On this day in history, 22nd February 1511, fifty-two-day-old Henry, Duke of Cornwall, son of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon, died at Richmond Palace.
Chronicler Edward Hall records his death:
“After this great joy came sorowfull chaunce, for the young Prince, which was borne upon Neweyeres daye last past, upon the. xxii. daye of February, beyng then the eve of sainct Mathy, departed this world at Rychcmonde, and from thense was caryed to Westmynster, and buryed.
The kyng lyke a wyse prynce, toke this dolorous chaunce wonderous wysely, and the more to comfort the Quene, he dissimuled the matter, and made no great mourning out-wardely: but the Quene lyke a naturall woman, made much lamentacion, how be it, by the kynges good persuasion and behauiour, her sorowe was mytigated, but not shortlye.”
The little prince had been born, as Hall says, on New Year’s Day 1511 and he had been baptised ‘Henry’ after his father and grandfather in a ceremony four days later at the Chapel of the Observant Friars at Richmond. He was the result of Catherine of Aragon’s second pregnancy; she had given birth to a stillborn daughter on 31st January 1510.
