Henry Frederick Stuart, the firstborn son of James VI of Scotland (1566–1625) and Anne of Denmark (1574–1619), and heir apparent to the Scottish throne, came into the world at Stirling Castle in 1594. He was named after his grandfathers Henry Stuart (1564–1567), the second spouse of Mary Queen of Scots (1542–1587), and Frederick II of Denmark (1534–1588), who was a supporter of Tycho Brahe (1546–1601). When James and Anne wed, they visited Tycho’s observatory at Uraniborg on the island of Hven in 1589.
Henry was raised apart from his mother, being brought up by foster guardians within Stirling Castle. His broad and diverse education commenced here, encompassing an array of sports, music, and dance. In 1603, James ascended to the English throne as James I of England, and Henry soon followed to England, where he became Duke of Cornwall and Prince of Wales, now the heir apparent to both the English and Scottish thrones.
His studies progressed further, with James instructing that Henry’s household “ought to resemble more of a college than a court.” Thomas Chaloner (1559–1615) was appointed as the governor of Prince Henry’s household, which he described in 1607 as “His Highness’s household was intended by the King for a courtly college or a collegiate court.” As previously mentioned, his education was extensive. In his teenage years, Henry developed a keen interest in geography, championing the Elizabethan vision of establishing colonies and the formation of a British Empire, as initially voiced by John Dee (1527–1609) and later supported by Richard Hakluyt (1553–1616). In this context, Henry also took a pronounced interest in naval and military matters, which he explored from a young age.
In 1604, Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham and Lord High Admiral (1536–1624), introduced Prince Henry to shipbuilder Phineas Pett (1570–1647):
Pett constructed a miniature vessel for the Prince at Chatham. The keel measured 28 feet with a breadth of 12 feet, designed with battlements akin to the Ark Royal. On 22 March, Pett presented the ship to Prince Henry, who named it the Disdain and “delighted in it, as it was specially crafted for his enjoyment.” On 26 April 1604, James I of England granted Phineas, described as a servant of Prince Henry, a daily stipend of a shilling. […] In 1607, Pett created and presented a model ship intended for Prince Henry to Howard. Howard deemed the model worthy of direct presentation to both King James and the Prince. He organized a showing for both at Richmond Palace on 12 November 1607. The model was displayed in a private chamber just off the Long Gallery, within a framed arch draped in crimson taffeta. King James was equally impressed, “exceedingly delighted with