Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 52 minutes ago
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED to Arthur of Brittany in 1203? Was the true heir to the English throne murdered by King John, who was his own uncle, or is this anti-Plantagenet propaganda designed to further smear the man who is already the villain of the Robin Hood stories?
Prince Arthur of Brittany was the son of Geoffrey Plantagenet and the nephew of Richard I of England, better known as Richard the Lionheart. After Richard’s death in 1199, a fierce succession crisis erupted within the Plantagenet dynasty. Many nobles believed Prince Arthur had the strongest hereditary claim to the throne of England and the vast Angevin Empire. But Richard’s younger brother, Prince John, seized the crown instead, setting the stage for one of the most dramatic and mysterious episodes in medieval history. This it is claimed, explains why King John wanted Arthur of Brittany dead.
Captured during a rebellion in 1202, Arthur was imprisoned by King John and eventually transferred to the royal fortress at Rouen Castle. Then, suddenly, the prince vanished. In this Plantagenet history documentary from History Calling, we look at the disappearance of Arthur of Brittany, aka Prince Arthur, which quickly became one of the greatest royal murder mysteries of the Middle Ages. I’ll regale you with the infamous story that his uncle King John, bashed his head in and dumped the body in the River Seine whilst in a drunken rage, yet I’ll also use primary sources to tell you about the competing theories about the death of Arthur of Brittany. These hold that he may have drowned, died during an escape attempt, or simply vanished into thin air. Along the way, I’ll tell you about the short life of Arthur of Brittany and what people alive at the time thought had happened to the young Duke of Brittany.
If you’re interested in medieval history, Plantagenet history, royal succession crises, unsolved historical mysteries and a scandal which destroyed John’s reputation across Europe and contributed to the king’s lasting legacy as one of England’s most infamous monarchs, this is a story you won’t want to miss. It is the tale of the original Prince in the Tower, allegedly killed by his uncle in order to secure the throne, but did King John really murder his nephew?
#ArthurOfBrittany #PrinceArthur #KingJohn
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
THE WOMAN WHO ATE HER OWN SON
youtu.be/AO0ydj04vV0
ALL THE ENGLISH MONARCHS 1066-1603
youtu.be/4N70g5funMY
THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER
youtu.be/WQ6FIe4dLTo
LEARN MORE:
Richard Huscroft, Tales From the Long Twelfth Century: The Rise and Fall of the Angevin Empire (Yale University Press, 2016), esp. chapter 7. Available at amzn.to/47EYID6
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
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Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED to Arthur of Brittany in 1203? Was the true heir to the English throne murdered by King John, who was his own uncle, or is this anti-Plantagenet propaganda designed to further smear the man who is already the villain of the Robin Hood stories?
Prince Arthur of Brittany was the son of Geoffrey Plantagenet and the nephew of Richard I of England, better known as Richard the Lionheart. After Richard’s death in 1199, a fierce succession crisis erupted within the Plantagenet dynasty. Many nobles believed Prince Arthur had the strongest hereditary claim to the throne of England and the vast Angevin Empire. But Richard’s younger brother, Prince John, seized the crown instead, setting the stage for one of the most dramatic and mysterious episodes in medieval history. This it is claimed, explains why King John wanted Arthur of Brittany dead.
Captured during a rebellion in 1202, Arthur was imprisoned by King John and eventually transferred to the royal fortress at Rouen Castle. Then, suddenly, the prince vanished. In this Plantagenet history documentary from History Calling, we look at the disappearance of Arthur of Brittany, aka Prince Arthur, which quickly became one of the greatest royal murder mysteries of the Middle Ages. I’ll regale you with the infamous story that his uncle King John, bashed his head in and dumped the body in the River Seine whilst in a drunken rage, yet I’ll also use primary sources to tell you about the competing theories about the death of Arthur of Brittany. These hold that he may have drowned, died during an escape attempt, or simply vanished into thin air. Along the way, I’ll tell you about the short life of Arthur of Brittany and what people alive at the time thought had happened to the young Duke of Brittany.
If you’re interested in medieval history, Plantagenet history, royal succession crises, unsolved historical mysteries and a scandal which destroyed John’s reputation across Europe and contributed to the king’s lasting legacy as one of England’s most infamous monarchs, this is a story you won’t want to miss. It is the tale of the original Prince in the Tower, allegedly killed by his uncle in order to secure the throne, but did King John really murder his nephew?
#ArthurOfBrittany #PrinceArthur #KingJohn
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
THE WOMAN WHO ATE HER OWN SON
youtu.be/AO0ydj04vV0
ALL THE ENGLISH MONARCHS 1066-1603
youtu.be/4N70g5funMY
THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER
youtu.be/WQ6FIe4dLTo
LEARN MORE:
Richard Huscroft, Tales From the Long Twelfth Century: The Rise and Fall of the Angevin Empire (Yale University Press, 2016), esp. chapter 7. Available at amzn.to/47EYID6
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
