King Henry VIII was known for having six wives, two of whom he gave the order to be executed. His last wife, Catherine Parr, was the only one who survived being married to him. When the king ultimately had her arrested, she used her wits to convince him to spare her.
Catherine Parr was by far the most clever of King Henry VIII’s wives. She was born in 1512 and had connections to Henry VIII due to her mother being a lady-in-waiting for Queen Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.
When Catherine was 17 years old, she married Sir Edward Borough in 1529. It was the first of four marriages. In 1533, her first husband died and left her a widow.
She then married John Neville, 3rd Baron Latimer. About a decade later, she was widowed once more in her early thirties. She still had no children.
On July 12, 1543, she married King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace. However, she was secretly in love with another man, Thomas Seymour, the king’s brother-in-law and Prince Edward’s uncle.
Still, there was no way she could turn down the king’s proposal, so she had no choice but to marry him.
There was also something else to consider. Just one year prior, on February 13, 1542, Henry had ordered the execution of his second wife for alleged premarital affairs.
Marrying him was a way to preserve her own life in the moment. In addition, she likely wanted to use her place on the throne to promote her religion.
Catherine was very religious, and she used her status as queen to popularize Protestantism during a time when it was falling out of favor. She held Bible studies and had devotional books and prayers printed.
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Her other duties involved meeting with ambassadors, serving as the king’s regent while he invaded France, and caring for Henry’s injuries. But unfortunately, Catherine wasn’t safe from scandal. Her devotion to religion nearly led to her end.
By 1546, Henry was so sickly that he could barely move. Prince Edward would soon become the king of England, but he was still a minor, so Catherine was in a highly sought-after position of power. Many people targeted her, particularly Bishop Stephen Gardiner.
On May 24, 1546, he had a woman named Anne Askew arrested and tried to get her to accuse Catherine Parr of being a heretic. The plan was unsuccessful, but the bishop still pushed a weak and vulnerable Henry to arrest his wife.
When the queen learned the news of her impending arrest, she immediately rushed to Henry’s bedside and begged him to reconsider. She spun all her talk of religion as a way of trying to learn from the king’s wisdom.
The next day, soldiers arrived to arrest Catherine, but Henry dismissed them. She managed to narrowly escape the fate of his previous wives.
Catherine had a close relationship with Elizabeth Tudor, one of Henry’s daughters whom he rarely ever saw. She tried to encourage him to spend more time with his children, bringing the family together.
On January 28, 1547, King Henry VIII died. Soon, Catherine married Thomas Seymour. They kept their marriage private for a while.
At the age of 35, she got pregnant with her first child. During her pregnancy, her husband began pursuing a young Elizabeth Tudor.
Catherine went into labor in August 1548. She gave birth to a baby girl named Mary. Feverish and delirious, she accused her husband of poisoning her. About a week later, she died, and a postpartum infection is now largely believed to have been her cause of death.
Thomas Seymour was arrested for treason and for plotting to marry Elizabeth Tudor. He was executed on Tower Hill.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
