The Prince Who Would Be King

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

By 1610, the precocious and dynamic Henry Stuart, Prince of Wales was the hope of Britain and Protestant Europe. Eldest son of James VI of Scotland & I of England, his interests ranged far beyond his Court’s renowned love of the arts. He invested in cutting-edge science, and began modernising Britain’s military and naval capacity. Hailed as ‘Protector of Virginia’, Henry stood at the forefront of the founding of British America. All before his tragic death, aged 18.

In this rich and vibrant biography, prize-winning author, Sarah Fraser, brings Henry Stuart to life as the epitome of a Renaissance prince – active, virtuous, ambitious. Henry’s story recreates an exciting part of the Jacobean era, during a transformational period of British history.