What If Arthur Tudor Had Lived? | Interview with Leah Toole, Author of The Rose and The Pomegranate

What if Prince Arthur, Henry VIII’s elder brother, had survived?



In this special interview, I sit down with novelist Leah Toole to talk about her fascinating book "The Rose and The Pomegranate" — an alternative history novel that asks one of Tudor history’s biggest “what ifs.”



In Leah’s world, Arthur Tudor doesn’t die in 1502 — and the ripple effects are enormous. Katherine of Aragon’s destiny changes, Henry VIII’s life takes a very different course, and familiar figures like the Boleyns, Wolsey, and Cromwell walk entirely new paths.



In this conversation we explore:



- Why Arthur Tudor and this “what if”?

- How Leah balanced historical accuracy with imagination.

- Arthur and Katherine’s marriage — and how it might have unfolded.

- A reimagined Henry VIII without the six wives we know so well.

- Which events Leah chose to keep… and which to reshape.

- How a single turning point could have reshaped England, Europe, and the Church.



It’s a thoughtful, imaginative, and meticulously researched take on Tudor history that fans won’t want to miss!



"The Rose and The Pomegranate" is available now: