The six wives of Henry VIII Survived: Catherine Parr HEIRS LENGTH OF REIGN DESIRABILITY POLITICAL GAINS POPULARITY The learned and talented widow who did her duty, then followed her heart © Corbis; Alamy After the disastrous end of Henry’s marriage with Thomas Seymour, brother of the late Queen Catherine Howard, Henry’s strict new laws made Jane, had captured her heart She had served two the position of queen a very dangerous one indeed husbands dutifully and most likely wished to A new clause in the act of attainder read that if marry the final time for love But with the king anyone knew anything ‘incontinent’ about his new involved, this was not to be so Catherine was queen, and didn’t declare it then they would be aware that her duty to her king outweighed her condemned for treason Simply put, those in the own heart’s wishes Yet again she entered into a know had to speak up before the marriage or be marriage with a older husband with ailing health killed Ambitious courtiers were extremely wary on 12 July 1543 The new queen was immediately and the mood in court was tense popular, not only with the king, but with his When Henry’s affections turned children She took an active role in the towards a 31-year-old widow, the education of Elizabeth and Edward, Catherine feeling was one of relief Known and played a part in reconciling as Lady Latimer at the time, Henry with his two daughters Parr had two Catherine was the daughter of Catherine ruled as a books published in Maud Green, who served as respected queen She was her lifetime, Prayers or lady in waiting to Catherine the first woman to publish a Meditations and The of Aragon She had a passion book under her own name for learning, and could speak in English, and when Henry Lamentations of French, Italian and Latin fluently went away to France she a Sinner Catherine’s first marriage served as regent Her capability, occurred when she was 17, but just however, did not stop multiple four years later her husband died and courtiers plotting her downfall she was widowed for the first time Her next Shortly before Henry died he ruled that husband was 40 This union made Catherine a Catherine should be treated as a Queen of stepmother, and she was a doting and caring wife England, despite her now being a dowager for her ailing husband He died in 1543 and aged 31, Catherine, it seemed, had had her fill of royal life Catherine found herself widowed again Just six months after Henry’s death she secretly It was around this time that the king’s eye began married her long-time love, Thomas Seymour to be drawn to Catherine Henry was drawn to When it was discovered, the union caused a scandal In 1548 Catherine unexpectedly fell Catherine’s qualities as a loving stepmother and pregnant at age 35, but soon after birth the child dedicated scholar Although she was still some 20 fell ill and died Catherine soon followed her child, years younger than the king, she had a sensible, dying on September 1548 from the same illness grounded nature and he began to send her lavish that had claimed Jane Seymour gifts However, Catherine had eyes for another Henry’s illegitimate children Henry Fitzroy Catherine Carey Henry Carey John Perrot Born to Elizabeth Blount, Fitzroy was the only acknowledged illegitimate child Henry was a firm favourite of the king and treated like a prince He was bestowed with titles and made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Had he not died, he probably would have been proclaimed Henry’s heir Daughter of Mary Boleyn, Henry never acknowledged Catherine, but Mary was a well-known mistress of the king Anne served as maid of honour to Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard as well as Chief Lady of the Bedchamber to her cousin Elizabeth I Another child of Mary Boleyn, Henry had an excellent education thanks to the patronage of his aunt, Anne After Elizabeth’s ascension he enjoyed a valuable estate and was appointed as her bodyguard As Lieutenant General of the queen’s forces he helped crush the Northern Rebellion Perrot resembled Henry in appearance and personality, but there is some dispute over whether he truly was Henry’s son Perrot served as Lord Deputy to Queen Elizabeth during the conquest of Ireland, but was accused of treason and imprisoned, where he died It was suggested that Fitzroy marry his own half sister, Mary 81