Paul Murton of Grand Tours of Scotland takes us on a journey to investigate the mysterious disappearance from history of a forgotten Scottish prince, Henry Fredrick Stuart, the best king Britain never had. Not many of us know his name, but Henry started the British Museum and the Royal Collection and was the first royal prince to back a permanent settlement on American soil in the seventeenth century.
Paul Murton of Grand Tours of Scotland takes us on a journey to investigate the mysterious disappearance from history of a forgotten Scottish prince, Henry Fredrick Stuart, the best king Britain never had. Not many of us know his name, but Henry started the British Museum and the Royal Collection and was the first royal prince to back a permanent settlement on American soil in the 17th century. In this immersive documentary, Paul brings this forgotten figure from the shadows of history into the light of the modern world. It's a detective story which reveals the tragedy of Henry's lost potential. Paul starts his quest in Stirling Castle where Henry was born in 1594 to James VIth of Scotland (soon to become James the First of Great Britain) and Anne of Denmark. In the Queen's Bedchamber, Paul meets the historian Sarah Fraser to start to trace out Henry's life. As he came into adulthood, the British Empire was taking its first steps into North America. Under Henry's patronage, a colony bearing the name Henricus was founded in Virginia - 14 years before the Mayflower and The Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth. Paul visits the town and learns how the lost prince's legacy changed history. How has the story of this renaissance man, who changed the course of Britain's history, been largely lost until now? Whatever happened to the best king they never had? Join Paul Murton to find out.
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