Katherine Parr

 

 “My hands are ordained to touch crowns and
sceptres.
Not spindles and needles”

- Katherine Parr.

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 Katherine Parr will forever go down in history as the “survivor” of Henry VIII.

As Henry VIII's sixth and final wife, it’s tempting to cast Katherine Parr as just a closing chapter in HIS story.

Katherine is continually defined in terms of others - her dead husband's before her marriage to Henry, the stepchildren she reunited, and the king she helped heal towards the end of his life

In reality, Katherine Parr’s life - before and after Henry - was a romantic saga in its own right.

 Katherine Parr holds a unique, if somewhat dubious title, with four husbands under her bejewelled belt, Katherine Parr is England’s most-married queen.

At the age of 17, Katherine made the first of her four marriages - but the union was doomed for a heartbreaking end.

His name was Sir Edward Burgh and it should've been a fairytale romance.
He was handsome, from a wealthy family, around her own age, and a knight!

But sadly, he was also in poor health, and he died just four years after they were wed.

At 21, Katherine was a young and childless widow, left to start all over again.

 Just one year after becoming a widow, Katherine married John Neville, 3rd Baron Latimer, in 1534.

Unlike her first husband, this one was twice her age.
He died in 1543, and Katherine was once again a childless widow.

Katherine Parr inherited some choice properties, and a handsome income from her dead husband.
At 31 years old, Katherine was finally rich enough to marry on her own terms - and she even met a man who seemed suitable.

The brother of King Henry's third wife, Thomas Seymour.
But it was not to be, the King of England came knocking.....

 Katherine also had a bizarre connection to Henry VIII's first wife, Katharine of Aragon.
She was likely named after her.

Katherine Parr’s mother Maud Green, served as lady-in-waiting to the Queen Katharine.

In turn, Katharine of Aragon served as godmother to baby Katherine Parr.

Thus, Henry VIII’s long marital career seems to come to a full, and somewhat creepy, circle....

 Katherine's mother Maud, was a woman of apparently great intellect.
Maud was entrusted by the queen to manage the court school.

Her mother's accomplishments certainly set an example for a young Katherine.

Unsurprisingly, when you consider her mother ran the court school, Katherine was a lifelong learner.
She had a passion for languages and was fluent in French, Latin, and Italian.

 When Katherine was just a young girl, she made an eerie prediction about her future.
The tale goes that, as a child Katherine hated learning how to sew.

It's believed that she once said this to her mother:

“My hands are ordained to touch crowns and
sceptres.
Not spindles and needles”

Did she see herself with a crown and sceptre in the future?

 Upon her marriage to Henry VIII on 12th July 1542, just four months after the death of her second husband, Katherine Parr became the first Queen of England to also be titled Queen of Ireland.

Henry had just adopted the title of Ireland’s King.

 While Katherine was Henry VIII's last wife, there was still another surviving wife lurking around...

Anne of Cleves, wife #4, was alive, well-favoured, and still living in England…but she did not like Katherine.

Apparently, Anne had harboured hopes of a reconciliation with the king - and becoming Queen...again.

Anne didn’t think Katherine was pretty enough to replace her, and was said

“A fine burden Madame Katherine
has taken upon herself!"

 In terms of notable features, Katherine Parr possessed bright hazel eyes and according to some sources, she stood as tall as 5’10”.

Being very tall himself, perhaps Henry VIII liked the idea of finally seeing eye-to-eye with a companion.

Catherine Parr proved to be an adept nursemaid for Henry’s body and spirits.
Not only did she soothe and attend to his leg ulcers herself, she also convinced him to finally ditch his vanity and embrace his reading glasses.

She was also the first Queen of England to ever have a book published!



 Katherine famously brought Henry’s much-fraught royal family back together.

Henry’s only surviving son, Prince Edward, took a shine to his latest stepmother.

It’s generally believed that Catherine was a big influence in both Edward and Elizabeth Tudor’s Protestant learnings and leanings.


 Before Henry VIII died in 1547, he made many provisions for Katherine future.
Henry bequeathed Katherine a £7,000/year pension - millions of dollars a year in today’s money!
She also had the right to keep all of the queen’s jewels and clothes

Henry also decreed that she should take custody of his youngest daughter, the 13-year-old Elizabeth Tudor.

She also took another studious royal girl as her ward: the future “Nine Days Queen” Lady Jane Grey. Unknowingly, Katherine had mentored two queens of England.







 On 28th January 1547, Henry VIII passed away and left Katherine as Queen Dowager.
She scandalously married her “true” love, Thomas Seymour, less than four months after Henry’s death.

At the age of 35, and one year after Henry’s death, Katherine became pregnant for the first time.

She hadn’t been able to get pregnant in any of her first marriages, so this must have come as a shock....



 Katherine Parr gave birth to her only child, Mary Seymour, in late August 1548 - but what should have been the happiest day of her life, soon turned into tragedy.

She suffered from postnatal complications and passed just eight days later, at the age of 36.

Despite being known as “the one who survived,” Katherine outlived Henry VIII by just less than two years.

Katherine is buried in St Mary’s Chapel on the estate of Sudeley Castle.
She is the only queen of England to be buried on private property.


The Tudor Intruders (and more)
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 Source - Factinate.
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 16th c. Portrait of Katherine Parr.
Unknown artist.
National Portrait Gallery