Catherine Parr

Catherine Parr the Sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII

Picture of Catherine Parr

 

Catherine Parr

  • Interesting Facts and information about Catherine Parr the famous sixth & last wife of  Henry VIII
  • Short Biography, Facts and Information about the Life of Catherine Parr
  • Description of Catherine Parr
  • Catherine Parr and Thomas Seymour
  • Catherine Parr and Elizabeth
  • The Death of Catherine Parr

Catherine Parr

Sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII

Timeline of Catherine Parr

Catherine Parr - Sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII
Catherine Parr was the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII of England. The life story of this fascinating  Tudor woman is one of the most famous of the Tudor period. The motto of Catherine Parr was '"To Be Useful in All I Do". 

Short Biography, Facts and Information about the Life of Catherine Parr
This short biography and information about Catherine Parr provides basic facts about her life:

  • Nationality: English
  • Role and Position: Sixth wife and last wife of King Henry VIII
  • Lifespan: 1512 - 1548
  • Born: November 11, 1512
  • Family Connections: The father of Catherine Parr Sir Thomas Parr and her mother was called Maud Green. Her brother was William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
  • First marriage of Catherine Parr: Edward, Lord Borough, who died in 1529
  • Second marriage of Catherine Parr: John Neville, Lord Latimer, who died in 1542
  • Married King Henry VIII: 12 July 1543
  • Motto: The motto of Catherine Parr was '"To Be Useful in All I Do". 
  • Widowed: 28 January 1547 when King Henry VIII died
  • Later Life of Catherine Parr: After the death of King Henry VIII Catherine married Thomas Seymour
  • Religion: Protestant
  • Died: 5 September 1548  

Marriage Overview: King Henry VIII met his last and sixth wife, Catherine Parr, at the English court. She did not love him, her affections were with Sir Thomas Seymour, who she later married. But she was forced into the marriage through duty and obligation.

Description of Catherine Parr
The description of Catherine Parr: Catherine Parr was pale and attractive. She was 31 years of age when she married the obese and aging King Henry VIII.  Character of Catherine Parr can be described as intelligent, kind, dignified and obedient. Often described as a 'bluestocking'.

The Early Years of Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr was the daughter of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal in the Lake District, and his wife, Maud Green. Catherine Parr was a respectable, well educated, wealthy widow known as Lady Latimer. Her previous arranged marriages to Edward, Lord Borough and John Neville, Lord Latimer were much older men who she had nursed until their deaths.

The Marriage of Catherine Parr to King Henry VIII
Sir Thomas Seymour, the flamboyant and handsome brother of the late Queen Jane Seymour was courting Catherine and she was about to accept his hand in marriage when she caught the eye of King Henry VIII. King Henry VIII saw the educated Catherine Parr, Lady Latimer, as an ideal wife - she had already married and nursed elderly husbands and had cared for her step children. King Henry VIII married Catherine Parr in July 1543.

Catherine Parr and Anne Askew
Catherine made the mistake of taking the sides of people who were considered heretics including a woman called Anne Askew. Anne Askew was cruelly put to the rack and then executed. The involvement of Catherine Parr with the beliefs of Anne Askew nearly led to her arrest, but she wisely apologised to King Henry taking the position of an ill advised and contrite wife. Catherine was forgiven and continued nursing King Henry. King Henry VIII eventually died in 1547. Catherine had survived the marriage and was felt she was at last free to take a husband of her own choosing.

Catherine Parr and Thomas Seymour
Catherine Parr became the guardian of Elizabeth after the death of King Henry VIII and they lived at Whitehall and Chelsea. Catherine had known only old men as her husbands and she fell in love with a younger ,handsome man who also happened to be one of the most ambitious men at court. His name was Thomas Seymour the brother of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector of the young King Edward VI. Thomas Seymour was the Lord High Admiral of England and brother to the deceased Queen Jane Seymour. The Seymour family were powerful and the men were ambitious and unscrupulous. Thomas Seymour was bitterly jealous of his brother, Edward Seymour. Thomas Seymour sought to gain influence over the young King Edward VI, displace his brother and become Lord Protector. Thomas Seymour wanted to marry an heiress. He had already made a suit to Anne of Cleves and when it was turned down he turned his attentions to Catherine Parr. He courted Catherine Parr in secret and married her with indecent haste in May 1547 - just four months after King Henry VIII had died. Their  marriage was without permission from his brother or the Privy Council - it would not have been granted as theoretically Catherine Parr could have been pregnant by King Henry VIII at the time of her marriage to Thomas Seymour.

Catherine Parr and Elizabeth
Catherine, Thomas Seymour and the fourteen year old Princess Elizabeth all lived in the same household at the Admiral's property at Sudeley Castle. By November 1547 Catherine Parr became pregnant. Catherine was deliriously happy and so was Princess Elizabeth. Catherine treated her like a daughter. Thomas Seymour treated her in a different way...
Thomas Seymour was reported to have paid morning visits to Elizabeth, in her bedchamber, before she was dressed. There was romping, laughing and giggling. Princess Elizabeth was very flattered. She was receiving attention from a handsome, older man. Thomas Seymour was reported to have extended this 'playfulness' in the presence of his wife and the servants. Talk started - gossip increased. Elizabeth denied any scandal or bad behaviour but things had gone too far and early in 1548 Princess Elizabeth was asked to leave Catherine Parr's household under questionable circumstances. There appeared to be no animosity between Catherine Parr and Princess Elizabeth. Neither were comfortable with the conduct of Thomas Seymour and it is possible that Elizabeth was sent away for her own protection.

The Death of Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr gave birth to a girl named Mary at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire a short time after the departure of Princess Elizabeth. The baby was born on 30 August but sadly Catherine Parr died 7 days later on 5 September of puerperal fever.

Catherine Parr
Each section of this Tudors website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about Catherine Parr. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Tudors!

Catherine Parr

  • The Tudors era, period, life, age and times
  • Catherine Parr, Sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII
  • Short Biography, Facts and Information about the Life of Catherine Parr
  • Description of Catherine Parr
  • Marriage of Catherine Parr to King Henry VIII
    Catherine Parr and Thomas Seymour
  • Catherine Parr and Elizabeth
  • The Death of Catherine Parr

Catherine Parr

Catherine Parr - Tudor King - Tudor Monarch - Tudor Queen of England - Eighth - 8 - Information about Henry VIII Wives - Facts about Catherine Parr -  Trail - Info - Sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII - Tudor era - Tudor Life - Tudor Times - Life - Sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII - Tudor Queen - Famous Tudor Women - Eighth - 8 - Sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII - Catherine Parr History - Information about King Henry VIII Wives - Sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII - Facts - Catherine Parr Info - Tudor era - Tudor Life - Tudor Times - Life - Queen - Famous Tudor Women - Eighth - 8 - Famous Tudor Women - Catherine Parr - Timeline and Biography of Catherine Parr - History and facts - Interesting Information and Timeline - Sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII - Facts and Biography - Info and Biography - Facts - Life - Times - Bio - Age - Short Biography and Timeline - Bio - Life Story and Timeline - Short Biography - Key Dates and events  - Picture of Catherine Parr - Biography - Bio - Life Story - Facts Trail - Facts and History - Facts and Information - Trail - Short Biography - Key Dates & Events of Catherine Parr - Written By Linda Alchin

The Tudors Website The Tudors Website
© June 2014 Siteseen Ltd Cookies Policy
By Linda AlchinPrivacy Statement