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Originally Posted by HerenIstarion
There were precedents: The heir of last king Arvedui must have been born 'out of wedlock'
Aranarth born 1938, Arvedui not married to Firiel until 1940
It would have been interesting to learn how did they do it, if the communications were renewed in 1940 T.A. only. Story similar to Aragorn (as Thorongil) serving in Gondor as a mere captain in the days of his youth jumps to mind.
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Here is where I try to knock holes in Heren's theory:
The problem with your theory is that you take Aranarth's birthdate from the HoME, which isn't a 100% canonical source. So it might well be that Tolkien ended up displacing this birthdate...
I doubt if he would have had the Chieftain of the Dunedain as an illegitimate son, although I can hardly say that it is impossible. I'm also doubting that if Aranarth was born in 1938, that it was as Firiel's son. I don't see Arvedui leaving the kingdom that, as Crown Prince, he is a main defender of.
Which leads to my alternative theory...
Firiel was Arvedui's second wife. His first, the mother of Aranarth, had died before; quite possibly in childbirth.
Interestingly, this little speculation could help to explain why Pelendur and the Lords of Gondor rejected the Arvedui-Firiel claim: it was based on FIRIEL's lineage, which would not be inherited by Aranarth. It could also explain why Aragorn, when making his claim and stating his lineage, declares himself the Heir of Elendil and Isildur, and makes no mention of Anarion.
Of course, I could be reading a lot more into this than necessary. However, I think I have successfully shown that Heren's presentation is far from solid.