Katheryn Parr's intellectual discussions with her king and the life she could have led.
Katheryn Parr was born in 1512 at Kendal Castle to Thomas Parr and Maud Green and was arguably the most passionate and intelligent of the Queens. Her mother was determined to provide the most advanced education for her daughter, birthing Katherine's reputation for being intellectual and decisive.
By the time she arrived at Court as one of Princess Mary's ladies-in-waiting in 1543 she was already a two-time widow. Her two previous husbands had already died, Edward Borough and John Neville - Lord Latimer, and when she arrived at court she found herself in a romance with Thomas Seymour, Jane Seymour's brother. The two were effortlessly in love however when Henry VIII decided he wanted Katheryn for herself, the two parted and she married the King on July 12 1543.
Katheryn's role as Queen and Stepmother was an important one, she was only 4 years older than her stepdaughter Mary, and within a year she had restored both Mary and Elizabeth to the line of succession after their brother Edward. The young Prince was also fond of his new stepmother, with him taking to calling her "mother" and becoming rather attached to her.
Katheryn's intelligence and passion about religious reform is something that has stood the test of time when it comes to her image, she was a true Reformist, and embraced the religious reform her husband had started and would later find herself in hot water over her devotion to the religion. In 1546, counsellors at Henry's court found Katheryn's protestant teaching books and tried to have her arrested, however when she found out of this plan she talked her way out of arrest by claiming she only argued with Henry on religious matters to distract him from his festering leg sore and because she wanted his wisdom on the matter, both appearing as the loving and nursing wife and feeding his enormous ego at the same time.
The sixth Queen of Henry VIII was also extremely well-read and curious. She was fluent in English, French, Latin, Spanish and could even understand Greek, and in 1545 she was the first English woman to publish a book under her own name. It was called "Prayers or Meditations" and was extremely popular, along with another named Psalms or Prayers, but this had to be published anonymously. Her writings were well known at court and Henry had no objection to her using her skills, perhaps because of his old age and worsening leg sore, he had no energy left for arguing over trivial matters such as this.
Despite the religious mishap that Katheryn had talked her way out of, there was little tension between the couple and the entire royal family during her time as Queen, she was the unifying wife Henry had spent years trying to achieve. However, this happiness would be short-lived, because on the 28th of January 1547, at Whitehall Palace, King Henry passed away without his Queen at his side. His reign had been tumultuous and turbulent, especially in terms of religion and his numerous marriages, but he was mourned and missed by many, including Katheryn who had come to love him.
As Katheryn mourned, her and the Princess Elizabeth moved to Chelsea until Katherine would secretly marry her old lover, Thomas Seymour and move to Sudley. This decision to marry was controversial given her marriage to the dead King had not long ended only a few months before and it shocked all at court the pair were outed. Though Mary was upset at the disrespect of her father, Elizabeth continued to stay with Katheryn and Seymour alongside the young Lady Jane Grey, where the two became acquaintances and were educated together.
Tragedy struck again for Katheryn's happiness when her husband was discovered visiting the fifteen year old Elizabeth when she was still in bed, flirting and tickling her in his nightclothes, something entirely unacceptable and inappropriate. Mrs Ashely, the young Princesses' governess was so concerned that she informed the Queen, who after joining in with the morning chaos for a while, saw the pair in an embrace one day and decided to send Elizabeth away to protect her reputation and innocence. A clear sign of Katheryn's influence on the young girl is apparent in Elizabeth's departing letter from her stepmother, where she expresses sorrow and gratitude for her kindness.
Happiness soon returned to the Dowager Queen's life when she found herself pregnant, for the first time in her life. Not only had she reconciled with both the Lady Mary and the young Elizabeth but was still accompanied by the young Jane Grey who had taken a liking to Katheryn. All was well as Katheryn started her labour, no illness seemed present and she gave birth to a healthy little girl, who she named Mary, however after contracting puerperal fever, she passed just days later on the 5th of September 1458.
Jane Grey led the funeral procession 100 yards from Sudley house to its chapel. Katheryn was the first royal to be given a protestant burial. She lies in the Chapel still.
The Queen known still as the "survivor" died only a year and a half after her husband.
Katheryn Parr: Further reading
Katherine Parr; The Complete Works
The Sixth Wife; Alison Weir
Katherine the Queen.
Catherine Parr; Elizabeth Norton
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