Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Arthur Plantagenet
Viscount Lisle
Arthur Plantagenet at a Garter Ceremony c. 1534. From the Black Book of the Garter, 1534
Born	1461–1475 Calais
Died	3 March 1542 (aged 66-81)
Noble family	York
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Grey Honor Grenville
Issue Detail	Frances Plantaganet Elizabeth Plantagenet Bridget Plantagenet
Father	Edward IV of England
Mother	Elizabeth Wayte

Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle (died 3 March 1542) was an important person in the court of King Henry VIII. He was the son of King Edward IV and an uncle to Henry VIII. Arthur was also appointed the Lord Deputy of Calais, a key English town in France. We know a lot about his life because many of his letters, called the Lisle Letters, still exist today.

Arthur's Life Story
Leading Calais
Trouble and Death
The Lisle Letters
Family Life
Images for kids
See Also

Arthur's Life Story

Arthur Plantagenet was born in Calais, a French town that belonged to England at the time. He was born sometime between 1461 and 1475. We don't know for sure who his mother was.

He grew up at the royal court with his father, King Edward IV. After his father died in 1483, we don't know much about his teenage years. In 1501, he joined the household of his half-sister, Elizabeth of York, who was the Queen. When she died in 1503, he moved to the household of King Henry VII.

When his nephew, Henry VIII, became king in 1509, Arthur became a close friend and helper to the new king. He was named an "Esquire of the King's Bodyguard."

In 1514, Arthur was given important jobs. He became the High Sheriff of Hampshire and a captain in the navy. He rose through the ranks to become the Vice-Admiral of England. In 1520, he joined King Henry VIII at a famous meeting called the Field of Cloth of Gold. This was a grand event where Henry VIII met the King of France.

On April 25, 1523, Arthur Plantagenet was given the special title of Viscount Lisle. The next year, he was made a Knight of the Garter, which is a very high honor. He also became a Privy Councilor, which meant he advised the king. Later, he was made Governor of Calais and the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. In 1533, he became the Constable of Calais.

Leading Calais

As the Constable of Calais, Arthur was in charge of the town. His letters show that he tried to be fair and careful. However, he sometimes struggled with making tough decisions. For example, Thomas Cromwell, a powerful advisor to the king, once told Arthur off. Cromwell said Arthur sent too many small problems back to the king. He also hinted that Arthur's wife, Lady Lisle, had too much influence over him.

Even so, the king's court still used Arthur for everyday tasks. In 1537, Queen Jane Seymour was pregnant and really wanted to eat quail. Since many quail lived near Calais, Arthur had to spend a lot of time sending them to the Queen!

Trouble and Death

In 1540, some people in Arthur's group in Calais were arrested. They were thought to be planning to give the town to the French. Because of this, Arthur also came under suspicion. He was called back to England and arrested on May 19, 1540.

The people who were actually involved in the plot were punished. But there was no proof that Arthur was part of it. Still, he was kept in the Tower of London for two years. Finally, the king decided to let him go. However, when Arthur heard the good news that he would be released, he became very ill. He died two days later, on March 3, 1542.

The Lisle Letters

While Arthur and his wife were in Calais, they had to manage many things by writing letters. About 3,000 copies of these letters were taken as evidence when Arthur was arrested. These letters are still kept safe today. They were later published as the Lisle Letters. They are a very important source for historians to learn about this time in English history.

Family Life

Arthur Plantagenet was married two times. He had children only with his first wife.

His first marriage was on November 12, 1511, to Elizabeth Grey. She already had children from her first marriage. Arthur and Elizabeth had three daughters:

Frances, who married twice. Her second husband was Thomas Monke.
Elizabeth, who married Sir Francis Jobson.
Bridget, who married William Carden.

In 1529, Arthur married his second wife, Honor Grenville. She was also a widow with children from her first marriage. Arthur did not have any children with Honor. However, he helped raise her children. One of Honor's sons, John Basset, married Arthur's daughter Frances. Honor's daughter, Anne Bassett, was a maid-of-honor at the royal court.