17. Everyone was disappointed when his more popular older brother died.
Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales, was born in 1594, and could not have been more different from his younger brother Charles. Henry was a tall and physically imposing young man, outstanding in the kingly pursuits of hunting, hawking, and jousting. Utterly fearless, he made no secret of his fervent Protestantism despite the threat of disenfranchised Catholics trying to kill him. In fact, he had everything that a king needed to be popular. The public adored Henry so much, in fact, that he was better liked than James himself, and many looked forward to the day Henry succeeded the king.
Henry was certainly the role-model older brother par excellence, and Charles tried desperately to emulate him. Tragically, Henry’s life was cut short in 1612 when he succumbed to porphyria or typhoid. He was just 18, and was already involved in trade, politics, and the military. Charles, a fortnight shy of his 12th birthday, was now heir apparent, and unexpectedly had huge shoes to fill. Given the loud public mourning that followed Henry’s death, and Charles’s hero-worshipping of his older brother, he doubtless knew that he was not as suitable a candidate for becoming King of England and Scotland.
