Laura Adkins

Described by Derek Wilson as the ‘Cleverest and most passionate of Henry VIII’s wives’ Catherine Parr is the last of Henry’s women, the one who ‘Survived’. However, as we have seen over the last few months with the other wives who came before her, there was a lot more to these women than just being a spouse of King Hal. 

Born in 1512 to Sir Thomas and Maud Parr of Kendall, Catherine was the eldest of three. Their father died when his wife was only 25 years old and she never remarried. Instead it seems she focused on the raising of her three children. It could have been this strong female who set Catherine off on her path of survival.

Catherine would marry four times. Her first husband was Edward Borough who died in 1533. John Neville, Lord Latimer was Catherine’s second husband, who died in 1543, then steps in King Henry VIII; some say looking for a nurse and maybe companionship in his last few years, we cannot be exactly sure what his intentions were. Catherine at this time had fallen head over heels for another man – Thomas Seymour, former brother in law to the King. She married Henry and after his death in 1547, she finally, it seems, married  for love to Thomas. Only two years after Henry’s death Catherine died September 8, 1548, a few days after giving birth to a baby girl – Mary Seymour. 

Why did I pick Catherine Parr as the most interesting of Henry’s wives?

In her own words:

 Catherine was a very intelligent and educated woman who had strong beliefs. Unlike Henry’s previous wives, a large number of her letters, notes, and writings still survive today. This gives us an insight into what she believed herself and not just speculate.  

She was the author of the first book to be published in England by a woman under her name. In 1545, Prayers or Meditations was written and printed in English. It was not the first book by Catherine; she had previously published English translations of Latin psalms but anonymously.

“Katherine is a highly successful female writer. She very much plugs her own, distributing it to her friends, generates big sales, and understood marketing.

Dr David Starkey

After the death of Henry Catherine publishes Lamentations of a Sinner where it is very clear that she is of the Protestant faith.

“For He, as a loving Father, has heaped upon me innumerable blessings; and I contrary, have heaped many sins, despising that which was good, holy, pleasant, and acceptable in His sight, and choosing that which was delicious, pleasant, and acceptable in my sight.

Catherine Parr

Queenship:

By the time Catherine became queen and consort to Henry she had witnessed enough in both her own life and that of her processors to know how far she can go and how to behave. Although in love with another, she made her marriage to Henry work and gave him what he required of her – a companion. She did not push him too much in politics, knew when to bow down to his will and set herself up as a role model of queen and a noblewoman. She seemed to have got the balance right – not too stubborn in her ways demanding. 

Intrigue and danger:

Although Catherine survived her marriage to Henry, she did go through some ordeals in her life, which could have ended very differently.

In 1536, there was a great rebellion in the north known as the Pilgrimage of Grace. At the time, Catherine was living in Snape Castle, Yorkshire, the home of her second husband Lord Latimer. While her husband was in London Catherine and her two stepchildren were taken hostage by the rebels with the idea to use them as leverage to get Lord Latimer to do their bidding. In a letter, he wrote:

If I do not please them I do not know what they will do with my body and goods, my wife and children. I beg to know the King’s pleasure…’

We do not know what he promised or said to the rebels but he managed to get his family released where they travelled to London with Catherine never returning to the north.

We know from Catherine’s words that she was a Protestant. Henry, although had broken away from the Catholic Church, was not Protestant. I feel he rather straddled the two. Because of this, many at court were either one or the other and were always trying to get rid of the opposition. It was a dangerous time, especially with the kings changing temper. Although she was not an actual player in the factions of Henry’s court, her position as consort allowed her access to the heart of court and the king’s person and gave the reformers the controlling influence they wanted (the faction was led by Edward Seymour, uncle to the young Prince Edward so this most likely had a major part).

Catherine, being a loving wife was in the middle of all this intrigue and like her namesake, Catherine of Aragon (although she was a Catholic) was not likely to waver her beliefs. She was either very clever or just lucky as in 1546, Bishop Stephen Gardener, who was the leader of the Catholic faction, tried to get rid of the queen. They began with a woman called Anne Askew. The only woman to be tortured in English history, Anne refused to give up her queen and friend. What did not help matters for Catherine was an argument with Henry over religion, one of the only times I feel Catherine probably overstepped the mark with Henry. With poison dropped in his ear by the Catholic faction, Henry signed the warrant for Catherine.

This is where it gets interesting, somehow either by accident or most likely someone who was a friend to Catherine dropped the arrest warrant outside her door. Pre-warned is pre-armed and Catherine wasted no time. She knew what fate would befall her once that warrant was acted on. When religion came up again between herself and Henry she knew exactly what to do and played to the king’s ego. She only spoke as she did to distract the king from his painful leg ulcer and wanted to learn from him thus provoking the debate. She said that she “was but a woman, with all the imperfections natural to the weakness of my sex.” She did not know any better and wanted to follow the king’s guidance. This seemed to have won the king around and when the Lord Chancellor came to enact the warrant, the tables had turned. Henry who was with Catherine at the time told them to leave and that was the end of the matter.

Uniting the Tudors:

Not quite but Catherine was in a unique position to become step mum to all of Henry’s children and get on with ALL three. She was able to encourage Henry to the idea of restoring both Mary and Elizabeth to the line of succession and even invite them back to court. Only four years older than Princess Mary (it is thought Catherine may have been named after Mary’s mother Catherine of Aragon) the two spent some time together growing up and befriended one another. On the death of her second husband, Catherine joined Mary’s entourage in court, which is most likely where she caught the eye of the king.

Even in later years, when we see Catherine being more open in her beliefs, she still saw right done by Mary even though Mary was a Catholic. Catherine pushed for Mary (and Elizabeth) to be reinstated in the line of succession, something that would have a lasting impact in the monarchy of England.

Elizabeth took a shine to Catherine and spent some time in her household after the death of her father. It could be said that Catherine may have been the closest Elizabeth had to a mother and she helped shape and grow this young woman who would become the Virgin Queen. Unfortunately, the two did part ways when Thomas Seymour took an unhealthy interest in the young princess rather than his wife.

Letters, which still survive, are evidence of the relationship that Catherine held with her three stepchildren and that it was one of love and affection. It could even be said that Mary was her happiest since the separation from her mother when Catherine was queen. Catherine took an interest in all three of Henrys children’s wellbeing without bias against them, their chosen religion, or who their mothers were.

Although, most noble and dearest lady, there are many reasons that easily induce my writing to you at this time, yet nothing so greatly moves me thereto as my concern for your health; which, as I hope it is very good, so am I greatly desirous to be assured thereof.

Catherine in a letter to Princess Mary

Although not giving Henry VIII any children of his own (most likely due to his age and health at this point) she seemed to have made Henry happy. On his deathbed, he is said to have thanked God for finally delivery him ‘so faithful a spouse’

To be useful in all I do…..(Catherine Motto)

Catherine’s life as queen was full of duty, romance, peril, and religious turmoil. She survived a lot more than what some of her predecessors had done and it seems she may have learnt from all of what she had witnessed. Her previous two marriages had helped prepare her for life at court and as wife to Henry (and in his later years too). She had managed to survive his wrath and turn his opinion of her around. Catherine had also put her feelings aside and did not jeopardise her position by an illicit affair. She helped shape the young Tudor children and mould them into two Protestant monarchs. Mary even liked the Queen, which is something, as the Princes did not take a shine to many of her father’s wives.

I feel she embodies elements of all the queens before her. She survives yes but not by having to sacrifice who she was in the process. A well-matched wife for the King who has six wives.

Sources:

Image (c) Mark Osborne https://markozworks.co.uk/

James, S (2009) Catherine Parr – Henry VIII last love. Available from: https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/catherine-parr-henry-viii-s-last-love/ [Accessed 20/03/20]

Porter, L (2010)Last But Not Least: The Enduring Fascination of Katherine Parr/ Avalbe from: https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/last-but-not-least-the-enduring-fascination-of-katherine-parr/4776/ [Accessed 18/3/20]

Trap, C (nd) Unseemly Facts About Catherine Parr, The Last Wife Of Henry VIII. Available from: https://www.factinate.com/people/43-little-known-facts-catherine-parr-last-wife-henry-viii/ [Accessed 18/03/20]

Wallenfeldt, J (2020) Catherine Parr. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-Parr [Accessed 29/04/20]

Wilson, D (2019) Katherine Parr: the truth about the wife who ‘survived’ Available from: https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/katherine-parr-marriage-henry-viii-husbands-death-writing/ [Accessed 01/04/20]