Henry VIII Isolated His Newborn Son to Shield Him From the Plague

A Tudor Life in the Time of Plague

In October 1537, Henry VIII finally had a legitimate male heir, Prince Edward, born at Hampton Court. But plague had returned to England, so the christening was scaled back: dukes could bring only six servants, knights just two, and guests from infected Croydon stayed away. After the ceremony, Edward was kept in isolation, visited only by his nurses and immediate family, to protect the 'realm's most precious jewel.'