Today I saw the Lost Prince exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery - featuring the life of Henry Stuart, first son of King James I and VI, heir to the throne.
Henry was groomed to be the next king, and it was a terrible shock when he died at 18, leaving a teen Charles to be refitted and trained in his place. I've read a bit about English Civil War, but I'd not known that Charles I had been the 'spare' to his brother's 'heir'.
When Henry was a child, his father wrote a book of advice for him - Basilikon Doron (1599). I'd never heard of it before today, and got to see both a beautiful embroidered book cover of it, and the original handwritten copy, in a delicate italic hand.
I'm not adding it to my book list for discussion at present; I have other medieval & renaissance titles I want to read first. But I thought it worth highlighting.
I was charmed that a royal father, whose son was raised apart from him, in another household, set aside time and energy to write out his advice for his son. He'd been Scotland's king for some years by then, knew many of the troubles of being Elizabeth's (unspoken) heir; noone else could speak to a prince with the same authority.
Luminarium page of James I & VIs writing
Folger Shakespeare library page with Basilikon Doron, with discussion for (highschool?) students
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