stuart and of his barbarous country.

One small quibble - at this time, it was Stewart. The change to Stuart didn't happen in OTL until Mary, Queen of Scots was betrothed to Francis II and sent to live in France.

“With any luck, he’ll die soon after he conceives his heir and leave your sister to run the country.”

We'll see about that.

Arthur seems to be doing well for himself. Still in love with his wife, and with their first healthy child - a boy, even! And he seems to be getting along better with his father, for a change. And he doesn't even have to worry about any of the responsibilities of actually ruling England, unlike dear old Dad. I guess, looking back, even he can see that now.

Looking forward to seeing what challenges the Tudors face in the coming years.

 

[Historico]

Awesome update Lach, I thought it was cool that you had Arthur's son take after his grandfather in physique which is quite plausible...and had Henry not contracted syphillis along the way, OTL Edward VI might have been a more imposing figure as well.

I think one of the more interesting facts about this potential Arthur II is if he manages to survive the turbulent first few decades of the 16th Century, he'd be 46 upon his ascension to the throne. Such maturity will make for a much more prudent and cautious King, but i think it also gives a chance on some serious dynastic squabbles, as King Arthur i would most likely maintain the role of the patriach of the House of Tudor up until his death in 1549. And such could be a great source of frustration to a middle-aged and domineering Prince of Wales lol.Keep it comming buddy

 

[LacheyS]

OK, I'm having a mental research block. I have a list of names of the future King's friends and I am looking for any additions to help me write the next installment. The discussion with his friends will be set in April, 1504.

Obviously, Radcliffe will eventually be Earl of Sussex and that his son was trusted above all by King Arthur, so we know he's got it made on the list. He would be about twenty-one years of age at this time.

Charles Brandon is around court at this time. He is twenty. It makes sense for them to be leading this royal "brat pack" with Prince Arthur, who is now 18. Other courtiers with whom I'm familiar from the era are too young.

Any suggestions?

 

[Darth_Kiryan]

It would be good if you could get a mixture of the 'old' and 'new' nobility to be friends with him, as it could ease tensions around the court.
Here are some.

George_Hastings,_1st_Earl_of_Huntingdon - Grandson of William Hastings, an ardent Yorkist. 1488-1554
Arundel Percy (1483–1544).- He's three Years older than Arthur, but hopefully age should not be too much of a problem. He is the youngest son of Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland.
John_de_Vere,_15th_Earl_of_Oxford - born in 1490. Took over from his second-cousin who was also John De Vere.

I was hoping to put one of Buckingham's children in there, but it turns out that they are born either ten-twelve years before, or even ten-twelve years after he was.

 

[Brainbin]

Charles Brandon is around court at this time. He is twenty. It makes sense for them to be leading this royal "brat pack" with Prince Arthur, who is now 18. Other courtiers with whom I'm familiar from the era are too young.

Any suggestions?

I think we can look for people a bit older than Arthur, as well. After all, Griffith Ryce is one of his closest allies, and he's eight years his senior. So on that note...

One of Surrey's sons. His heir, Thomas, is a little too old, but his other two sons (Edward and Edmund) both seem to have potential. And of course they fit your earlier allusions to the Tudors and the Howards being so tightly knit; and with Surrey as Arthur's tutor, they're probably well-acquainted.

I was hoping to put one of Buckingham's children in there, but it turns out that they are born either ten-twelve years before, or even ten-twelve years after he was.

Buckingham himself is only eight years Arthur's senior. Having the Premier Duke on your side is such an ace in the hole that it would definitely move Henry VII's hand.

If not him personally, an excellent Stafford candidate is his younger brother, Henry, who did well in OTL under both Henry VII and Henry VIII.

There's also Richard_Grey, son of the Earl of Kent, soon to inherit the title from his father and then become Knight of the Garter, so obviously he's on good terms with the Royal Family (perhaps because he's Elizabeth of York's first cousin).

Thomas_Grey, Marquess_of_Dorset. The Premier Marquess, so similar to the effect of having Buckingham onside, if somewhat diluted. If he's too old, then his younger brother, Leonard.

I'm not sure about any younger candidates. Especially since many of them are bound to be part of Henry's retinue instead.

ETA: Thomas_Stanley, Heir Apparent to the Earldom of Derby, which he'll inherit only a few months after the discussion. He and his younger brother, James (born 1486), are the perfect ages to be in Arthur's court. They're related to Arthur on both sides (by blood to Elizabeth, by marriage to Henry), and their father and grandfather both served Henry VII with distinction.

 

[LacheyS]

IX.​

As I made my way back to my own chamber, I asked a servant for some bread, cheese and ale to be brought. While I waited, I walked about restlessly, thinking about Father’s proposal. I picked up my lute and plucked, but could bring nothing from it worth hearing. I looked out my window on to the orchard below, the trees forming clear black lines against the flat white ground.

A soft sound turned me back to see a tray laden with golden mellow cheese and a dark, cold ale. I finished it all. No matter how much I ate and drank, I never seemed to grow wider, only taller. I was hungry all the time and my bones ached. Linacre assured me that it was caused by my rapid growth; in one year, I grew by more than six inches. I was now taller than the King.

As it was late afternoon, Catherine had grudgingly given her consent for my observation of the martial exercises in the Great Hall. We were confined indoors in Richmond, though it was much warmer than other palaces.

The oldest of us was Radcliffe at twenty, but the age limit was placed at fourteen to ensure that my brother Henry did not needlessly bother me. My size and natural ability gave me an advantage when I participated. While at first everybody was a little inhibited, this wore off as we came to know each other better. While I was their future King, they eventually they forgot this and strove against me as they did the others.

Sussex:
Perhaps he, in his struggles, temporarily forgot he was the future King, but you can bet nobody else did. Reading this really saddened me. I never realised how desperately he sought to convince himself that nobody was aware of his position. Or how early the self-deception began. Certainly, my father and others were aware. They spent the next few decades advancing on the basis of those winter afternoons.

Arthur:
There were a dozen or so of us. Radcliffe was the man I had first met at Ludlow, when our age differential had seemed larger than now. I had recently convinced Father to reverse his father’s attainder, granting Radcliffe access to the title of Baron Fitzwalter.

Charles Brandon was also twenty. On Bosworth Field, where Father had won his crown, Richard III had singled out Sir William Brandon because he had borne the Tudor standard. Father had brought his orphaned son to court to honour him and had Charles in training to assume his uncle’s position as Master of the Horse.

Thomas Stanley, soon to be Earl of Derby and later father-in-law to Radcliffe, was nineteen. His grandfather and Father were amongst the closest of friends. He was betrothed to the sister of George Hastings, sixteen, soon to wear the baronet himself. They were both regarded as handsome and took an interest in remaining current with the French fashions. They were always discussing wardrobe and feathers on their caps. Their hearts were certainly more at the banquet hall than the playing field.

The youngest of us was John de Vere, the nephew of the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Oxford, who was only fourteen. He cared for nothing but reading battle stories and dreaming of invading France.

When I descended the steps into the Hall that afternoon, Stanley and Hastings came in behind me, carrying some objects, which they put to the floor with a clang. “Look,” they exclaimed, “it’s Italian armour and muskets”. They had recently been used by my father-in-law to inflict a terrible defeat on the French outside Naples.

Quickly, everyone rushed over to see it except Fitzwalter, who just stood with his large arms crossed. “Where did you get this?” he asked.

“We borrowed it,” said Hastings. “From a knight who came to petition the King. He left it in the guard room before he was admitted for his audience.”

“Return it,” said Fitzwalter.

“We will,” they chorused. “But we wanted his Grace to see it. Look at the decorations –“

“I said, return it!” bellowed Fitzwalter.

Stanley raised his eyes to me in an appeal, as I feared he would. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

“Yes, return it.” I muttered. I hated being placed in this position.

“Only if you promise to establish a strong military yourself when you become King. England should be a great force in Europe, after all,” said Stanley.

“Oh, go!” I said, embarrassed, as they picked up the armour and took it back up stairs. Afterwards, I leaned over the Fitzwalter. “Thank you,” I said, “for telling them. I dared not.”

He shrugged. “Yet it was to you that they turned. Best get used to that, your Grace.”

In August that year (1504), Catherine and I again moved, this time to Greenwich. The customary Lammas Mass was held in the Chapel Royal, in which a loaf of bread from the first grains of the harvest of the season is brought to the altar. That afternoon, the King departed on a progress from which he would not return until Michaelmas, when the year had begun to slip into winter and we would dine heartily on goose.

I sat in an upper window, watching the royal party gathering in the courtyard below. It was hot and sultry, but it was freedom which seemed to dizzy my head. Everyone was heading on the progress. I could see Fox, Ruthal, Thomas Howard, Thomas Lovell and the King’s two finance ministers, Empson and Dudley. Only Archbishop Warham and my grandmother Beaufort would stay behind and the noble dignitaries not attending the King would return to their own estates. It meant that the court would lie idle throughout months ahead, with only the Prince and Princess of Wales attended by their friends.

At night, we would all sup together and then play our instruments and talk of our future conquests, in which we would stand together as brothers-in-arms. It was a good time for us, considering what little pause lay between what had come before and what would soon be. Late at night, when all had gone to their beds, I was unable to sleep. It was then that I have almost felt most free.

At Greenwich, I often found seated myself in an eastern window near midnight. The stars were exceptionally clear as I tried to pick them out. I knew a great many of the constellations already and they intrigued me. I was impressed that our mathematicians have been able to predict eclipses and other phenomenon; I wish to learn how it is done. Already they were predicting a shadow on the third full moon.

I love learning things, experiencing things, stretching until I find the end of myself.

The small casement window was open where I sat. A hot gush of wind came rushing through, causing the torches of my chamber to dance. Far on the horizon, I could see the bright flashes of Zeus. Storms were on their way.