CATALINA PARR: BIOGRAPHY, ROLE AS QUEEN, LOVE AFFAIRS, CONTROVERSIES - ARTE - 2025

Catherine Parr (1512-1548) was the last woman King Henry VIII of England married. Before her, the monarch had five other wives. Scholars highlight how Catherine was totally different from the previous couples of the person in charge of the Crown.

The marriage lasted a short time, specifically four years in which Catherine became Queen of England. Although briefly, she came to rule the nation during the absence of Henry VIII for a trip to France.

Source:, via Wikimedia Commons.

Catherine is not only one of the best-known queens England had for her role as monarch, but she was also one for her love life. Before her marriage to King Henry VIII, she had been married twice. When the monarch died, Catalina remarried the man that history has always called her true love.

The couple of kings never had children, but Catherine played a very important role so that the king's relationship with the daughters he had with his first wives could be better.

Biography

Early years

There is very little data on the first years of life of Catherine Parr. In fact, it is not known exactly what her year of birth was, although historians have determined that she could reach the world around 1512.

The place of his birth would have been Westmorland, a county in the north of England. As the Parr family owned the castle during the 15th century, their birth may have occurred in that fortification, of which only ruins remain today.

His parents were Thomas Parr and Matilda Green. Thomas was a knight during the Tudor dynasty. Catalina was the second daughter of the couple, who had a total of five children, although only the first few years Catalina, William and Ana survived.

Catalina's mother, Matilda, was the one who taught all of her children to read and write when they were young. Catherine later learned to speak other languages, such as French and Latin, as well as philosophy, theology, and classical affairs.

Catalina was orphaned of a father in 1517, when she was only five years old. Her mother saw to it that she and her younger sister could be gifted for the rest of their lives. The family properties were left to the only male.

As Catalina was still underage to take on the inheritance left by her father, her mother along with one of her uncles and a nephew of Thomas (Cuthbert Tunstall), were in charge of managing her money.

First marriages and loves

Catalina's first marriage occurred when she was only 16 years old. Upon joining Edward Borough, she had to move away from the rest of her family. Rumors said that her husband suffered from a mental problem. She died in 1532 when the couple had only been married for three years.

In 1533 she remarried, this time to John Neville. Her new partner had already had two previous marriages and there was a significant age difference between the two. They lived in Yorkshire, where they suffered the popular uprising known as the Pilgrimage of Grace.

During this revolt, Catalina and her family were captured and held captive by the rebels. Eventually they were released and there were no major consequences, but the family decided to move to live in London.

It is believed that during this stage Catherine met Thomas Seymour, who is considered her great love. By then, King Henry VIII's third wife happened to be Jane Seymour, Thomas's sister.

Rumor has it that they had an affair while Catalina was married to her second husband. There was no proof of this, although there are letters from the couple.

Love with the king

Catherine's relationship with Thomas Seymour would have to wait, as someone with more influence appeared first. In 1543 Parr's second husband died and the widow was part of the group of friends of Maria Tudor, one of the daughters of King Henry VIII.

The monarch then noticed Catherine and, after a few months, they were married. Seymour ceased to be part of the royal court and little was known of his whereabouts during Catherine's reign.

Henry VIII and Catherine were married on June 12, 1543, the wedding being held at Hampton Court Palace. She was the sixth woman the king married, but also the last. Thanks to the union Catherine became the queen of England and also of Ireland.

Role as queen

As monarch, she included the children of her second husband in the royal court, although none were his. This decision responded to the fact that Catherine had promised to take care of them when her father died.

After a year of marriage, Henry VIII had to travel to France and Catherine was left in charge of the king's responsibilities. History has recognized its important role during this stage. She is remembered as a person of great intelligence and with a great capacity to govern the nation.

He signed several decrees and the economic affairs of the country were well managed. Of course, she surrounded herself with good advisers during all that time, who always saw with good eyes the work that was done by the queen.

King Henry VIII had had three children in his previous marriages and Catherine maintained good relations with all. She even managed to get the king to recognize her daughters María and Isabel, whom she considered bastards.

Thanks to this decision, both women managed to rule in England after the unexpected death of their brother, Eduardo VI.

Controversial

Three books of his authorship were published. They were works that created some annoyance in the Catholic Church because they had the Protestant religion as their central theme. It was the first time that a queen of England published a work with her name.

Before dying, King Enrique VIII had arranged everything so that Catherine was not excluded from the Crown in his absence. She received an income the following years that allowed her to live without any problems.

True love

When King Henry VIII died, Thomas Seymour was able to return to London. From that moment he began a romance with Catalina again. Eduardo VI, son in Enrique and new king of England, supported the union and gave permission so that they could marry. Eduardo VI was also Seymour's nephew.

Catalina became pregnant with her first daughter, but the happiness did not last long, as she died in September 1548 after giving birth. The girl, who was named Mary Seymour, also died shortly after at just two years old.

References

1. James, S. (1999). Kateryn Parr. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate.
2. Loma Barrie, B. (2015). The Hysterical Queen: Elizabeth I of England and the Spanish Armada.
3. Norton, E. (2011). Catherine Parr. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Amberley.
4. Plaidy, J. and Albores, L. (2012). The sixth wife. Catherine Parr: The Tudor Queens IV. Mexico, DF: Planeta.
5. Queralt del Hierro, M. (2016). The Queen's Knights. Spain: Edaf.