History

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, was the eldest son of James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) and his queen Anne of Denmark. He was born at Stirling Castle on 19 February 1594. He was thought to have great promise as a Prince although he had violent anti-Catholic opinions. Accomplished in sports he was also a patron of the arts and an avid collector. In 1610 he was created Prince of Wales. But he died suddenly, probably due to typhoid fever, on 6 November 1612.

His body lay in state until his funeral at Westminster Abbey on 7 December. Two thousand mourners attended and Archbishop Abbott gave the funeral sermon. A magnificent hearse was erected on which was placed his richly clothed funeral effigy. This effigy was made by Richard Norris with the plaster face modelled by Abraham Vanderdort. Unfortunately only the wooden frame of the effigy now remains (in the Abbey's reserve collection). The robes had been stolen as early as 1616 and the head had gone by 1872. This is the earliest surviving effigy in England of anyone other than a king or queen.

He was buried in the vault of his grandmother Mary Queen of Scots in the south aisle of Henry VII's chapel. Lack of a monument for him in the Abbey was much commented on at the time. Probably lack of space in the chapel was a reason. In the later 19th century Dean Stanley inspected this vault and found his coffin. This was roughly moulded into a human form and the lead of the head had rough features. The legs and arms were indicated and on his chest was soldered a lead case, most likely containing his heart. Below were his initials, Prince of Wales feathers and date of death. The Dean inscribed his name, and those of others buried in this vault, on a stone.

A photo of the vault stone, hearse engraving and remains of the effigy can be purchased from Westminster Abbey Library.

Further reading:

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004

"The Theatre of Death" by Jennifer Woodward, 1997 (about his funeral)

"The Funeral Effigies of Westminster Abbey" edited by R.Mortimer & A.Harvey, revised 2003

"The Lost Prince. The life and death of Henry Stuart" by Catherine MacLeod, National Portrait Gallery exhibition 2012.