The Prince Who Would Be King

by Sarah Fraser

Henry Stuart’s life is the last great forgotten Jacobean tale. Shadowed by the gravity of the Thirty Years’ War and the huge changes taking place across Europe in seventeenth-century society, economy, politics and empire, his life was visually and verbally gorgeous.

NOW THE SUBJECT OF BBC2 DOCUMENTARY The Best King We Never Had
Henry Stuart, Prince of Wales was once the hope of Britain. Eldest son to James VI of Scotland, James I of England, Henry was the epitome of heroic Renaissance princely virtue, his life set against a period about as rich and momentous as any.

Educated to rule, Henry was interested in everything. His court was awash with leading artists, musicians, writers and composers such as Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones. He founded a royal art collection of European breadth, amassed a vast collection of priceless books, led grand renovations of royal palaces and mounted operatic, highly politicised masques.

But his ambitions were even greater. He embraced cutting-edge science, funded telescopes and automata, was patron of the North West Passage Company and wanted to sail through the barriers of the known world to explore new continents. He reviewed and modernised Britain’s naval and military capacity and in his advocacy for the colonisation of North America he helped to transform the world.

At his death aged only eighteen, and considering himself to be as much a European as British, he was preparing to stake his claim to be the next leader of Protestant Christendom in the struggle to resist a resurgent militant Catholicism.

In this rich and lively book, Sarah Fraser seeks to restore Henry to his place in history. Set against the bloody traumas of the Thirty Years’ War, the writing of the King James Bible, the Gunpowder Plot and the dark tragedies pouring from Shakespeare’s quill, Henry’s life is the last great forgotten Jacobean tale: the story of a man who, had he lived, might have saved Britain from King Charles I, his spaniels and the Civil War with its appalling loss of life his misrule engendered.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, British Literature, Historical, Royalty, Audiobook

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 4, 2017

Reviews

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it would be interesting to read about the young life of a crown prince; this is a time of life usually skated through quickly in biographies, but since this particular Prince of Wales (Henry Stuart, 1594-1612) died at age eighteen, the whole book is about his young life.

Unfortunately, the book is quite dry: perhaps proof that historical figures’ childhoods aren’t meant to be given this much attention, or perhaps just due to the author’s writing. Henry didn’t actually get to do very much, and there’s a lot of information about the large number of people around him, most of whom come across as relatively interchangeable in their portrayals, alongside descriptions of court entertainments, etc. When the author dips into the European politics and warfare at the time, though, it’s still presented in a dry manner, though I learned a bit from it.

Fraser is clearly enamored of Henry, which I suspect is common for biographers – especially if they aren’t guaranteed bestsellers, it probably is a labor of love – but it was not an affection that translated itself to this reader. Of course it’s always sad when a teenager dies (here, probably of typhoid fever), but Henry comes across as a militant Protestant eager to go make war on Catholics and colonize anybody he could. Yes, he was a boy, but with the power of monarchy and surrounding himself by people who thought the same, he likely would have carried all this into adulthood.

Also, a quick grammar lesson: when you write things like “Bleeding from the womb, the queen’s ladies crowded round and led her away,” you are saying that all the queen’s ladies are bleeding from the womb, not the queen, who is the one actually miscarrying here. Unfortunate sentence structures like this appear throughout the book.

So, while this is a short book (only 266 pages of text followed by endnotes), it took me awhile to read as I rarely had much desire to pick it up. I did learn some things about the time period and found some of the details interesting, and certainly Fraser seems to have a thorough knowledge of her subject and to have located numerous primary sources. But it was a bit of a drag and I can’t say I got much out of it in the end. Perhaps a group biography of Henry along with some other family members or close associates might have been a better way to go.

[Melisende · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Sarah Fraser achieves her aim in bringing to the forefront the life and character of Prince Henry Frederick Stuart (d.1612).

Henry Stuart was literally, for some time, the "forgotten prince", overshadowed by his more well-known younger brother Charles I of England, who succeeded to the English throne due to the untimely death of Prince Henry, who was his elder brother.

Fraser uses what available research there is to give us a glimpse into the private and political life of a young prince who people believed would be key to the unification of the Scottish and English crowns, even more so than his father James VI & I. What we discover is a child, torn from his mother's arms at birth (and later becoming one of her fiercest advocates); a young man who never really knew his younger siblings until much later in his young life; was fought over by warring political factions for their own gain; and was growing in political influence himself as he grew older - he was not an impotent political player as we would assume, have many forays into the political stage. We gain a valuable insight into the politics at play, first at the Scottish then English royal courts; we witness the factionalism, both political and religious; we read of scandal, intrigue, political alliances, and courtly machinations.

This is well researched and easy to read. I found myself comparing the life of this prince to that of Prince Arthur, son of Henry VIII - two promising lives cut tragically short, leaving us not knowing what men these young princes may have become.

[Orsolya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stuart dynasty (starting with James VI of Scotland/James I of England) is widely known for the regicide of King Charles I, the Cromwellian take-over and the restoration of King Charles II. However, history would have taken quite a different turn entirely; had Henry Frederick, the eldest son of James, lived past the age of 18 to become king. Henry’s life has been overshadowed throughout history with the subsequent events in England but the boy was the pure definition of a worldly leader and deserves to have his light shine. Henry was versed in art, literature, military practice, and architecture; and had an entire court of supporters at his beck and call. Sarah Fraser highlights Henry in, “The Prince Who Would Be King: The Life and Death of Henry Stuart”.

Fraser’s journey with “The Prince Who Would Be King” is highly ambitious in that other full-biographies of Henry are non-existent; running the risk of a flimsy piece. For this same reason, “The Prince Who Would Be King” is also a remarkable, stand-out work. Fraser begins her examination with a focus on the politics surrounding the Jacobean court during Henry’s childhood which admittedly continues the pattern of keeping Henry shrouded from readers; but it effectively introduces who Henry was as an individual. Even taking this angle, Fraser successfully avoids fluff and steers on a clear, concise, scholarly path offering a bounty of compelling material even for those familiar with the time period. Fraser’s writing is vivid, illustrative and inviting; truly grabbing reader attention (chapters are also somewhat on the shorter side making the text accessible and easy-to-read).

Fraser succeeds in not implicating a specific bias or viewpoint although she does occasionally attempt to slip into an overly conversational/familiar verbiage which doesn’t have a proper home in an academic structure. Fortunately, this isn’t excessive and thus: does not bring the downfall of “The Prince Who Would Be King”.

“The Prince Who Would Be King” is strongly founded on first-hand accounts and is heavily detail-oriented to an impressive extent. Readers are transported to the Jacobean court and appear to ‘live’ each event discussed resulting in a vibrant narrative. That being said, Fraser does occasionally delve on tangents and focuses on matters that could be omitted from “The Prince Who Would Be King”. For example, Fraser seems to take a particular obsession to playwrights and masques applying them as though these artistic outputs are historical precedent going as far as an entire chapter on the topic – this can be skimmed.

As expected, “The Prince Who Would Be King” is greatly amplified as Henry ages in years and becomes installed as the Prince of Wales. Readers glean a clear insight into who Henry was and therefore the type of king he would have been to England. At this point, Fraser’s text is highly emotive and readers build a relationship with Henry as he was truly a mind-blowingly impressive lad and it is an utter shame he never reached his majority. Even more of note, the insight into Henry’s life and viewpoints on politics, religion, art and new-world exploration; helps to better understand the macro history of the period and the events to come after Henry’s premature death.

“The Prince Who Would Be King” does leave readers with a few unanswered questions and areas that could have use more elaboration but overall, Fraser’s piece is quire complex and covers sufficient turf.

The concluding chapters of “The Prince Who Would Be King” are explosively gripping when following the illness surrounding Henry’s last days and his death. The tension, loss and mourning is deeply felt by readers and plays out in dramatic detail (Fraser could pen a wonderful historical-fiction novel). Fraser wraps “The Prince Who Would Be King” with a look at the aftermath impact on the figures closest to/working with Henry whom went onward to have a hand in the regicide of his younger brother, King Charles I. This portrait dive actually makes much more sense of the foreboding events resulting in ‘Ah-ha’-moments and leaving “The Prince Who Would Be King” on a memorable note.

Fraser infuses “The Prince Who Would Be King” with two sections of photo plates (both in color and black & white). Unfortunately, the sources list combines primary and secondary sources rather than dividing them and the notes section is not annotated.

Despite small flaws in content and execution; “The King Who Would Be King” is an amazing look at a captivating figure who would have been a history-changing monarch. Readers are both educated entertained regarding Henry’s reveal. “The Prince Who Would Be King” is recommended for all readers interested in the Jacobean court and Stuart dynasty.

[Rue Baldry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very easy read. Fraser conjures the setting and characters of this period in a very complete and vivid way. I don't read many historical biographies. I just don't find factual books as readable or interesting as novels, usually, but this book proved to be an exception.

Although I studied this period of history for 'A'level, I don't remember anything about Henry, Prince of Wales. Fraser states that one of the purposes of this book is to rehabilitate his memory, and she certainly does a very good job of that. Henry did an enormous amount in his short life, none of which deserves to be forgotten. Also, the people with whom he chose to surround himself, and the ideas explored and encouraged at his own court, ( a separate one from James I's, his father's) went on to be very influential in the turbulent century which followed his death.

As I read, I kept having moments where I became aware of what an important historical period this is in terms of what is happening in our own times, particularly in Britain. Fraser does not draw parallels, but does make it clear that British government was then very much concerned with working out its role in Europe as a separate, but involved state. This early Stuart period is also the time at which the union between England and Scotland was formed, a union which can no longer be assumed to be a permanent one.

Even though I knew before starting this book that its main protagonist was going to die young, I still had tears in my eyes as I read about his actual death. His suffering and the grief of those around him is described so well and fully that I was completely immersed. Also, after learning so much and in such detail about Henry, it felt as though I had really got to know him in the course of reading the book.

Finally, the last chapter brings together all the central characters and the importance of Henry to the history to come after him. It is a particularly brilliant last chapter.

[Rebecca]

I dnf'ed it at about 21%. I dnf'ed it for several reasons. One is that easy to look up facts like dates and the names of the conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 were not always correct. There were grammar mistakes, odd syntax, and a rather dry style. The biggest problem is that Henry Prince of Wales gets overshadowed in his own biography. If this had been marketed as a history of the Stuart family dynamics and the geopolitical implications of them, then this would have proven a very interesting read. The most interesting portions are in fact the ones looking at the family dynamics, and when we see Henry's letters to his family members and other world leaders. It isn't that the book is without merit. It has interesting elements. The introduction makes it clear that Sarah Fraser loves Henry Prince of Wales. Unfortunately, that doesn't translate to the book proper in her writing. We get more on Robert Cecil than we do Prince Henry. Queen Anne's portions are some of the more interesting segments. I also have new reasons to despise King James I than I did previously. I don't think that was this book's intent. The author, while somewhat critical of King James, seems to like him and think he was great monarch. I, however, can never forgive him for the unification of Scotland and England, even if that legally didn't happen until William of Orange. I'm now wondering about one of the hypotheticals Fraser brought up early on in her book, which is when she asked us to consider what might have happened if Queen Anne had kidnapped her own son whom she had been forbidden to see for eight or nine years and crowned him King of Scotland while King James was beginning his tour of England as the new monarch of England. She didn't offer any insights into this, but now I want an alternative history novel exploring this facet of Stuart family dynamics.

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #6 for me about Britain’s Stuart dynasty for 2019 was written by the same author as “The Last Highlander”. Ms. Fraser explores the life and times of Henry, Prince of Wales, eldest son of James VI and I. Born in Scotland while his Dad was still just King of Scotland, England embraces him as the true Union of the Crowns, and hoped that the future King Henry IX would hearten back to his glorious predecessors named Henry.

Since there is only so much historical info about Prince Henry, we get an exhaustive overview of the entire first 20 years of the seventeenth century, the courtiers, and foreign monarchs vying for James’ and Henry’s hearts and minds. The author isn’t explicit, but does help us wonder if Henry could have avoided the clashes between Parliament and Charles I, Henry’s younger brother, which culminated in the Civil War and Charles’ execution. I honestly think not, since Henry was as much a spendthrift as his father, except he didn��t shower money on homosexual lovers as James did. He and Parliament would not have clashed over religion though, as Henry was a staunch Calvinist like his father, as opposed to being a Catholic sympathizer like Charles.

I somehow thought this was going to be more a novel than a straight biography. I downloaded it on my Kindle, and thus the book ended at 72% into it, which really annoys me. The last 28% was footnotes, bibliography, and index. I would normally buy a biography in an actual book to accommodate consultation of the notes while reading. My bad, not the book’s. I only gave the book three stars b/c the book was slow and DRY. I just never felt like I connected w/ any of the characters. Again, my favorite Stuart remains Henry’s sister Elizabeth. The men in the family come across as clueless in this biography, as well as in my earlier reads from this year.

[Michael Bully · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and informative read. The style has been accused of being too similar to historical fiction but have to admit that I enjoyed it, Fascinated by the Jacobean era and quite glad that this author has generated some interest in the life of the prince who would succeeded the throne had he not died in 1612 at the age of 18.
Particularly helpful to see how the Prince's household became a pro-Protestant faction, and how Henry was advocating support for the European Protestant cause as the Thirty Years was breaking out. Less decadent and not so prone to favouritism than his father James VI of Scotland/I of England, Henry seemed to have a range of interests; technological innovation, music, geography. He struck up a friendship with Walter Raleigh who had been held in the Tower since 1612. Henry seemed to have been genuinely mourned by the people.
I would have liked to have more cross referencing and specific footnotes. There are times when was keen to see which sources the author was citing. But overall recommended.

[Monical · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather dry book about the son of James I of England who died at 18. He was the namesake of Henrico county in Virginia-- and I know some people who live there, but never knew the origin of the name. I was also surprised that Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot occurred during James' reign-- I always thought it was later! and that Charles I, who lost his head to Oliver Cromwell's bunch, was James' second son (and became king because Henry had died). Again, I always thought that was later. So lots of interesting educational facts, but other than those, the book was boring. For some reason the author thought we should be fascinated by pages describing fantasy plays done at court, and various allegories in paintings. I guess when your main character dies at 18 you are dredging for material. The actual cause of death is left very open-- the kid got sick, got a little better, then died, all fairly quickly. No comment from the author.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's remarkable how many great Monarchs were never meant to be such. Elizabeth I, so many wives gone through to provide a sickly young boy king, Henry VIII of course was the spare, not the heir, Queen Victoria, would never had been born if not for the death of Princes Charlotte, our current Queen, born as the daughter of a second son . . . Here we have Henry IX, as he was meant to be, brother of the ill fated spare, Charles I.
A very readable biography, with bite sized short chapters, bringing back to life this forgotten King that never was, Henry Stuart, the first Prince of Wales of a United Kingdom. His short life showed so much promise, with reforms to the Crown Estates, the Royal Navy, re-invigorating the American Colony, and hopes of uniting Protestant Europe with a careful marriage. Gone to Ash, his Court disbanded and eventually turning Regicide . . .

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating insight into the life of a Jacobean prince. Packed with information about the Stuart transition from Scotland to England and the creation of a potentially great Protestant prince.

[Mike Shoop · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll give it 2.5 stars. Henry Stuart is one of those golden princes of whom much was expected and hoped for, but unfortunately didn't live long enough to make a mark. The eldest son of James I, he died at the age of 18 in 1612, having been educated and trained to rule as king of a united Britain after his father. Henry was interested and excelled in most everything: arts, sports, music, literature, architecture, politics (especially foreign), military arts and weaponry, science, exploration (especially the New World), building a navy, extending Protestantism, the people he would rule. He surrounded himself with men who were important in both Britain and Europe as mentors, and learned from them. Had he lived, he probably would have made a very good and enlightened ruler.
Unfortunately, although this is a solidly researched biography, there is only so much material about someone who died so young, so there's a lot of filler about Henry's world, and the writing is overall rather dry. Parts of it held an appeal for me: Henry's creating the beginnings of an important royal art collection; his expanding on his royal libraries at St. James's Palace and Richmond Palace with the collection at Nonsuch; his family relations--it seems he often acted as an intermediary between his parents, James I and Anne of Denmark during their problems--he was adored by all, especially his siblings the future Charles I and Elizabeth, the Winter Queen of Bohemia; the sections on possible marriages for Henry, who was connected to most of the royal houses in Europe through his mother: top contenders were Christine of France and a Spanish princess called Anne of Austria (of The Three Musketeers fame), but no decision was made before his death. Henry and his mother managed to protect Sir Walter Ralegh for years and Henry learned much from Ralegh as both were interested in North America and the Northwest Passage and the expansion of trade. Fraser has done much research, but there are errors: at least one name is incorrect in the family tree: Catherine (not Caroline) of Braganza was wife to Charles II; the site of the original village of Henrico/Henricus in Virginia is no longer in the current Henrico County but in Chesterfield County, which is not clear in her note; Fraser makes several mentions of Lady Arbella Stuart in the text but never explains her problematic place in the succession or what becomes of her. All in all, it was an adequate biography about a largely forgotten prince who inspired much hope.

[Pat MacEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of what might have been, this book is a biography of Henry Stuart, the elder son of James VI/James I of Scotland and England and a detailed description of St James's Palace when it housed the young prince's royal court, and what became the Royal Library. Prince Henry was an altogether different sort of man than either his father or his younger brother, Charles I, who fumbled his way to the chopping block in the course of the English Civil War. Henry, it seems, was a much more forthright, military-minded, ambitious man, and intent on leading the whole of Europe into a Protestant future, by force if necessary. He was also advised by the likes of Sir Walter Raleigh, Roger Bacon and the Prince of Nassau, and extremely interested in colonization of the New World. Toward that end, he was a patron of the Northwest Passage Company and a strong supporter of the first English colonies in Virginia and Maryland. If he hadn't died so suddenly at only 18, what kind of king would he have made? I'm nearly certain the English Civil War would not have happened. Certainly baby brother Charles would not have ended up beheaded by his own Parliament. And Henry might well have succeeded in his ambitions. Cries out for an alternate history featuring the young man some folks even now call "the best Prince of Wales Great Britain ever had." Well-written, colorful, and clear on the difficult topic of Reformation politics at the time of the 30 Years' War.

[Joy]

King James I had another son besides the Charles I who was overthrown by civil war. His older son, Henry, was raised to be king, trained in the ideals James held before he was overmastered by his favorites. Prince Henry was charismatic, insatiably curious, and as energetic as Henry II. He longed to travel and to lead armies, but was held in check by his father. He was England’s hope. He died aged 18.

Author Fraser says that if Henry had lived he would have saved Britain from Charles and civil war. But Henry was being enthusiastically courted by the Protestant leaders of Europe to lead them against the aggressive Catholic governments, in a rising arc toward the Thirty Years War. Once he was king Henry would have accepted. He would have led armies in Europe, and if he didn’t die quickly in war, he would have pulled Britain into the Thirty Years War too. That would have been even worse than the civil war, because Britain would have been lethally and inextricably entangled across the continent.

This detailed biography brings to life a character who shone in his own time. Henry’s motto was: “Glory is the torch of the upright mind.”

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can always tell when an author doesn’t have a lot of material to work with, because certain small aspects of a person’s life start to feel unusually magnified. Which I get since Henry’s life was short, and exploring his interests, studies, and inner development as a future king is one of the only ways to give his story any real shape.

I didn’t do much research on him beforehand, so I went in expecting more a more action-driven story. Instead, I found a young man whose dreams were far bigger than the life he actually got to live.

This book actually made me more intrigued by King James, Queen Anne, and the tension created by James’s male favorites, which reminded me so much of Edward II.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator is mostly steady and engaging, until he slips into another character’s voice. Suddenly the tone becomes so theatrical and so different from his usual calm delivery that it’s almost startling, especially during long quoted passages. It pulled me out of the moment more than once.

[Andrew Balog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a strange book, really.

This book comes off as being a passion project by the author. And while this is the exact kind of history I'm interested in, historical writing in this small of a niche (if the word niche even does it justice) just falls flat. I spent most of my time wondering how a completed manuscript got past the publisher. I understand that Henry only lived to be 18, and so sources from ~1600 are a little bit thin. However, about half of the chapters just felt like the author picked a minute detail, stream of conscious-wrote a few pages, and called it a job done. And all of this is before even touching on the dry writing style.

3 stars is probably generous, and I am certainly biased in that this book was right up my alley. While the short, 4 to 5 page chapters certainly helped from a readability standpoint, it also reinforced a real lack of substance.

[George Crofts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating window into the world of James the first; James the sixth of Great Britain and Scotland respectively.

His eldest son Henry (as the IX) was to carry on the throne, but was taken by illness at age 18. It fell to his younger brother Charles to be king. Henry was everything that Charles I was not. He was a competent leader, outgoing, and innovative. He supported British naval supremacy and colonization in North America. He was forming a separate proto-royal court at Saint James palace just before his death.

Henry sided with the other Protestant powers of Europe against the Pope and Spain. He also supported Henry IV of France, a converted Huguenot, and the Republic of Venice against the Pope.

It is interesting to note that many of the people who ended up convicting Charles I of treason had been strong supporters of Henry.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes for self:About Henry Stuart, son of James I. He died at 18. Well researched, lays out in good detail his life. However, a recurring motif that was that if he hadn't died, maybe he would have intervened in the cult of absolute monarchy, and there wouldn't have been the English Civil War. That irked me after a bit. 4* for history, 3* for providing an importance to someone who never really did much.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history for anyone interested in British monarchy wish she would write about another historical royal. I would like to see more on the Georgian kings available.

George I or george ii and their families do not seem to be well addressed yet. Maybe more on daughters of kings and their lived.

[PJ Ebbrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gives a good overview of Prince Henry's life. What I liked was the historical context, simple but enough for history buffs to look into. If he had lived, things might not have gone to expected and the UK's involvement in the 30 years war might have ruined the Kingdom, but much like Charles I's son the Duke of Gloucester who died young. A martial Stuart would have led to something worse.

[Laura Bray · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's no way there can be an entire book about a young man who died at 18. Maybe about his advisors, mentors, etc., but not him. As much as I love British royal history, this one was too much of a deep dive.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was entertained! It a bit of a one trick pony though. If you ever wondered how princes got groomed into kings, this will help. It does a pretty good job of detailing out the main rifts of 17th century Europe, while only really focusing on a tiny, and ultimately unimportant, bit of it.

[Heather G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I never knew before King Charles I was not the original heir to the throne. Who knows if there would have been a civil war had he of lived. Great book, I highly recommend it.

[Tracy Gilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this historical book on the life of Henry Stuart. Interesting to think how things may have been different had he lived.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-written and detailed account of Prince Henry Frederick Stuart's short life. I found it very interesting, with the small exceptions of some minute details.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating biography of the little known elder son of James I. I knew a little about Prince Henry already from my study of the Stuart era, but felt this book helped me to really know the man and his background.

I really enjoyed Fraser's writing style and will be seeking out more of her books in the future.

[Andrea Waugh]

Meh. Not great, not bad. Good in-depth look at the raising of a young king in Renaissance England.

[Ria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting story about Henry Frederick and his tragic, short life. It's seldom you get to read about princes in such depth, since most writers are concerned with kings and queens, or people of greater import. While Henry never got to wear the crown and leave his mark, he certainly proved an interesting character study. If he had been king, he'd certainly have made a much better one than James I or Charles I.