Katheryn Parr: Henry VIII's Sixth Queen

by Laura Adkins

Katheryn Parr is mainly remembered today as being the sixth wife of King Henry VIII, the one who ‘survived’. Katheryn was not only a wife but a queen, mother, reformer, and author. Katheryn would face a number of events in her lifetime including being held to ransom during the Pilgrimage of Grace, being placed as regent while Henry was in France, a role which only one of his five previous wives held, her namesake Katherine of Aragon, and overcame a plot which would have led to her arrest and execution. While Queen she was able to unite the Tudor family and establish some form of happiness for Henry VIII’s three children.Raised by her mother Maud Parr, under a humanist education, Katheryn was intelligent enough to understand her role in life and was not afraid to do her research. Although raised a Catholic, Katheryn became a reformer and went on to write a number of religious texts, being the first female in England to ever have a book published under her own name. She was loyal not only to her family but her servants and the women of her court. She loved her stepchildren and provided them with a mother's love and a role model which her stepdaughters could learn from. Her views on what was expected of her placed her into an open conflict with her brother-in-law Edward Seymour and his wife Anne.This book explores the various roles she had in her lifetime and the passion and duty she put into them, even if it meant putting others first. It will explore her love for Thomas Seymour and how it blindsided her and led to a sad end of her life, and the book will finally look at her legacy - the influence she had on Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth I.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Historical

208 pages, Hardcover

First published March 14, 2024

Reviews

[Megan Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the life of Kateryn Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII, Laura Adkins brings Parr's life to light from the shadow of her infamous husband and his family. Adkins gives Parr back her place in history as a Queen, Mother, Writer; Woman. Well-researched and well-written, I thoroughly loved this book of the last Tudor consort and woman melded into history as one of Henry VIII's six wives. Understanding the woman behind the legend, Adkins strips away the myths and rumours around Parr and lets her tell the life that few people know before or after her marriage.

I highly recommend Kateryn Parr to anyone who enjoys Tudor History and wants to read more about the woman behind the title: the one who survived.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pen & Sword for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[MC · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / 5.0 Kateryn Parr by L Adkins is about the last wife of Henry VIII after he dies. It is short and an abridged report of what happened to her in the later part of her life, but completely passes over the interesting beginning part. This queen was such a political player in her time, she managed the country while Henry was away and dodged attempts to have her removed as queen several times. I am not a historian and do not know much about this woman, but I do know that what’s presented here is very limited.

It is well written and there are no extreme modern interpretations that skew the facts, so it is a good read just a rather superficial one.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this for review.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers - Pen & Sword and Pen & Sword History – for giving me access to this book as an E-ARC via Netgalley.

We all know the rhyme – Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived – and I feel like one often forget about Kateryn Parr. This book gives a good introduction to this interesting Tudor woman.
Chapters are nice and informative.

[Lauralee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen Katherine Parr is most famous for being the last wife of King Henry VIII. She is best known to be the wife who survived him. In this biography of Queen Katherine Parr, it shows Katherine as a wife, stepmother, queen, and author. She is also known for having the greatest influence on Queen Elizabeth I.

This biography paints Queen Katherine Parr as a woman who loves her family. She was known to have grown up in a happy and close-knit family. When King Henry VIII married her, Queen Katherine Parr also tried to instill a close-knit and happy family within the Tudor household . She was the only mother figure both King Edward and Queen Elizabeth ever knew. Queen Katherine Parr was also interested in writing and composed three works. She also patronized playwrights. Queen Katherine Parr was also influenced by the reformed religion. Therefore, Katherine Parr was a very intellectual queen. The only time she acted beyond reason was when she married for love.

Overall, this was a very short and comprehensive biography of Queen Katherine Parr. Because it is short, it did not get in-depth into Queen Katherine Parr’s life. I also did not like how this book was not in chronological format. This made the biography to be very repetitive at times. Nevertheless, it was a very easy read, and it proves that Queen Katherine Parr was a very fascinating historical figure! Kateryn Parr is a perfect book for those who do not know anything about Queen Katherine Parr. For those that know a lot about Queen Katherine Parr, this may not be the book for you, and I encourage you to look elsewhere. Still, I recommend this book for fans of Carol-Ann Johnston, Roland Hui, and Anthony K. Martienssen!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#TudorNonfictionChallenge hosted by @cha_ye on The Story Graph

I rate this book 3.5 out of 5.

I want to thank Pen & Sword Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Brief Summary: Kathryn Parr is famous as the wife who survived the violent Henry VIII, but in her lifetime she was so much more. In each chapter, Adkins explores an area of Parr's life (e.g., her role as Queen, stepmother, and wife) and how history should reshape Parr's legacy.

Thoughts: Adkins did an excellent job of researching Parr. I particularly enjoyed how this book was formatted with each chapter highlighting a different aspect of Parr's character. This formatting allowed Adkins to dive deeper into Parr's biography than a traditional chronological format. I particularly enjoyed the chapters focusing on Parr's relationships with her stepchild and daughter and the chapter focusing on her religious impact. However, I do think that there was a bit of a downfall with this formatting as there were a few instances where topics were repeated throughout.

The way that Adkins was able to discuss Parr's life as a result of her mother's, Maud's, legacy was both interesting and beautiful framing of Parr's motivations throughout her life. It also helped me understand Parr as a maternal and religious figure. Maud's assistance in both her daughters receiving a Humanist education set the stage for Parr's regency as Queen and Elizabeth I's reign as a regnant Queen. I do not think that I have ever read so clear a description of how Parr's actions provided such a clear blueprint for Elizabeth.

I do think that Adkins had an interesting outlook on Parr as a wife. I do think that her discussion of each of Parr's marriages did pose some interesting questions for me to consider. I never really thought about the level to which Parr actually cared for Henry VIII. The evidence that Adkins presented made me sit and think. I did think that Adkins was a little too favourable to Thomas Seymour throughout the book. The evidence does suggest that Parr had feelings for Seymour before their marriage, but I felt that the discussion of his manipulative behaviour was slightly glossed over in several chapters.

This is an excellent introductory work to Kathryn Parr. The way it is structured highlights different facets of Parr and demonstrates the importance she played in English history.

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Death, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Child death, War, Sexism, Classism, and Death of parent

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final wife, the one who survived. These words are what people think about when it comes to Katherine (Kateryn) Parr. However, before she even met Henry VIII, she had already lived quite a life, being married twice before meeting the king. She was a scholar, reformer, daughter, stepmother, wife, and mother. A woman who lived a rather intriguing life and happened to marry the King of England, Kateryn Parr’s life has been told in numerous mediums for centuries. Now, Laura Adkins has chosen to write about this famous Tudor wife in the biography, “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. Katherine Parr is my favorite wife of Henry VIII and one of my favorite Tudor queens. I have read a few novels and nonfiction books that featured Katherine Parr, but I have yet to read a biography about the titular woman, until now.

Adkins begins her dive into the past not in the Tudor era, but in the 18th century as we see a group of ladies finding the tomb of Kateryn Parr at Sudeley Castle and her tomb being opened several times. We then jump back into the past and explore the Parr family. Kateryn was the eldest child of Thomas and Maud Parr. We get to see Kateryn’s childhood with her siblings William and Anne and how the Parr siblings continued the Parr legacy in their own ways.

We then dive into Kateryn’s marriages, starting with Edward Borough, then John Neville Lord Latimer, King Henry VIII, and finally Thomas Seymour. With each relationship, we get to see Kateryn change from a young teen who was trying to survive to a strong woman who is willing to fight for those she loves and the faith she believes in. We see Kateryn become a stepmother to the Latimer children, Mary, Edward, and Elizabeth, and finally become the mother of her child, Mary Seymour. Adkins chooses to focus on the different elements of Kateryn’s life instead of having a traditional chronological biography, which is a unique take on Kateryn’s story. I will say that because of the format of this book, there was some repetition of different stories and facts in this book.

Overall, I think this was a decent biography about Kateryn Parr. It was easy to read and included actual letters written to and by Kateryn. A loyal wife and stepmother who influenced those around her long after she died. If you want to read a solid biography about this remarkable woman, I suggest you read, “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife” by Laura Adkins.

[CAROLYN Wyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Queen by Laura Adkins is loaded with interesting information about Kateryn Parr and the court. I have always had a fascination with history, especially this time period, so when I saw this book I jumped on the opportunity to read it. I am glad I did because this book has information that I have never heard before.

Kateryn Parr is most known for being “the wife that survived,” as in the only wife of King Henry VIII that outlived him, but she accomplished much in her lifetime.

“A small number of women even began to become authors themselves like Kateryn did. She would be the first to publish under her own name in England.”
We are not taught in history, the significance on her accomplishments in a time when women were seen as property. She deviated from the typical traditional role, and became a published author. She believed knowledge and education was important and imperative for everyone, not just the rich.

“Like with her portraits, Kateryn would use her writings as a form of propaganda too.”
She was the first Queen to have a full body portrait commissioned, and used these portraits to show her status and value to the kingdom, as well as the world. She broke from traditions and portrayed herself in a different form, one that makes her stand out from others of her time

“Her confidence of putting her name to her work for the first time would lead the way for other female writers in England to follow. Kateryn represents a real breakthrough in an age when only the most privileged women were to receive an education.”
Kateryn Parr was an exceptional woman, knowledgeable caring and steadfast in her beliefs. She not only was a trendsetter, but a pioneer, living her life for service and duty, but at the same time being cognizant of the dangers around her.

“Kateryn Parr was not just the wife who survived Henry VIII but a woman who excelled in her duties and role which life had given her.”
She was a mother to all her stepchildren, giving them love as well as guidance throughout her lifetime. They were more than chess pieces, they were her family and she was raised to know the meaning and value of that word.

I found it very interesting learning that her grave had been disturbed, having been lost for years.

I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about that time period and of a Queen that was more than just a wife, but a remarkable figure in history.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Parr (she signed her letters as Kateryn; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the 6 wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until Henry's death on 28 January 1547. Catherine was the final queen consort of the House of Tudor, and outlived Henry by a year and eight months. With 4 husbands, she is the most-married English queen. She was the first woman to publish an original work under her own name, in English, in England.Catherine Parr was the eldest child of Sir Thomas Parr,and Maud Green.Sir Thomas Parr was a descendant of King Edward III, and the Parrs were a substantial northern family which included many knights. Catherine had two younger siblings,William, and Anne.Catherine's father died when she was young, and she was close to her mother as she grew up.Catherine enjoyed a close relationship with her stepchildren.Catherine was appointed regent from July to September 1544 while Henry was on a military campaign in France; in the event that he lost his life, she was to rule as regent until Edward came of age. However, he did not give her any function in government in his will. Following the king's death, she assumed the role of guardian to her stepdaughter, Elizabeth.On 25 April 1544, Catherine published her first book, Psalms or Prayers, anonymously.Her book Prayers or Meditations became the first book published by an English queen under her own name on 2 June 1545. She published a third book, The Lamentation of a Sinner, on 5 November 1547. On account of her Protestant sympathies, she provoked the enmity of anti-Protestant officials, who sought to turn the king against her; a warrant for her arrest was drawn up.However, she and the king soon reconciled.It is thought that her actions as regent, together with her strength of character and noted dignity, and later religious convictions, greatly influenced her stepdaughter Lady Elizabeth (future Elizabeth I of England).Her fourth and final marriage caused controversy and she sadly died after giving birth to her first biological child,daughter Mary Seymour.Ultimately Kateryn was dutiful,passionate, family oriented,erudite,and pious.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the last week or so, I have learned more about one of the most underrated tudor icons than I have in my lifetime and you know what? I am all over it because Kateryn Parr was a Queen in every sense of the word, traditional and contemporary slng. Wowsers.

So She was known and "the one that survived" Henry VII (even since school so many years ago I remember; "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived" Henry had a pattern that is for sure! So Henry is remembered for not exactly working at his marriages and the Mary Rose ship. Moving on from him and on to our new icon, Keteryn Parr.

So a couple days back I reviewed Women's Lives in the Tudor Era by Amy McElroy and The Mysterious Death of Ketherine Parr by June Woolerton and now, with reading Kateryn Parr by Laura Adkins, I have really grown to adore this incredible, underrate Queen

In Tudor England, every part of a woman's life was ruled by men and even the nobility had limited education and opportunities outside of wedlock. So for a Kateryn Parr to become a reformer as well as an author in her widowhood, was simply unheard of. She united people, she was a devoted mother and highly intelligent whilst keeping her counsel and watching. A little known fact was that she was the first ever woman in England to have a book published in her own name and as such, in my humble opinion, should be the patron saint of all female authors, or at least an icon

While Kateryn Parr's end was utterly unjustified, her life is one to be revered in the highest order and this incredible book does just that. Written and presented beautifully, an essential addition to any scholars library


Thank you very much to Netgalley, Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History and the fantastic author Laura Adkins for this fascinating ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

[Kavanand (Reading for Two) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Queen is an excellent short biography of Henry VIII’s last wife. Kateryn (as she spelled her name, and it also helps to distinguish her from Henry’s two other wives named Catherine) doesn’t get the same level of attention that Catherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn, but she’s a fascinating woman and this book is a great place to start when learning about her.

In the rhyme about Henry’s wives (divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived), Kateryn is the one who survived. But she almost didn’t. There was a Catholic plot to bring down Kateryn, who favored the reformed religion, but she figured out the plan and threw herself at Henry’s mercy, saving herself from arrest and likely execution (once Henry imprisoned his wives, they were dead to him).

Kateryn was well educated and a very intelligent woman who authored books in a time when women rarely did so. She was a loving stepmother who built close relationships with Henry’s three children and she helped Henry improve his relationships with his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, both of whom he had previously disinherited.

This isn’t a traditional biography. Instead of a timeline sort of narrative, each chapter focuses on a different aspect of Kateryn’s, as a wife, a stepmother and mother, a religious reformer, an author, and a Queen.

If you’re new to Kateryn Parr or Tudor history, this book is a great place to start. The author has included a detailed timeline and who’s who, both of which are really helpful. I highly recommend this book as a great way to get to know one of England’s lesser known but most fascinating queens.

I received an ARC from the publisher Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this incredible biography of Henry VIII’s final wife, Adkins brings Kateryn Parr’s fascinating life to the forefront of this biography. Focusing on her family, her education, her four marriages and relationships with her stepchildren, and her time as Queen of England, Adkins emphasizes Kateryn in her own right -- not as the mere wife of some other man. Considering her mother’s role at court and her hard work to protect her children’s interests, Adkins centers Kateryn’s life in a larger tradition of powerful and capable English noblewomen with the practical knowledge and the humanist education to wield power at the highly patriarchal English court. Adkins also emphasizes how Kateryn really was an equal partner in many of her marriages and the care she took to cultivate positive relationships with her stepchildren (which includes three monarchs of England); Adkins particularly focuses on Mary Tudor and Kateryn’s relationship, rather than Elizabeth and Kateryn’s, an interesting angle with a wealth of historical information. Drawing on some truly marvelous primary sources, Adkins explores Kateryn’s written record as a writer through her Lamentations of a Sinner and her correspondence, analyzing specific word choices and the significance of such documentation. A must-read for any Tudor lover, Adkins’s biography of Kateryn Parr is absolutely stunning in its detail and analysis.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a brief, rather surface look at the woman best known as King Henry VIII's sixth wife, Katherine (Kateryn) Parr. But she was so much more than that. A highly educated woman who survived the dangerous world of Tudor politics in two marriages before Henry, Katherine was a fascinating woman in her own right. Then to manage Henry and survive plots against her as queen, you know she was both clever and politically savvy.

I was disappointed in this book. Not necessarily that it was pretty surface level, some books do that. And author Laura Adkins quotes extensively from some of Parr's letters, which was interesting. It was the poor writing and repetition that sunk the book for me. I did read an advance copy, so maybe more editing happened after the copy I read, but the writing was clumsy, awkward, and often far more repetitive than it needed to be. I ended up needing to skim some sections because they were virtually unreadable, particularly as the book went on. It took away from being able to treat the book as a serious biography of Kateryn Parr.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kateryn Parr is unique in many ways. Obviously one of the things that sets her apart from some of her counterparts is that she was able to survive the tumultuous Henry VIII. As his last queen, she was walking into a position that was not one of the most secure in the nation. She set aside her own wants to do take on the role of queen.
She had a very interesting life, and was one of the movers in some of the newer religious thoughts that were starting to sweep through Europe. Religious freedom was not a thing in England, and so to even read some of the documents that were making the rounds could have cost her.

Laura Adkins did a fantastic job with this book. Even though there was really no new information, it was still a great read. I highly enjoyed this one!

Thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for an advanced review copy for my unbiased review.

[Georgi_Lvs_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

‘Kateryn’s last few years of her life had been just as chaotic as her centuries of disturbance while dead.’

Kateryn Parr is the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII. In this book you get to know everything about her from where she grew up, her education, her previous husbands, to her finally marrying for love.

A quick and easy read.

A must read for any history and Tudor fan.

I wonder what would have been if Kateryn had decided to stay a widow, never to re-marry or have any of her own children.

In chapter 10 (final chapter) gives you details of all the people mentioned in this book. Like a mini history lesson :)

‘Kateryn showed her two stepdaughters that a woman was able to wield power in a world of men.’

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kathryn Parr by Laura Adkins is a very brief book about Queen Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII who many consider the lucky one. In the famous rhyme, Katherine Parr is the one who “survived.”

Katherine is a fascinating character from Tudor times. She married four times, only had one biological child, but quite a few step children, she published her writings, and yes infamously did survive the marriage to a King who had sent two of his wives to the block for treason. Yet, there was so much more to the Queen, that I felt was only touched on in Adkin’s novel. There was quite a bit of circling back to the husbands of Parr, which in someways is to be expected as they were the men she was linked with through out history, and I did find the glossary of Tudor figures at the end wholly unnecessary. Most people aren’t picking up a book about Katherine Parr without having some kind of basis in the history of these characters.

However, for a quick read that covers the life a women known to history as the survivor, albeit rather lightly, I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Sword for the advanced reader copy.

[Stephanie P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, Laura Adkins, and Pen & Sword for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII's Sixth Queen in the return of an honest review. I received an advanced reader copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Henry's final wife is one that I have not really gravitated towards when exploring the Tudor time period. The book itself is very short, but it is actually full of information. It feels thoroughly researched and it is enjoyable to read some of the letters that she wrote. I feel like this book would be a good jumping off point for anyone interested in learning more about the wife who survived. She accomplished a lot during her brief life.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kateryn Parr was certainly an interesting figure of her time. She was many things aside from being the last wife of Henry VIII but not much actually gets told/portrayed accurately in media (hisfic, movies, etc.), so I would consider this book to be a must read for those that want a better understanding of what is known about the life of Kateryn Parr and those that were important to her.

~copy via netgalley ~

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remembered as King Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Kateryn Parr was an intelligent and passionate reformer. She survived treacherous Tudor politics, united Henry’s family, became England’s first woman author, and mentored Elizabeth I. This informative biography is interesting, enjoyable, and easy to read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Liz Nesbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good non-fiction novel detailing the life of Katheryn Parr. I've always been interested in the Tudor Dynasty and very interested in the wives of Henry VIII. Definitely give this book a read if you love historical non-fiction books

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!

A great biography of Kateryn Parr, too often dismissed as "survived". here we see the many influences on her life that she brought to the throne, the leadership she showed in politics, religion, the arts, and publishing, and how she then in turn influenced others. Adkins is both effusive in praise for what Kateryn Parr did right, but doesn't shy away from pointing out the many mistakes she made at the end, otherwise known as "Thomas Seymour."