Henry VIII's Last Love: The Extraordinary Life of Katherine Willoughby, Lady-in-Waiting to the Tudors

by David Baldwin

In 1533, Katherine Willoughby married Charles Brandon, Henry VIII’s closest friend. She would go on to serve at the court of every Tudor monarch except Henry VII and Mary Tudor. Duchess of Suffolk at the age of fourteen, she became a powerful woman ruling over her own households and wielding influence through her proximity to the king. She grew to know Henry well. In 1538, just three months after Jane Seymour’s death, it was reported that they had been ‘masking and visiting’ together, and in 1543 she became a lady-in-waiting to his sixth wife, Catherine Parr. Henry had a reputation for tiring of his wives once the excitement of the pursuit was over, and in February 1546, only six months after Charles Brandon’s death, it was believed that Henry intended to wed Katherine Willoughby himself if he could end his present marriage. This is the remarkable story of a life of privilege, tragedy and danger lived by a woman who nearly became the seventh wife of Henry VIII.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period, Biography, Historical, 16th Century, Royalty

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2015

About the author

David Baldwin was a historian that specialised in late medieval history, particularly the Wars of the Roses, and was a lecturer at both the University of Leicester and the University of Nottingham. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 2012.

Reviews

[Bettie]

Before her romance with Henry, Katherine was married to his close friend Charles Brandon. The pair tied the knot in 1533, when Katherine was 14 and Charles almost 50. But in 1534 she and Henry began to exchange New Year gifts, and four years later, after the death of the king’s third wife Jane Seymour, it was reported that they were enjoying one another’s company.

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[Serena · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is the first example of sensationalization in the book. Katherine Whilloughby was not Henry VIII's "last love." At the supposed time of his love, he was married to his sixth wife, Catherine Parr. Henry was annoyed with his wife for outspoken Protestantism, but in this, the Duchess of Suffolk was worse. (There are other factors such as she was either married to, or the recent widow of Henry's close friend Charles Brandon-though the author says the Duke may have been paid off to look the other way, she was in her early 20's-but age never stopped Henry. Katherine was the Queen's friend and wouldn't try to have her divorced or executed. Or, there's no evidence other than a rumour or two.) There are less than five pages of the biography dedicated to titular theory. Because it was meant to titulate. There's the time when she was afraid that Elizabeth was "going to have her executed," that was an experience that barely had her out of court. Hyberbole is strong in this book.
I know that a biography of this sort is difficult. Padding it (or the large font, large spacing and lots of pictures) can be necessary. There are parts that I think there is information about, that isn't included. I've wondered about her mother, Maria de Salinas. The book says nothing more than the fact of her being a ladies maid of Catherine of Aragon's. Not even her age, anything of her life in Spain, her life in England, how she met her husband.....Katherine had siblings, what happened to them? Even more about her life with Brandon, and as the Duchess of Sufolk.
This book is frustrating in what it *could* be. And it seems that it chose sensationalism over substance.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

c2015. Not quite sure what to say about this one. My key thought is that it is a misleading title. Indeed, the main thrust was Katherine (so many K(C)atherines back in the day) but there is no evidence whatsoever that she was any where close to being the 'last love'. An interesting recounting of the life of a noble lady in the Tudor period (and not a very nice one at that) but one which would, perhaps, excite no interest in a bookshop. Not really recommended unless you want some historical background. 'She admits that 'my Lady [Mary] loves wine who knows her that knows not that...and my son hates it not'

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the idea of a biography of Katherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk and was excited to start this but was disappointed. I made it half-way and finally gave it up.

The title is misleading and is merely fodder to sell books. Baldwin presents no evidence of romantic relationship between Henry VIII and Katherine Willoughby, nor any intention by Henry VIII to take Katherine as his seventh wife.

It might have been more enjoyable had the author built more of a history about Katherine’ parents and then spent more time on her life with Charles Brandon; both as his ward, then as his wife.

[Lil's Vintage World · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Tudor woman who I had not read about before I discovered this book, and the author brought her to life for me.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another book that I picked up cheap and enjoyed. The book delves into the life of Katherine as she becomes a ward and then the young wife of Charles Brandon, friend of King Henry VIII. Brandon is a character that has always fascinated me ever since I first watched The Tudors on TV, with several books praising him as a kind and generous man, while others talk of a nasty and brutal man-depending on the stance of individual authors and which Queen they loved. It was interesting to see a bit about his marriage to Katherine covered in the book, which also paints him in a favourable light.

Katherine herself is an interesting Tudor woman-independent and outspoken, becoming fanatical about the new religion and having to avoid her Catholic enemies because of it. It looks at her interactions with various monarchs like Mary and Elizabeth I, her friendship with Queen Katherine Parr and her difficulties with the wife of her son. We also see the various tragic events in her life as well as her exile in Europe. It all paints a fascinating picture of the woman. However the one thing missing was any real evidence of any romantic relationship with Henry VIII or any prospect of her being his next wife. A few vague pieces of gossip prove nothing to me really but I still liked the book.

[Sam Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ridiculous title 🙄 but really interesting and I enjoyed it

[Helen Carolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent biography of another woman forgotten by history. At 14 Katherine Willoughby married Charles Brandon, brother in-law to Henry V111, thus coming into the kings orbit. The two appeared to have a good releationship, but whether there was ever anything more between them is hard to prove. Certainly during Henry's marriage to Catherine Parr there were rumours that he was about to put the queen aside in favour of Katherine. Katherine's unflinching stance with regard to her religion may have made a marriage with Henry impossible. During the reign of Mary Tudor she was forced into exile and with the coming of Elizabeth to the throne, she must have hoped for many new changes to religious doctrine. Elizabeth however chose a much more moderate approach and Katherine had to be content to live a life of tolerance. A wonderful biography of a remarkable woman.

[Patricia Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, I grew up travelling through Tattershall to visit my grandfather. It was the first castle I went inside so then I became interested in the families who had lived there.

Later I discovered Maria de Salinas, who travelled from Spain with Katherine of Aragon both Catholic. She married William Willoughby and their daughter was Katherine Willoughby who was a dedicated Protestant. David Baldwin has captured her long life wonderfully, being the ward of Charles Brandon, then becoming his wife aged 14.

She had such a complex and interesting life,in later life becoming a strong and powerful woman in her own right. She married the second time for love not for fortune but the life before then is complex.

If you love history, especially the Tudors this is a must read.

[Lauren Link · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most notorious King in British history is arguably King Henry VIII and most people will be aware of the old English nursery rhyme that described the fates of his long suffering wives, however, very few people realise that Henry almost had his sixth wife Kateryn Parr executed and replaced with her lady-in-waiting.
Henry VIII's Last Love by David Baldwin tells the little known story of Katherine Willoughby whose whole life revolved around the English court and was fortunate enough to witness the reigns of Henry VIII and all three of his children; Katherine's story begins when Catherine of Aragon travelled from her childhood home in Spain alongside Willoughby's mother María de Salinas in order to marry Prince Arthur the eldest son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

Katherine's father William, the eleventh Baron Willoughby had fought bravely against the French on behalf of King Henry VIII during the early years of his reign and the King sought to show his gratitude by helping William make what is arguably two excellent matches. When William's first wife died at a young age, the King helped to orchestrate the marriage between William and Maria which took place in the June of 1516 in the presence of the King and Queen.

Fast forward to the 22nd of March 1519, Maria gave birth to her second child Katherine at Parham Old Hall, Sussex; unfortunately both of her brothers Henry and Francis died leaving Katherine the sole heir to her father's barony which she inherited after her father's death in 1526. The death of her father meant that Katherine was know a ward of the Crown which definitely improved her marriage prospects. Unfortunately, Katherine's uncle Sir Christopher Willoughby claimed that as the closest surviving male relative of William he was legally entitle to certain properties; the matter did not resolve itself until Henry Brandon the husband of King Henry's sister Mary purchased Katherine's wardship in the March of 1528.
Shortly after the death of Mary Brandon, Katherine became the wife of her former guardian at fourteen years of age but despite the significant age gap Brandon and Katherine had a relatively successful marriage which produced two boys Henry and Charles; in 1551 an epidemic of sweating sickness swept across England claiming the lives of many including Henry and Charles who died within hours of one another leaving their mother devastated.

After Katherine was widowed in 1545 she was unable to marry until both of her children died due to stipulations in her husband's will, however the out spoken Katherine decided to focus all of her attention on her religious beliefs which were not only highly controversial but bordering on hereticsy; Katherine acted as a lady-in-waiting to several of the six wives of Henry VIII but due to their shared religious beliefs Katherine shared a close bond with Henry's final wife. Henry quickly became fed up of Kateryn 's passionate and outspoken beliefs especially surrounding the education of girls so he decided to have her imprisioned however Kateryn managed to save her head by flattering the King's massive ego.

The book's title suggests that Katherine and Henry were conducting an extramarital affair yet there is very little evidence to support the authors claims; we know for a fact that Kathrine shared a lot of her mistress's beliefs and this was a well know fact within the English court, so I personally find it hard to believe that Henry would willingly dispose of one outspoken woman just so that he could marry another.

Although the title is a little bit misleading, I found the book to be well researched and the author included plenty of sources which made me feel closer to Katherine and definitely helped to give me a better understanding of who she was as a person and why she made some of the decisions that she did. My only complaint is that the author dedicated several pages solely to how much money Katherine and her second husband spent which although interesting it quickly became tedious.

I was delighted that the author chose to describe the events that saw the downfall of Katherine's three step-granddaughters; Lady Jane Grey was executed for treason while her younger sisters both married in secret without Queen Elizabeth's blessing which saw them both placed under house arrest.

Ultimately, I found Henry VIII's last love to be a fascinating read which I highly recommend to anyone who loves the Tudors, if I had to rate the book I would give it four stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written biography about Katherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk. Daughter of Mary De Salinas, lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon, she was sent to live with Henry's sister Mary and her husband, Charles Brandon with the intent that she and her fortune would be married to their son. When Mary died, Charles, Duke of Suffolk married the fourteen year old girl instead of his son. Katherine Willoughby became a key player in Henry's court, acting as a lady in waiting to several of his wives. Along with Katherine Parr, Henry's sixth wife, she embraced Protestantism, enough so that when Henry died and his Catholic daughter became Queen she had to flee. It was rumored she had an affair with Henry, and when his sixth wife flirted dangerously with the reformation, Henry cast his eye on the widowed Duchess. She married a man of lesser rank, but maintained importance in the Protestant Reformation when she returned to England. Katherine Willoughby was a fascinating person, a woman ahead of her time. In a time when women appeared to be little more than chattel, married off for dynastic reasons, spunky Katherine Willoughby refused to be a victim of her circumstances and made the most of what she was handed. This was a woman that used her resources to send her life in the direction she desired. Faced with inconsolable tragedy when both her sons succumbed to the sweating sickness, she picked up the pieces of her life to carve out a new existence and create a family with Richard Bertie. She was a woman of both fortitude and courage, unafraid to forge ahead and speak her mind in a time when that could cause a beheading. I think Katherine Willoughby is often eclipsed by the bevy of woman who graced Henry's bed, and I loved this book that brought her out to shine as a rare example of a Renaissance woman, perhaps even a precursor to the feminist movement in that she was a woman who thought for herself and wasn't afraid to show it.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that 3.5 stars might be a more accurate rating for this book. However, I do not think that this rating is necessarily a reflection of the book itself, but rather a frustration with the information lost to history.

It was incredibly well written and well-researched. However, as is often the case with women from this time period it did not always feel like Katherine was the center of the story. For example, the listing of her household accounts was interesting as it gave a glimpse of how she and her husband were conducting their lives during that given period. Nevertheless, the list was a bit tedious and I found it far more interesting when Baldwin stopped listing things and outlined how those expenses overlapped with what is known about Katherine's whereabouts near the time of those purchases.

Additionally, think that this book is misnamed. I'm sure that had more to do with the publishing house than with the author, but I would not describe the information outlined in this book as enough evidence to describe her as Henry VIII's last love. Given that the evidence at various points in her life is scarce it is really just rumours and speculation about the relationship that may or may not have happened between Katherine and Henry. The foundation for which doesn't even take up a whole chapter.

Regardless of my frustrations with things lost to history and the title of the book I found this to be a very interesting biography about a prominent Tudor woman. I was not aware of how prominent a role she played in many of the aspects of the Tudor court, but given her parentage and her first husband it makes does make sense. It is fantastic that Baldwin has brought Katherine Willoughby back to the forefront of Tudor history.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of a "click-bait" title. There is a little bit about Henry and how he possibly could have been interested in Katherine as a wife, but the book is really about Katherine Willoughby and her life, mostly based on letters and extant documents. It gets a bit ahead of itself in some places, and the lack of actual information about specific time periods can be frustrating, but it's still pretty interesting, although it will reveal nothing new to Tudor enthusiasts.

[Madame Mocenigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was quite a good, interesting and challenging read, but I was expecting more of Katherine Willoughby's interaction with King Henry VIII rather than with William Cecil and Elizabeth I.

I understand that it is a biography of her life, but I was still hoping to read more about her relationship to the King.

Aside from that, a big well done goes to David Baldwin for his writing style and way of capturing facts. It was a book I really enjoyed reading.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the title titillates just enough to mislead you—even if Katherine Willoughby did catch the eye of Henry VIII, the chapter on their relationship is short and lacks evidence—this book was a very fun look at a forgotten member of the Tudor and Elizabethan courts who must have witnessed much and experienced even greater adventures.

[Bill Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Baldwin's extensive research on the Duchess of Suffolk reveals a few nuggets on her life and movement during Mary and Elizabeth's reign. Unfortunately, the minimal documentation surviving this period leaves us yearning to know more.

[AnneMarie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It just wasn’t for me, I got halfway through and had to admit I didn’t care enough about this detailed history of this woman’s life, nor her link to the ups and downs of the Protestant faith.

[Rhona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting!

[Claire Biggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read into the life of Katherine mainly from when she married Charles Brandon not much about supposedly being Henry VIII last love

[Mirella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Willoughby grew up in the Tudor court where her mother, Maria de Salinas, was a lady-in-waiting for Queen Catherine of Aragon and her father, Baron William Willoughby de Eresby, served the king.

When her father suddenly fell ill and died, as the only heir, Katherine inherited all his titles and holdings. She was only seven and became an incredibly wealthy young heiress. In fact, she became one of the wealthiest heiress' in all of England.

Of course, with so much wealth at hand, disputes arose. Namely, her father’s brother, Sir Christopher Willoughby argued that the holdings could pass to only male heirs and accused Katherine’s mother of concealing important papers that established the title to various estates, and of having kept him out of possession of estates that rightfully belonged to him.

While disputes raged, King Henry VIII stepped up and made Katherine his ward. That is, until he decided to sell her wardship to his best friend and brother-in-law, Charles Brandon, the 1st Duke of Suffolk.

Charles Brandon
1st Duke of Suffolk

As her new guardian, and now formally in possession of Katherine’s titles and wealth, Suffolk immediately took action to put an end to the bitter quarreling and constant interference by Christopher Willoughby. Suffolk wrote a letter to the all powerful Cardinal Wolsey. Wolsey vociferously threw his support behind Suffolk and Katherine’s uncle backed off. For a while, at least.

To secure Katherine’s wealth even further, Suffolk betrothed the young Catherine to his ten year old son, Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln, who was his son by his third wife, Mary Tudor.

When his wife Mary died, however, Suffolk became interested in Katherine for himself. And why not? After all, there was much wealth at stake. So, he cancelled the betrothal he had previously arranged between Katherine and his son, and he married her instead. He was forty-nine and Katherine was fourteen.

All the while, the dispute over Catherine’s inheritance raged. Suffolk forced Katherine’s Uncle Christopher to relinquish possession of some of the contested estates, and thus he became the greatest magnate in all of Lincolnshire.

Katherine bore her husband two sons, Henry and Charles. She was very intelligent with a passion for education. Outspoken and witty, she supported English Reformation and became a close friend of Queen Catherine Parr. King Henry took a great interest in her. When Suffolk died, King Henry VIII was seriously considering making her his seventh wife because Queen Catherine Parr had yet to produce an heir. Fortunate for Katherine, that never happened, and King Henry VIII was destined to have only six wives!

The details of her life and her relationship with King Henry VIII is documented in a newly released book. The book is well researched and provides wonderful insight into this fascinating woman's life.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Katherine Willoughby is a fascinating person in her own right. She was the daughter of one of Katherine of Aragon's ladies-in-waiting, a Baroness in her own right. At age 14 she married Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, who was at least pushing 50, and previously was betrothed to his son who died not long after their marriage. She was a close friend of Henry VIII's last Queen Katherine Parr, and became one of the leading reformers. After Brandon's death, her life continued to be interesting, marrying again below her rank, was in exile during Mary I's reign, and died well into the reign of Elizabeth I, aged about 60.
Unfortunately, this book tends to sensationalise a lot of things. Starting with the "Henry VIII's Last Love" title for example, there are only a few pages dedicated to this in the book, as even the author admits it was highly unlikely that Henry ever considered Katherine as a wife. Yes he was annoyed at his own wife and Queen at the time (Katherine Parr) for being incredibly outspoken on matters of religion, but would he really have considered someone even more outspoken on that subject to be his wife instead? Unlikely! The other slightly sensational point is Katherine fearing arrest towards the end of her life. As seen in the book, apart from a letter, there is very little else on the matter.
Unfortunately there is also a lot of "would have", and "could have", talk in here as well. I understand sometimes you have to read between the lines on these things, but imagining what would have happened behind closed doors is a bit much. For example, saying that Charles Brandon would have given his wife a strict talking to following her outspokenness at a social gathering is stretching into the realms of fiction a bit.
There are some pretty interesting parts. Katherine's time in exile is well documented, and many of her letters survive, which gives us an understanding into her personality. The author does do a good job of trying to bring her to life, and it is a good book, with a lot of information including letters, accounts, locations etc into Katherine's life. But unfortunately at times it does get a bit sensational. I preferred the authors biography on Elizabeth Woodville.

[Jennie Diplock-Storer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a fascinating read about an extraordinary woman who was relevant during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary & Elizabeth I.

As a passionate lover of all things Tudor, it was a revelation to learn Katherine's full story, especially after the deaths of both her husband, Charles Brandon,Duke of Suffolk & King Henry VIII. She was still a young woman & married again, having two chiller with her second husband.

As a staunch Protestant, she & her husband & baby, fled England during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary, living in various regions of Europe until Mary's death.

On their return to England, Katherine maintained a position at Court. She voiced strong opinions regarding the new faith of England & was very active in the development of Churches connected to her various homes. They were a wonderful legacy following her passing.

A little dry in some areas, I still found Henry VIII's Last Love very readable & would recommend it to my fellow Tudorphiles!!!!

[Linda Humberstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this is a historical account of Katherine Willoughby, who appears to have been quite a formidable lady, but it is a bit of a 'dry' read. It also covers the religious position of Catholics and Protestants in England during the reigns of most of the Tudors and how furtive people had to become to survive. I particularly liked the illustrations in this book, some of which I haven't seen before.

[Angie and the Daily Book Dose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was more than a little sensational, but I enjoyed it! Not enough historical evidence can be established to show that there was anything of a romantic relationship between Katherine and the King, but it's an interesting way to sensationalize her already pretty interesting life.

[Ulla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lot's of information, surely, but a bit too "scientific" for my taste!