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Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr
The general perception of Katherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of Henry VIII, is that she was a provincial nobody with intellectual pretensions who became queen of England because the king needed a matronly consort to nurse him as his health declined. In the various studies of the six wives of Henry VIII she receives much less attention than Katherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn. Her main achievement, in the famous rhyme about Henry's six wives, is that she 'survived'.
Yet the real Katherine Parr was attractive, passionate (she had a mighty temper when aroused) ambitious and highly intelligent. She was thirty years old (younger than Anne Boleyn had been) when she married the king. Twice widowed, held hostage by the northern rebels during the great uprising of 1536-37 known as the Pilgrimage of Grace, her life had been dramatic even before she became queen. It would remain so after Henry's death, when she hastily and secretly married her old flame, the rakish Sir Thomas Seymour. Katherine died shortly after giving birth to her only child in September 1548, her brief happiness undermined by the very public flirtation of her husband and step-daughter, Princess Elizabeth.
Despite the vivid interest of her life, this is the first full-scale, accessible biography of this fascinating woman who was, in reality, one of the most influential and active queen consorts in English history.
Yet the real Katherine Parr was attractive, passionate (she had a mighty temper when aroused) ambitious and highly intelligent. She was thirty years old (younger than Anne Boleyn had been) when she married the king. Twice widowed, held hostage by the northern rebels during the great uprising of 1536-37 known as the Pilgrimage of Grace, her life had been dramatic even before she became queen. It would remain so after Henry's death, when she hastily and secretly married her old flame, the rakish Sir Thomas Seymour. Katherine died shortly after giving birth to her only child in September 1548, her brief happiness undermined by the very public flirtation of her husband and step-daughter, Princess Elizabeth.
Despite the vivid interest of her life, this is the first full-scale, accessible biography of this fascinating woman who was, in reality, one of the most influential and active queen consorts in English history.
383 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2010
172 people are currently reading
4230 people want to read
About the author
Linda Porter
31 books87 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Linda Porter was born in Exeter, Devon in 1947. Her family have long-standing connections to the West Country, but moved to the London area when she was a small child. She was educated at Walthamstow Hall School in Sevenoaks and at the University of York, from which she has a doctorate in History. On completing her postgraduate work she moved to New York, where she lived for almost a decade, lecturing at Fordham University and the City University of New York.
Since returning to England, Porter has had a varied career. She has worked as a journalist and been a senior adviser on international public relations to a major telecommunications company. But she has always stayed close to her roots as an historian. In 2004 she was the winner of the Biographers Club/Daily Mail prize which launched her on a new career as an author. Her first book, Mary Tudor: The First Queen was published in 2007. In 2010 her second book Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr was published. As of 2010[update] she is doing preliminary research for a third book.
Porter is married with one daughter. She lives in Kent.
Linda Porter was born in Exeter, Devon in 1947. Her family have long-standing connections to the West Country, but moved to the London area when she was a small child. She was educated at Walthamstow Hall School in Sevenoaks and at the University of York, from which she has a doctorate in History. On completing her postgraduate work she moved to New York, where she lived for almost a decade, lecturing at Fordham University and the City University of New York.
Since returning to England, Porter has had a varied career. She has worked as a journalist and been a senior adviser on international public relations to a major telecommunications company. But she has always stayed close to her roots as an historian. In 2004 she was the winner of the Biographers Club/Daily Mail prize which launched her on a new career as an author. Her first book, Mary Tudor: The First Queen was published in 2007. In 2010 her second book Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr was published. As of 2010[update] she is doing preliminary research for a third book.
Porter is married with one daughter. She lives in Kent.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
September 14, 2024
I was interested in reading this biography because I knew so little of her early life, before she became Henry VIII's 6th and surviving wife.
The author did a lot of research into this little known time in Katherine's life and came up with some interesting material.
Katherine was an almost perfect wife and Queen, one that Henry and England both needed and she went about fulfilling her duties in a very dedicated and Christian manner.
She had experience at being a stepmother and was able to bring her talents to mothering Henry's 3 children, who all adored her.
Nice to know that after 3 arranged marriages she was finally able to marry the love of her life, Thomas Seymour, after Henry's death but she sadly died giving birth to her only child.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tudor period.
The author did a lot of research into this little known time in Katherine's life and came up with some interesting material.
Katherine was an almost perfect wife and Queen, one that Henry and England both needed and she went about fulfilling her duties in a very dedicated and Christian manner.
She had experience at being a stepmother and was able to bring her talents to mothering Henry's 3 children, who all adored her.
Nice to know that after 3 arranged marriages she was finally able to marry the love of her life, Thomas Seymour, after Henry's death but she sadly died giving birth to her only child.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tudor period.
May 30, 2023
It helps being so ignorant, because then when I read a book like this I can learn so much!
Katherine Parr was only 34 years old when King Henry VIII, her third husband, died. She had been widowed 3 times, and soon married for the fourth time, and died from childbirth.
A fascinating account of a complex and intriguing personage. It amuses me how much the Tudors still manage to exert a powerful grip on the public imagination.
Katherine Parr was only 34 years old when King Henry VIII, her third husband, died. She had been widowed 3 times, and soon married for the fourth time, and died from childbirth.
A fascinating account of a complex and intriguing personage. It amuses me how much the Tudors still manage to exert a powerful grip on the public imagination.
July 3, 2012
Most people know little Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife. She survived an-almost beheading, married Thomas Seymour, cared for Elizabeth, and died shortly after childbirth. What else is there to know? Lots. Linda Porter’s (author of “Bloody Mary” which I loved) “Katherine, the Queen” strives to be the full first-scale Parr biography, attempting to open up the world of this “final” wife.
Much of the early chunk of “Katherine, the Queen” is a background look at the Parr family from the forefathers to their estates, the scandalous behaviors (or lack thereof) to the rise in royal service; resulting in a dense work. This “big picture” portrait endeavors to create the environment of Katherine’s upbringing but since there clearly isn’t a large amount of direct record of her during this time; it is ultimately speculation and can be considered rambling or tangents from Porter. Albeit, those readers interested in the Parr family will learn extensively about the Parrs in a clear and concise way. Porter’s language is eloquent and flowing, making it accessible but scholarly at the same time. This adds somewhat of a narrative feel versus just a history re-telling.
An insight into Katherine becomes clearer upon the description of her marriage to Lord Latimer (Richard Neville) which reflects the more-ready available sources on this period of her life. Porter still tends to stray into too much detail regarding politics or other aspects which do not involve Parr but it can be argued that the overall landscape is well observed (the Parr family genealogical tables comes in very handy). It does become tedious; however, that Porter focuses more on the environment Parr lives in versus an insight into her actual thoughts or psyche. The book would be substantially shorter if all of this was eliminated (not to mention, there are repetitious areas).
Plus, I noticed several areas in which Porter stated debatable testaments as facts even though I have read otherwise in several other sources. Even as “Katherine, the Queen” progresses, the focus on Katherine is either slim or reaped with speculation. The text is filled with “could of”, “possibly”, “must have”, “unknown”, and “can be assumed” phrases which isn’t quite hard-hitting information and doesn’t satisfy the reader seeking a deep Katherine biography. The information which does actually regard Katherine is more in the nature of her account books/lifestyle than noteworthy events; causing her to be perceived as boring versus a noteworthy queen or female.
Porter does embark in some detective work involving Parr’s publications/authored works and her relations to Anne Askew. Not only does Porter re-tell the events but argues John Foxe’s accuracies of them. On the negative end, Porter can sometimes be filled with too much conviction which can be unsettling, meaning: she makes firm statements without allowing or raising debate. For example, Porter mentions how the Seymour and Dudley factions may have changed Henry VIII’s dying will but simply says it is because Henry’s wishes wouldn’t have “worked” for the realm realistically, and then moves on to the next topic. This leaves much to be desired from the reader.
The ending of “Katherine, the Queen” is quite bluntly: ridiculous. It begins with a solid effort to wrap up the impact/lives of Thomas Seymour and their daughter, Mary, after Katherine’s death. This was interesting especially involving the rather forgotten-about Mary. However, the ridiculous portion comes into play with Porter’s strong insistence and epitaph that Elizabeth’s reign and personality was “created” and influenced by Katherine. This gives Katherine too much credit and unfortunately resulted in a weak ending.
Although Parr used strong research sources (primary, secondary, unpublished, private tours/interviews, etc) and the book contains two sections of color plate illustrations; “Katherine, the Queen” fails to bring Katherine to life or provide the “remarkable” description included in the title of the book. For most Tudor-readers, this book can be skipped as nothing new is learned or formulated. Sadly, Porter’s work is not a strong Katherine biography.
Much of the early chunk of “Katherine, the Queen” is a background look at the Parr family from the forefathers to their estates, the scandalous behaviors (or lack thereof) to the rise in royal service; resulting in a dense work. This “big picture” portrait endeavors to create the environment of Katherine’s upbringing but since there clearly isn’t a large amount of direct record of her during this time; it is ultimately speculation and can be considered rambling or tangents from Porter. Albeit, those readers interested in the Parr family will learn extensively about the Parrs in a clear and concise way. Porter’s language is eloquent and flowing, making it accessible but scholarly at the same time. This adds somewhat of a narrative feel versus just a history re-telling.
An insight into Katherine becomes clearer upon the description of her marriage to Lord Latimer (Richard Neville) which reflects the more-ready available sources on this period of her life. Porter still tends to stray into too much detail regarding politics or other aspects which do not involve Parr but it can be argued that the overall landscape is well observed (the Parr family genealogical tables comes in very handy). It does become tedious; however, that Porter focuses more on the environment Parr lives in versus an insight into her actual thoughts or psyche. The book would be substantially shorter if all of this was eliminated (not to mention, there are repetitious areas).
Plus, I noticed several areas in which Porter stated debatable testaments as facts even though I have read otherwise in several other sources. Even as “Katherine, the Queen” progresses, the focus on Katherine is either slim or reaped with speculation. The text is filled with “could of”, “possibly”, “must have”, “unknown”, and “can be assumed” phrases which isn’t quite hard-hitting information and doesn’t satisfy the reader seeking a deep Katherine biography. The information which does actually regard Katherine is more in the nature of her account books/lifestyle than noteworthy events; causing her to be perceived as boring versus a noteworthy queen or female.
Porter does embark in some detective work involving Parr’s publications/authored works and her relations to Anne Askew. Not only does Porter re-tell the events but argues John Foxe’s accuracies of them. On the negative end, Porter can sometimes be filled with too much conviction which can be unsettling, meaning: she makes firm statements without allowing or raising debate. For example, Porter mentions how the Seymour and Dudley factions may have changed Henry VIII’s dying will but simply says it is because Henry’s wishes wouldn’t have “worked” for the realm realistically, and then moves on to the next topic. This leaves much to be desired from the reader.
The ending of “Katherine, the Queen” is quite bluntly: ridiculous. It begins with a solid effort to wrap up the impact/lives of Thomas Seymour and their daughter, Mary, after Katherine’s death. This was interesting especially involving the rather forgotten-about Mary. However, the ridiculous portion comes into play with Porter’s strong insistence and epitaph that Elizabeth’s reign and personality was “created” and influenced by Katherine. This gives Katherine too much credit and unfortunately resulted in a weak ending.
Although Parr used strong research sources (primary, secondary, unpublished, private tours/interviews, etc) and the book contains two sections of color plate illustrations; “Katherine, the Queen” fails to bring Katherine to life or provide the “remarkable” description included in the title of the book. For most Tudor-readers, this book can be skipped as nothing new is learned or formulated. Sadly, Porter’s work is not a strong Katherine biography.
February 23, 2011
Meticulously researched, accessibly written and long overdue. I think almost everyone knows who Katherine Parr was, but a lot of what everyone knows about her is wrong. This book sets out to unearth the real woman behind the apocrypha, and for my money, succeeds.
The analysis of her first two marriages is fascinating. The story of how she came to marry Henry is more well-known but still quite interesting. The growth of Parr's Protestant identity is researched and explained, with a lovely explication of Anne Askew and how her legend relates to the verifiable historical facts. The brief coda, Parr's fourth marriage, is dissected and discussed more thoroughly and convincingly than I've ever seen.
Highly recommended for Tudor history geeks.
The analysis of her first two marriages is fascinating. The story of how she came to marry Henry is more well-known but still quite interesting. The growth of Parr's Protestant identity is researched and explained, with a lovely explication of Anne Askew and how her legend relates to the verifiable historical facts. The brief coda, Parr's fourth marriage, is dissected and discussed more thoroughly and convincingly than I've ever seen.
Highly recommended for Tudor history geeks.
July 2, 2015
Although I have read many books about the Tudors, this is the first biography of Katherine Parr that I have read. The book was well researched, relying heavily on primary documents. As a result, the image that emerges is a very different woman than those we see in most historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about this clever, resourceful woman. She was obviously the most intelligent of "The Six".
June 6, 2014
The wife, the nurse, the stepmother, all these stereotypes define her but the real Katherine Parr was much more than that. Linda Porter explores her family history and her connections at court and explains why she was so well received and adapted to the position she suddenly found herself in. Of all of Henry's wives, she was one with the less ambitions to be queen yet once she found herself in that position, she used her power to promote her religion, build a stronger network of scholars that were like-minded like her to protect the religious reformers and also offered a safe haven for daughters of noblemen who wished to be educated. Eustace Chapuys in his dispatches was visited by Katherine before he left and spoke very highly of her, in spite of their religious differences, he regarded her as the most deserving of English women to be Queen and thanked her for all she had done for Mary. That's another thing that many people miss, Mary and Katherine were good friends and being closer in age, they spend more time together when she was queen. Katherine was the only one besides his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, to serve as regent while Henry was off fighting in France. She served dilligently and while she made dangerous enemies too, she got out with her head intact by doing the only thing she knew best, and that was humble herself before Henry in a manner that both moved and convince him and cleared her from all future troubles. I was surprised to find out how well connected she was, not only that but besides her education and writing books, she was also very knowledgeable in herbs, maths and other sciences.
March 27, 2020
The sixth wife of Henry VIII was truly remarkable, and one of my favorite historical characters. Sharp and intelligent, she out foxed the members of Henry's court, and kept her life when it was in peril.
A very kind mother to Henry's three children, she was sensitive to know that Mary, in particular, needed a lot of love given the fact that her mother was banished not only from court, but from her daughter whom she did not see before she died.
Previously married twice before, she made wise arrangements and came to Henry with her own cache of fortune from her previous husbands.
Sadly, at the end of her life, after Henry died, she made a foolish choice and married Thomas Seymour. Quite the cad, he previously tried to weasel his way into Elizabeth's young life. Hurting Katherine beyond redemption, he outwardly flirted and wooed Elizabeth. Banned from Katherine's presence, while she was young and not as sharp as when she became queen, Elizabeth learned from the mistake of Thomas Seymour and his advances.
Katherine died shortly after birthing a daughter, whom she name Mary in honor of Princess Mary, Henry's first child, as a result of his first marriage with Catherine of Arragon.
The author did an excellent job at researching the material or the book. Well written, and very well researched, I recommend this to anyone who is interested in the wives of Henry.
A very kind mother to Henry's three children, she was sensitive to know that Mary, in particular, needed a lot of love given the fact that her mother was banished not only from court, but from her daughter whom she did not see before she died.
Previously married twice before, she made wise arrangements and came to Henry with her own cache of fortune from her previous husbands.
Sadly, at the end of her life, after Henry died, she made a foolish choice and married Thomas Seymour. Quite the cad, he previously tried to weasel his way into Elizabeth's young life. Hurting Katherine beyond redemption, he outwardly flirted and wooed Elizabeth. Banned from Katherine's presence, while she was young and not as sharp as when she became queen, Elizabeth learned from the mistake of Thomas Seymour and his advances.
Katherine died shortly after birthing a daughter, whom she name Mary in honor of Princess Mary, Henry's first child, as a result of his first marriage with Catherine of Arragon.
The author did an excellent job at researching the material or the book. Well written, and very well researched, I recommend this to anyone who is interested in the wives of Henry.
April 15, 2010
Just reviewed this wonderful biography at my Tudor book review site - see http://reviews.theanneboleynfiles.com...
Too often Katherine Parr has been portrayed as a nursemaid to the sickly Henry or just as the one who "survived", but Linda Porter celebrates the life of this Queen by devoting a whole book to her and giving comprehensive details on her background, her first two marriages, her dilemma when faced with two suitors: Seymour and the King, her time as Queen and Regent, her faith and her published reformist writings, her relationship with her stepchildren, her marriage to Seymour and her death. A wonderful book and a fitting tribute to my second favourite of Henry VIII's wives.
Too often Katherine Parr has been portrayed as a nursemaid to the sickly Henry or just as the one who "survived", but Linda Porter celebrates the life of this Queen by devoting a whole book to her and giving comprehensive details on her background, her first two marriages, her dilemma when faced with two suitors: Seymour and the King, her time as Queen and Regent, her faith and her published reformist writings, her relationship with her stepchildren, her marriage to Seymour and her death. A wonderful book and a fitting tribute to my second favourite of Henry VIII's wives.
February 28, 2011
A well written and meticulously researched biography of the life of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth and last queen. The book covers the years 1512-1548. It charts Katherine's early life, her marriages and early widow hood, her subsequent remarriage to an ageing and irascible Henry, and finally her indulgent marriage to Thomas Seymour, a man she truly loved,
Historically accurate without being too stuffy, this is a fascinating glance at the life of the surviving queen.
Historically accurate without being too stuffy, this is a fascinating glance at the life of the surviving queen.
August 1, 2014
Fascinating how life worked / works with the class structures in the UK.
March 9, 2023
Katherine Parr was the Kim K of her time, complete even with some awful husbands, and I love her for that. She’s the most slay of the wives💅💅
December 3, 2012
This was one of the better books I have read recently on the Tudors. I think that is because the author explained wider issues than solely the woman's life. Porter made it pretty clear when she was speculating and why she reached the conclusions she did reach.
She also tied up loose ends by relating what happened to important people in Katherine's story even after her death. Probably the most tragic was Katherine's little daughter. Likely she died before her second birthday, which the author pointed out was not at all unusual or particularly tragic. But she lost her mother at only days old....4 I think....and then her father was taken to the tower and eventually executed. Certainly even more than the typical child of that time, she didn't know her parents. She was given to a noble personage to be raised and the woman considered her an unnecessary expense. One has to wonder if it was the high mortality of children at that time that did the little girl in, or calculated neglect. Katherine herself fell for a ne'er do well, Thomas Seymour, who among other attributes, seemed to have a great jealousy of his older brother. Likely Seymour was the only one who Katherine actually loved. She had had 3 elderly husbands before Seymour, the third one being Henry VIII of course. The author claims that Seymour's attentions to the young Elizabeth, likely set her preference for rather wild and dashing men, as far as we know of Elizabeth's preferences. This has the ring of truth to me.
A lot of time was devoted to explaining the social history of Katherine's time, as well as what Katherine's religious preferences were. Both made this title stand above many other titles on the Tudor women. Katherine comes across as mostly a really nice person, although Porter doesn't hesitate to point out that some of her decisions post Henry do not put her in a good light. This is probably one of the queens we know least about so this was a pleasure to read. Maybe she'll write a biography of Anne of Cleves? There is a lady I'd be interested to know more about! People have of course concentrated on Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn but the other wives would be interesting to know about too. As Porter pointed out, the King did value intelligence in his wives. He valued obedience more of course, and never seemed to have recognized the incompatibility of his two preferred personality traits.
She also tied up loose ends by relating what happened to important people in Katherine's story even after her death. Probably the most tragic was Katherine's little daughter. Likely she died before her second birthday, which the author pointed out was not at all unusual or particularly tragic. But she lost her mother at only days old....4 I think....and then her father was taken to the tower and eventually executed. Certainly even more than the typical child of that time, she didn't know her parents. She was given to a noble personage to be raised and the woman considered her an unnecessary expense. One has to wonder if it was the high mortality of children at that time that did the little girl in, or calculated neglect. Katherine herself fell for a ne'er do well, Thomas Seymour, who among other attributes, seemed to have a great jealousy of his older brother. Likely Seymour was the only one who Katherine actually loved. She had had 3 elderly husbands before Seymour, the third one being Henry VIII of course. The author claims that Seymour's attentions to the young Elizabeth, likely set her preference for rather wild and dashing men, as far as we know of Elizabeth's preferences. This has the ring of truth to me.
A lot of time was devoted to explaining the social history of Katherine's time, as well as what Katherine's religious preferences were. Both made this title stand above many other titles on the Tudor women. Katherine comes across as mostly a really nice person, although Porter doesn't hesitate to point out that some of her decisions post Henry do not put her in a good light. This is probably one of the queens we know least about so this was a pleasure to read. Maybe she'll write a biography of Anne of Cleves? There is a lady I'd be interested to know more about! People have of course concentrated on Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn but the other wives would be interesting to know about too. As Porter pointed out, the King did value intelligence in his wives. He valued obedience more of course, and never seemed to have recognized the incompatibility of his two preferred personality traits.
April 10, 2015
Katherine Parr was the sixth and last wife of Henry VIII - mostly remembered because she was the one who "survived". Most people consider her as a nurse more than a wife, while in fact she was a fantastic queen, with great political acumen and a remarkable intellect. Others do not have a high esteem of her because she hastily married Thomas Seymour after Henry VIII's death, and then suffered a problematic marriage. And yet Katherine was much more than a woman only driven by love. Linda Porter explores her life and her character in this well researched and compelling biography.
I must admit I found the beginning quite boring. The chapters about the Parr family and about the Pilgrimage of Grace were a little dragged on, even if kind of interesting; but after a while I grew bored because Katherine seemed almost forgotten. Once she becomes Henry VIII's sixth wife, however, the biography becomes really involving and hard to put down.
I had always admired Katherine (she is my second favourite wife after Anne Boleyn), but there were many things I did not know about her, and so I found Porter's research truly interesting. Katherine was probably one of Henry's best choices, regarding his love life: she was a mature, educated and intelligent woman, who took very seriously her role as Queen and, in one occasion, Regent. She was too open when it came to her religious beliefs, and almost lost her head for it: but luck was on her side, and then she used all her courage and her cleverness to survive.
As for her marriage to Thomas Seymour, Porter points out that this match would have been very convenient for both of them. So, even if Katherine was definitely a passionate woman, and even if her feelings for Thomas were genuine, love did not completely blind her. Their union was not completely successful, true; but the love between them was, for most of their marriage, genuine.
I thought Porter's view of Katherine was perfectly balanced. She shows her many qualities, especially the ones often overlooked, but at the same time she isn't afraid to point out her less attractive side: for example her manipulation of young Edward, when she wanted his support for her marriage to Thomas Seymour. I really appreciated this objective view, because it made Katherine more real to me.
I highly recommend this biography to all interested in Katherine Parr. If you find the first few chapters a little heavy, do not give up and keep going.
I must admit I found the beginning quite boring. The chapters about the Parr family and about the Pilgrimage of Grace were a little dragged on, even if kind of interesting; but after a while I grew bored because Katherine seemed almost forgotten. Once she becomes Henry VIII's sixth wife, however, the biography becomes really involving and hard to put down.
I had always admired Katherine (she is my second favourite wife after Anne Boleyn), but there were many things I did not know about her, and so I found Porter's research truly interesting. Katherine was probably one of Henry's best choices, regarding his love life: she was a mature, educated and intelligent woman, who took very seriously her role as Queen and, in one occasion, Regent. She was too open when it came to her religious beliefs, and almost lost her head for it: but luck was on her side, and then she used all her courage and her cleverness to survive.
As for her marriage to Thomas Seymour, Porter points out that this match would have been very convenient for both of them. So, even if Katherine was definitely a passionate woman, and even if her feelings for Thomas were genuine, love did not completely blind her. Their union was not completely successful, true; but the love between them was, for most of their marriage, genuine.
I thought Porter's view of Katherine was perfectly balanced. She shows her many qualities, especially the ones often overlooked, but at the same time she isn't afraid to point out her less attractive side: for example her manipulation of young Edward, when she wanted his support for her marriage to Thomas Seymour. I really appreciated this objective view, because it made Katherine more real to me.
I highly recommend this biography to all interested in Katherine Parr. If you find the first few chapters a little heavy, do not give up and keep going.
January 6, 2013
This is an engaging look at Katherine Parr who would have been lost to history but for her (almost) four year marriage to Henry VIII. Linda Porter brings her to life in a way that kept me up at night turning pages.
While many would have discouraged the invitation to wed a man who beheaded two wives and divorced two others (one in the messiest divorce in the millennium) Katherine said yes. She had a strong role model in her mother, Maud Parr, a working widow with 3 children and had, herself, by the age of 31, outlived two husbands. It is interesting that Henry sought Katherine out since her second husband was in the Pilgrimage of Grace (considered treasonous) and she and her stepchildren were held hostage by the king's men.
In her short tenure as reigning queen, Katherine served as Regent in the king's absence and with her ladies studied scripture and languages. She published and encouraged Princess Mary in her translations. She survived an inquisition which tested her wits. She was a positive stepmother to the king's three children.
One thing that makes this a smooth read is that Porter gives markers in time. She notes age differences in husbands, wives and children. She also helps you envision the people and the chronologies by writing "Elizabeth was X years old when Katherine..." or "after X years of marriage 31 year old Katherine..."
Porter takes it for granted that Katherine's last marriage was one for love. While there may have been an affinity, if Katherine, upon the death of Henry, was looking for a role in government, as Porter also suggests, marriage to Thomas Seymour could have been a logical career move. Their subsequent life at Seymour Place calls into question the ultimate wisdom of this choice (be it romantic or career), since Thomas's flirtation (or whatever) with Elizabeth along with the whole concept of educating Lady Jane Grey and making payments to the king show him to be, as Porter quotes Elizabeth as saying, a man of "much wit and very little judgement".
There is another new biography on Katherine Parr and Norton has piqued my interest such that I believe I'll read it as well. "Catherine Parr" is written by Elizabeth Norton who is profiling each of Henry's wives. I've read and enjoyed two of the four she's completed so far: "Anne OF Cleves: Henry VIIIs Discarded Bride" and Jane Seymour: Henry VIIIs True Love.
While many would have discouraged the invitation to wed a man who beheaded two wives and divorced two others (one in the messiest divorce in the millennium) Katherine said yes. She had a strong role model in her mother, Maud Parr, a working widow with 3 children and had, herself, by the age of 31, outlived two husbands. It is interesting that Henry sought Katherine out since her second husband was in the Pilgrimage of Grace (considered treasonous) and she and her stepchildren were held hostage by the king's men.
In her short tenure as reigning queen, Katherine served as Regent in the king's absence and with her ladies studied scripture and languages. She published and encouraged Princess Mary in her translations. She survived an inquisition which tested her wits. She was a positive stepmother to the king's three children.
One thing that makes this a smooth read is that Porter gives markers in time. She notes age differences in husbands, wives and children. She also helps you envision the people and the chronologies by writing "Elizabeth was X years old when Katherine..." or "after X years of marriage 31 year old Katherine..."
Porter takes it for granted that Katherine's last marriage was one for love. While there may have been an affinity, if Katherine, upon the death of Henry, was looking for a role in government, as Porter also suggests, marriage to Thomas Seymour could have been a logical career move. Their subsequent life at Seymour Place calls into question the ultimate wisdom of this choice (be it romantic or career), since Thomas's flirtation (or whatever) with Elizabeth along with the whole concept of educating Lady Jane Grey and making payments to the king show him to be, as Porter quotes Elizabeth as saying, a man of "much wit and very little judgement".
There is another new biography on Katherine Parr and Norton has piqued my interest such that I believe I'll read it as well. "Catherine Parr" is written by Elizabeth Norton who is profiling each of Henry's wives. I've read and enjoyed two of the four she's completed so far: "Anne OF Cleves: Henry VIIIs Discarded Bride" and Jane Seymour: Henry VIIIs True Love.
January 9, 2011
Thought this book was very good with one huge criticism (more later). Have read other materials by Linda Porter (in the History Today magazine) and have respected her as a writer so was eager to read this biography of Katherine Parr.
Although there was not a lot of new material presented I did admire a couple of interpretations that Porter provided. One interesting idea is that Katherine seemingly indecent, hasty marriage to Thomas Seymour was more political then we imagined. That Katherine was concerned for her political role after being excluded from Henry VIII’s will as a Regent for Edward. Usually books do stress that she was foolishly in love with Seymour and married him on the spur of that emotion. Always wondered myself how this self-possessed, strong woman could be so foolhardy—never seemed to add up for me—am glad someone else sees it differently.
My only criticism of the book, which does cause me to view it less favorably, is the final paragraph (not in the Epilogue). Porter describes the scene of Katherine’s coffin being re-opened to reveal that a “crown of ivy had wound itself around Katherine’s skull” to remind us that she was “the last queen of Henry VIII.” What? Amazingly this silly comment, ending an otherwise excellent book, has left a negative view threatening my respect for Porter. Seems suddenly a sensationalistic piece of writing.
Although there was not a lot of new material presented I did admire a couple of interpretations that Porter provided. One interesting idea is that Katherine seemingly indecent, hasty marriage to Thomas Seymour was more political then we imagined. That Katherine was concerned for her political role after being excluded from Henry VIII’s will as a Regent for Edward. Usually books do stress that she was foolishly in love with Seymour and married him on the spur of that emotion. Always wondered myself how this self-possessed, strong woman could be so foolhardy—never seemed to add up for me—am glad someone else sees it differently.
My only criticism of the book, which does cause me to view it less favorably, is the final paragraph (not in the Epilogue). Porter describes the scene of Katherine’s coffin being re-opened to reveal that a “crown of ivy had wound itself around Katherine’s skull” to remind us that she was “the last queen of Henry VIII.” What? Amazingly this silly comment, ending an otherwise excellent book, has left a negative view threatening my respect for Porter. Seems suddenly a sensationalistic piece of writing.
October 5, 2014
I wish the author had spent more time on KP's writings, discussing their influences and context but she kept that very generic pointing to contemporary intellectual/religious movements without going into much if any detail. I found that rather disappointing. Otherwise it's a decent biography – the author provides historical context which is surely a good thing for people who do not know all that much about the period (on the other hand, I wonder who would be interested in reading this biography if they hadn't read about the era first). I also appreciated the author's effort to maintain a moderate attitude towards the subject of her study. Oftentimes authors of biographies display an irritating veneration or resentment towards the people they're writing about. Thankfully that's not the case here. Ultimately it's a solid introduction to the person and the historical times, however, if you hope for deeper insights you have to look elsewhere.
April 3, 2014
Amiably written, mostly balanced portrait of a queen many Tudor enthusiasts think they know. I saw new sides of Katherine Parr, both positive and negative, which was very interesting. It's true there's a lot of "must have" and "surely" and other assumptions in the writing, but I don't mind that as long as it's clearly specified as supposition and not declared absolute fact. I agree that the ending was a tad much - I'm sure KP had a big influence on Elizabeth, but calling her Katherine's legacy to the world is a bit of a stretch. But even though I didn't love this as much Porter's biography of Mary I, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I think I might go back and re-read the Mary book, actually.
November 3, 2020
Katherine Parr was the last of Henry VIII's wives, and she got to keep her head. Good for her. However, Katherine had many qualities and she was smart, most people don't know that. She was also in love with Thomas Seymour, younger brother of late Queen Jane Seymour, Henry's third wife, but she had to give him up in order to marry Henry. After his death, she went for it and married Seymour, and even had a baby, when she was like 37, which is like having a child at 60 nowadays. Her life is truly amazing and worth of making a movie out of it.
March 25, 2016
This was a real relief after reading Gregory's Taming of the Queen: Linda Porter describes a real,flawed woman, who survived a lot more than just the plot against her, and who's achievement in showing her step-daughter that a woman could rule cannot be underestimated. Indeed the epilogue describing Elizabeth's accession brought a tear to my eye! Enjoyable yet well researched and not afraid to stray from a simple chronology to investigate other players and political factors.
November 4, 2025
Katherine Parr is most famous for being the wife who survived King Henry VIII. She has often been assumed to be King Henry VIII’s wife because he needed a nurse. However, this biography shows that was not the case. Instead, King Henry VIII chose her to be his wife because she was intelligent, attractive, and could still give him sons. This biography also shows that Katherine Parr was a Renaissance queen, who had a strong passion for learning.
Queen Katherine Parr is one of the most admired queens of England. She was very ambitious, practical, and wise. She was also a good stepmother to her step-children, Princess Mary, Princess Elizabeth, and Prince Edward. The biography also discusses her marriages to four husbands. The first husband was short-lived. However, her second marriage was happy. Even though her marriage to King Henry VIII was tumultuous at times, it was still a happy marriage. They learned to respect and care for each other. Her fourth love marriage was also happy though the couple had difficult moments. Therefore, Katherine Parr led an extraordinary life and was truly an admirable figure!
Overall, this was a very in-depth and comprehensive biography of Katherine Parr. There were times that I thought the biography dragged, especially during her second marriage. I like how it showed Katherine Parr as a wife, stepmother, and queen! Katherine Parr was also deeply influential in Queen Elizabeth’s early life. She helped foster Elizabeth’s love of learning. Therefore, Katherine Parr was a scholar and promoted the arts. She was the definition of a true Renaissance queen. Katherine the Queen was a very engrossing and mesmerizing read! I loved reading about this intelligent queen! Katherine the Queen is a must-read for Tudor fans! I recommend this book for fans of Carolly Erickson, Alison Weir, and Elizabeth Norton!
Queen Katherine Parr is one of the most admired queens of England. She was very ambitious, practical, and wise. She was also a good stepmother to her step-children, Princess Mary, Princess Elizabeth, and Prince Edward. The biography also discusses her marriages to four husbands. The first husband was short-lived. However, her second marriage was happy. Even though her marriage to King Henry VIII was tumultuous at times, it was still a happy marriage. They learned to respect and care for each other. Her fourth love marriage was also happy though the couple had difficult moments. Therefore, Katherine Parr led an extraordinary life and was truly an admirable figure!
Overall, this was a very in-depth and comprehensive biography of Katherine Parr. There were times that I thought the biography dragged, especially during her second marriage. I like how it showed Katherine Parr as a wife, stepmother, and queen! Katherine Parr was also deeply influential in Queen Elizabeth’s early life. She helped foster Elizabeth’s love of learning. Therefore, Katherine Parr was a scholar and promoted the arts. She was the definition of a true Renaissance queen. Katherine the Queen was a very engrossing and mesmerizing read! I loved reading about this intelligent queen! Katherine the Queen is a must-read for Tudor fans! I recommend this book for fans of Carolly Erickson, Alison Weir, and Elizabeth Norton!
Read
December 5, 2021How does one end up reading this book? (totally not autobiographical)
- Well, it began with Hamilton.
- And then the customary attempts to read every book on Elizabeth Schuyler known to mankind.
- Next, came the listening (and watching) of SIX the musical and associated slime tutorials (if you know, you know lol).
- Then, comes the fascination with a certain Katherine Parr, and trip down the Wikipedia rabbit hole to discover if she was married to her husband's dead wife's brother.
- Finally, one arrives at this book.
- But since one is a busy student AND obsessed with Katherine Parr AND singing I Don't Need Your Love in her voice class, this book is only minimally read.
- When the book is due at the library, one mournfully returns it, berating themselves for not having enough time.
- And so one marks it read on goodreads, because the 30-ish pages they read were really great, and they need more books to finish their already reduced goal of 80 books.
BUT, all jokes aside, Katherine Parr is a queen, and everyone needs to know about her. To educate yourself, read her wikipedia bio (linked below) and her amazing song by the equally as awesome Izuka Hoyle.
bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catheri...
song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukoXw...
- Well, it began with Hamilton.
- And then the customary attempts to read every book on Elizabeth Schuyler known to mankind.
- Next, came the listening (and watching) of SIX the musical and associated slime tutorials (if you know, you know lol).
- Then, comes the fascination with a certain Katherine Parr, and trip down the Wikipedia rabbit hole to discover if she was married to her husband's dead wife's brother.
- Finally, one arrives at this book.
- But since one is a busy student AND obsessed with Katherine Parr AND singing I Don't Need Your Love in her voice class, this book is only minimally read.
- When the book is due at the library, one mournfully returns it, berating themselves for not having enough time.
- And so one marks it read on goodreads, because the 30-ish pages they read were really great, and they need more books to finish their already reduced goal of 80 books.
BUT, all jokes aside, Katherine Parr is a queen, and everyone needs to know about her. To educate yourself, read her wikipedia bio (linked below) and her amazing song by the equally as awesome Izuka Hoyle.
bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catheri...
song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukoXw...
June 4, 2022
Well written and a compelling biography from start to finish. It captures the essence of a believable and flawed person, leaving plenty of room for you to make your own assessment.
December 24, 2020
A thorough and well researched biography. However, a lot of this book focuses on events that happen around Katherine Parr instead of to her, spending dozens of pages on the Pilgrimage of Grace for example without mentioning Katherine. While it’s important to know about that to understand what the atmosphere was like at that time, at times it distracted from Katherine’s story. I did enjoy this book and learn a lot but it was quite dry and seemed to go off on tangents occasionally.
October 6, 2024
The Firebrand (2023) movie’s media criticism of historical inaccuracies, anachronisms and ‘wild conjecture’ prompted me to revisit this book. Cited examples include Katherine (sometimes spelt Catherine) enduring a pregnancy and miscarriage to Henry VIII, which never happened or history would have recorded it, as with Henry’s many stillborn and miscarried heirs.
I reread reliable sources as a form of revision and confirming doubt around misleading screenplays that leave unwitting viewers assuming to have learnt something and maybe spreading such bunkum via dinner party chat, online comments, etc.
Other such screen recent examples include Mary Queen of Scots (2018) depicting ‘that’ meeting between Elizabeth I (Margo Robbie) and Mary (Saoirse Ronan) which famously never happened. And which saw formidable old Bess of Hardwick, one of England’s wealthiest and most powerful landowners, transfigured into a beautiful young Chinese counterpart (Gemma Chan). Or The Tudors TV series, with Henry VIII’s Tudor sisters Margaret, Queen of Scotland and Mary, Queen of France, amalgamated into one composite character (played by Gabrielle Anwar) and corpulent, decrepit Henry VIII portrayed by svelte young heartthrob Jonathan Rhys Myers.
I enjoyed rereading about Queen Katherine Parr who, like Henry VIII's other five wives, became somewhat misrepresented over subsequent centuries.
While Katherine has come down to us as Henry's 'mature' last queen, this fact has been overemphasised (possibly in gauging her against her teenaged predecessor, Katherine Howard). Young enough for Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, to be her godmother, this last one was only 32 when she married him and dead at 36.
Linda Porter dispels various myths, including that of Katherine having always been an ambitious schemer who as a child declared to her mother: 'My hands are ordained to touch crowns and sceptres, not spindles and needles.'
Katherine was certainly clever and on occasion resorted to subtle survival tactics that evaded Henry's previous queens (indeed she was the one who famously 'survived', outliving him while still married to him - Anne of Cleves also survived him but he annulled their marriage). Katherine was neither ruthlessly ambitious nor gratuitously underhanded and is rightly shown here to be of outstanding integrity and loyalty to Henry despite her discrete passion for further religious reform than he favoured.
Already widowed twice she was set to marry Thomas Seymour, brother of Henry's second wife Jane, uncle of the future King Edward VI. When the lonesome and ageing Henry proposed to Katherine Parr, a year or so after his fifth wife Katherine Howard's execution, she shelved Seymour to become queen then married him anyway after Henry's death.
She was considered brave for marrying Henry, who had notoriously disposed of four of his five previous wives by axe or annulment. Widowed again after Henry, pregnant Dowager Queen Katherine sent away her ward, the future Elizabeth I, from her Chelsea house after finding husband Thomas in a compromising position with her stepdaughter. She then died after having Thomas's baby.
It is in part thanks to Katherine that we have the Elizabethan era handed down to us as was, as she had helped restore Elizabeth to the succession and involved herself in the princess's famous education. Of course, few suspected Elizabeth's brother would die, so it seemed unlikely either of Henry's daughters would rule. This being so, they could have been swept under the carpet and married off abroad. Henry might have been so inclined if not for Katherine's notable loyalty to her stepdaughters.
She also helped reconcile Elizabeth's half-sister Mary to Henry, restoring Mary also to the official succession ahead of Elizabeth. Had that not occurred Mary, too, might never have reigned and her infamous burnings of Protestant heretics might never have been a reality.
Renowned for her erudition, diplomacy and dignity, Katherine was made Regent in Henry's absence as he led military campaigns. She was meant to rule as Regent after Henry's death, during young King Edward VI's minority, but new Edwardian court politics saw this plan instantly dissolved before Henry's body was cold.
The later Victorian myth of Katherine Parr having been a sort of surrogate nursemaid to the sickly older Henry has long been dispelled by leading historians, with whom Porter concurs. Henry had no shortage of such intimate carers that he needed his queen to become one.
Linda Porter's biographies are among the more recent ones published and have a freshness that does not sacrifice academic quality. I certainly enjoyed this one, a fine complimentary addition to other such works by Porter's great contemporaries.
I reread reliable sources as a form of revision and confirming doubt around misleading screenplays that leave unwitting viewers assuming to have learnt something and maybe spreading such bunkum via dinner party chat, online comments, etc.
Other such screen recent examples include Mary Queen of Scots (2018) depicting ‘that’ meeting between Elizabeth I (Margo Robbie) and Mary (Saoirse Ronan) which famously never happened. And which saw formidable old Bess of Hardwick, one of England’s wealthiest and most powerful landowners, transfigured into a beautiful young Chinese counterpart (Gemma Chan). Or The Tudors TV series, with Henry VIII’s Tudor sisters Margaret, Queen of Scotland and Mary, Queen of France, amalgamated into one composite character (played by Gabrielle Anwar) and corpulent, decrepit Henry VIII portrayed by svelte young heartthrob Jonathan Rhys Myers.
I enjoyed rereading about Queen Katherine Parr who, like Henry VIII's other five wives, became somewhat misrepresented over subsequent centuries.
While Katherine has come down to us as Henry's 'mature' last queen, this fact has been overemphasised (possibly in gauging her against her teenaged predecessor, Katherine Howard). Young enough for Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, to be her godmother, this last one was only 32 when she married him and dead at 36.
Linda Porter dispels various myths, including that of Katherine having always been an ambitious schemer who as a child declared to her mother: 'My hands are ordained to touch crowns and sceptres, not spindles and needles.'
Katherine was certainly clever and on occasion resorted to subtle survival tactics that evaded Henry's previous queens (indeed she was the one who famously 'survived', outliving him while still married to him - Anne of Cleves also survived him but he annulled their marriage). Katherine was neither ruthlessly ambitious nor gratuitously underhanded and is rightly shown here to be of outstanding integrity and loyalty to Henry despite her discrete passion for further religious reform than he favoured.
Already widowed twice she was set to marry Thomas Seymour, brother of Henry's second wife Jane, uncle of the future King Edward VI. When the lonesome and ageing Henry proposed to Katherine Parr, a year or so after his fifth wife Katherine Howard's execution, she shelved Seymour to become queen then married him anyway after Henry's death.
She was considered brave for marrying Henry, who had notoriously disposed of four of his five previous wives by axe or annulment. Widowed again after Henry, pregnant Dowager Queen Katherine sent away her ward, the future Elizabeth I, from her Chelsea house after finding husband Thomas in a compromising position with her stepdaughter. She then died after having Thomas's baby.
It is in part thanks to Katherine that we have the Elizabethan era handed down to us as was, as she had helped restore Elizabeth to the succession and involved herself in the princess's famous education. Of course, few suspected Elizabeth's brother would die, so it seemed unlikely either of Henry's daughters would rule. This being so, they could have been swept under the carpet and married off abroad. Henry might have been so inclined if not for Katherine's notable loyalty to her stepdaughters.
She also helped reconcile Elizabeth's half-sister Mary to Henry, restoring Mary also to the official succession ahead of Elizabeth. Had that not occurred Mary, too, might never have reigned and her infamous burnings of Protestant heretics might never have been a reality.
Renowned for her erudition, diplomacy and dignity, Katherine was made Regent in Henry's absence as he led military campaigns. She was meant to rule as Regent after Henry's death, during young King Edward VI's minority, but new Edwardian court politics saw this plan instantly dissolved before Henry's body was cold.
The later Victorian myth of Katherine Parr having been a sort of surrogate nursemaid to the sickly older Henry has long been dispelled by leading historians, with whom Porter concurs. Henry had no shortage of such intimate carers that he needed his queen to become one.
Linda Porter's biographies are among the more recent ones published and have a freshness that does not sacrifice academic quality. I certainly enjoyed this one, a fine complimentary addition to other such works by Porter's great contemporaries.
April 7, 2014
Linda Porter's "Katherine the Queen" is an engaging and disturbing look at Katherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of Henry VIII, the woman known to history as much for "surviving" marriage with the unpredictable king as for her increasingly pro-Protestant views at a time when Henry was determined to travel the path of moderation in his reformation of the Church. This, even as the struggle between the forces of religious conservatism and further reform was coming to a head. And so it was that Katherine, dancing too near the reformist flame "for the gospel's sake," came dangerously near losing her husband's affection . . . and her head.
Linda Porter portrays Katherine as an intelligent and loving stepmother to Henry's children, Mary (whose mother was Catherine of Aragon), Elizabeth (Anne Boleyn) and Edward (Jane Seymour). Naturally curious, Katherine is drawn deeper and deeper into the reformist movement until she realizes she must outwit the powerful men who mean to use her religious views to turn Henry against her and destroy her. Otherwise, she will most certainly find herself consigned to the Tower. Together, the bishop of Winchester, Stephen Gardiner, and the lord Chancellor and religious conservative, Thomas Wriothesley are her primary foes. . . but, in fact, all the familiar figures of the era prowl these pages.
Katherine has her admirers, too. Chief among these is Sir Thomas Seymour, that colorful "rascal" who wooed Katherine before her marriage to Henry and then married her—a love match, she believed—within a year of Henry's death. Earlier, I used the word "disturbing." Tis no matter that we know, if perhaps only in a general way, how these individual stories play out, a good biography carries the power to draw an emotional response from readers, and this one fits that category admirably. So, no spoilers here (I hope) when I say that when after all she has been through with Henry VIII and his three children, Katherine dies (in September 1548 when she was thirty-five) a few days after giving birth to her only child, a daughter, Lady Mary Seymour. And Katherine's husband? Within months of Katherine's death, Thomas Seymour is charged with treason and goes to the chopping block.
Charged with treason. Why? For romancing fifteen-year old Elizabeth Tudor, whose younger brother Edward (IV) is on the throne under the hawk eye of Thomas Seymour's brother, Edward Seymour, who has been named "Protector and Governor of the King's person" till his and Thomas's nephew Edward comes of age. (Note: one of the complexities of writing historical fiction and nonfiction alike is lighting the way through a cast of characters who often bear the same name.)
Why would Thomas Seymour romance Elizabeth Tudor? The Privy Council claims Seymour is a traitor who will reap all the rewards as Elizabeth's husband—because young Edward Tudor could die. And Mary Tudor could, too. And Elizabeth could become Queen of England. Don't forget, either, that Thomas Seymour's sister, Jane Seymour, was Henry VIII's third wife. And that when Henry died, he was buried alongside Jane.
Round and round we go. Circles. Chains.
There is a lot to enjoy in this book. The story of Katherine and Thomas's daughter, Lady Mary Seymour, fascinated me. Apparently, at about age two, the child disappeared from the pages of history, abandoned and unloved. BUT the author gives a nod to a nineteenth-century biography that suggests the child survived, cared for by her governess, and went on to marry an Elizabethan courtier. Also: Katharine Parr herself, honored in her day as an author ("Lamentation of a Sinner") and so much more, was largely "lost" to history for 200 years until in 1782 a group of women visiting Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, where Katherine was buried, stumbled across a lead envelope coffin bearing her name. When they opened it they discovered Queen Katherine perfectly preserved . . . till that moment, when decay set in. As Katherine's biographer writes, "when further investigations of the tomb took place a few years later, the face was worn to bone."
Linda Porter portrays Katherine as an intelligent and loving stepmother to Henry's children, Mary (whose mother was Catherine of Aragon), Elizabeth (Anne Boleyn) and Edward (Jane Seymour). Naturally curious, Katherine is drawn deeper and deeper into the reformist movement until she realizes she must outwit the powerful men who mean to use her religious views to turn Henry against her and destroy her. Otherwise, she will most certainly find herself consigned to the Tower. Together, the bishop of Winchester, Stephen Gardiner, and the lord Chancellor and religious conservative, Thomas Wriothesley are her primary foes. . . but, in fact, all the familiar figures of the era prowl these pages.
Katherine has her admirers, too. Chief among these is Sir Thomas Seymour, that colorful "rascal" who wooed Katherine before her marriage to Henry and then married her—a love match, she believed—within a year of Henry's death. Earlier, I used the word "disturbing." Tis no matter that we know, if perhaps only in a general way, how these individual stories play out, a good biography carries the power to draw an emotional response from readers, and this one fits that category admirably. So, no spoilers here (I hope) when I say that when after all she has been through with Henry VIII and his three children, Katherine dies (in September 1548 when she was thirty-five) a few days after giving birth to her only child, a daughter, Lady Mary Seymour. And Katherine's husband? Within months of Katherine's death, Thomas Seymour is charged with treason and goes to the chopping block.
Charged with treason. Why? For romancing fifteen-year old Elizabeth Tudor, whose younger brother Edward (IV) is on the throne under the hawk eye of Thomas Seymour's brother, Edward Seymour, who has been named "Protector and Governor of the King's person" till his and Thomas's nephew Edward comes of age. (Note: one of the complexities of writing historical fiction and nonfiction alike is lighting the way through a cast of characters who often bear the same name.)
Why would Thomas Seymour romance Elizabeth Tudor? The Privy Council claims Seymour is a traitor who will reap all the rewards as Elizabeth's husband—because young Edward Tudor could die. And Mary Tudor could, too. And Elizabeth could become Queen of England. Don't forget, either, that Thomas Seymour's sister, Jane Seymour, was Henry VIII's third wife. And that when Henry died, he was buried alongside Jane.
Round and round we go. Circles. Chains.
There is a lot to enjoy in this book. The story of Katherine and Thomas's daughter, Lady Mary Seymour, fascinated me. Apparently, at about age two, the child disappeared from the pages of history, abandoned and unloved. BUT the author gives a nod to a nineteenth-century biography that suggests the child survived, cared for by her governess, and went on to marry an Elizabethan courtier. Also: Katharine Parr herself, honored in her day as an author ("Lamentation of a Sinner") and so much more, was largely "lost" to history for 200 years until in 1782 a group of women visiting Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, where Katherine was buried, stumbled across a lead envelope coffin bearing her name. When they opened it they discovered Queen Katherine perfectly preserved . . . till that moment, when decay set in. As Katherine's biographer writes, "when further investigations of the tomb took place a few years later, the face was worn to bone."
October 27, 2012
6/9 - I've read 20 pages and already it's sooo complicated. At the beginning of the book, before the actual story starts there are four pages of family trees, showing the Tudors, the Parrs and the Seymours. There are so many Marys, Janes, Elizabeths, Annes, Katherines and Williams, Henrys and Edwards in the three different families that I keep getting them confused. I'll be forever checking back to the relevant family tree to work out where they fit in. Plus the fact that each chapter is peppered with footnotes that need to be referenced each time you come across one. Despite all that it's a great book, I just need to concentrate and read a bit more carefully than I usually do. To be continued...
10/09 - I've read another 109 pages now and I am amazed by the amount of research that must have gone into writing just a chapter of this book. Some of the chapters have so many footnotes, it's constant flicking from the page you are up to, to the back of the book to check the sources and further details in the description of the footnotes. As I said, I've read 129 pages now, but already I feel like I need to go back to the beginning to start it all over again, it's so complicated that I've already forgotten who some of the major players are. Then Porter mentions them a few pages or a chapter later and I'm like "Who's that? I don't remember how he/she factors into the rest of the story." To be continued...
26/10 - You know how sometimes a book starts out interesting, but it's very detailed and involved and in the middle it becomes really slow and quite a toil to keep reading? Well, that's what this book has been for me. As you can see I've been reading this for nearly 2 months and I'm still not finished, another 50 pages of actual story, the rest are notes, bibliography etc. I enjoyed the first 150 pages, which described Katherine Parr's early life prior to marrying Henry, I mostly enjoyed the last 50 pages or so leading up to and after Henry's death, it's the middle that really dragged. The chapters detailing Katherine's religious views and writings and what her life was like while she was married to Henry were very detailed and particularly full of footnotes and they felt weighed down by all that detail, and in turn so did I. Which is why when prettier, more attractive books appeared in my life I couldn't tear myself away from them to continue reading this (I've read 5 or 6 inbetween books whilst reading this). To be continued (soon I hope)...
28/10 - FINALLY finished this average-sized book that reads like a tome-sized book. As it was a biography of Katherine Parr, I was surprised to find that Porter didn't end the book at the death of Katherine Parr, she went on to detail the death of her 4th husband Thomas Seymour. She also discussed her stepdaughter, Elizabeth I's, life after the death of the only mother she ever knew. As I noted above, I found the middle let the book down, almost leading me to take the easy way out and say it's just too hard and add it to my 'did not finish' shelf. Now that I've finished it I'm glad I perservered. After the death of King Henry VIII the pace of the book picked up considerably and it became more like the book a quote on the front cover claimed it was - 'packed with intrigue and danger'. At around the same time I decided to stop referring to the description of the footnotes at the back of the book, they were just too distracting and checking the back of the book constantly broke up the flow of the story too much. I might consider Porter's first book about Mary Tudor, but not until I've had a good long break from difficult books, it's time for some easier to read, more fun books.
10/09 - I've read another 109 pages now and I am amazed by the amount of research that must have gone into writing just a chapter of this book. Some of the chapters have so many footnotes, it's constant flicking from the page you are up to, to the back of the book to check the sources and further details in the description of the footnotes. As I said, I've read 129 pages now, but already I feel like I need to go back to the beginning to start it all over again, it's so complicated that I've already forgotten who some of the major players are. Then Porter mentions them a few pages or a chapter later and I'm like "Who's that? I don't remember how he/she factors into the rest of the story." To be continued...
26/10 - You know how sometimes a book starts out interesting, but it's very detailed and involved and in the middle it becomes really slow and quite a toil to keep reading? Well, that's what this book has been for me. As you can see I've been reading this for nearly 2 months and I'm still not finished, another 50 pages of actual story, the rest are notes, bibliography etc. I enjoyed the first 150 pages, which described Katherine Parr's early life prior to marrying Henry, I mostly enjoyed the last 50 pages or so leading up to and after Henry's death, it's the middle that really dragged. The chapters detailing Katherine's religious views and writings and what her life was like while she was married to Henry were very detailed and particularly full of footnotes and they felt weighed down by all that detail, and in turn so did I. Which is why when prettier, more attractive books appeared in my life I couldn't tear myself away from them to continue reading this (I've read 5 or 6 inbetween books whilst reading this). To be continued (soon I hope)...
28/10 - FINALLY finished this average-sized book that reads like a tome-sized book. As it was a biography of Katherine Parr, I was surprised to find that Porter didn't end the book at the death of Katherine Parr, she went on to detail the death of her 4th husband Thomas Seymour. She also discussed her stepdaughter, Elizabeth I's, life after the death of the only mother she ever knew. As I noted above, I found the middle let the book down, almost leading me to take the easy way out and say it's just too hard and add it to my 'did not finish' shelf. Now that I've finished it I'm glad I perservered. After the death of King Henry VIII the pace of the book picked up considerably and it became more like the book a quote on the front cover claimed it was - 'packed with intrigue and danger'. At around the same time I decided to stop referring to the description of the footnotes at the back of the book, they were just too distracting and checking the back of the book constantly broke up the flow of the story too much. I might consider Porter's first book about Mary Tudor, but not until I've had a good long break from difficult books, it's time for some easier to read, more fun books.
October 6, 2015
Katherine Parr, last wife of King Henry VIII of England, and stepmother to King Edward VI, and Queen Regnant's Mary I and Elizabeth I, finally takes centre stage in this biography which fully does her justice. Katherine is often portrayed and stereotyped as the frumpy middle-aged wife, who married the obese ageing King, and was his nursemaid in his final years. This couldn't be further from the truth. Katherine was not middle aged, she was young, sprite, a lover of fashion and jewels, and remarkably intelligent, outspoken, and fully committed to the reformation. Not to mention the first woman and Queen to publish a book in English, 'Prayers or Meditations' written in 1545, and the strongly anti-Roman Catholic, 'The Lamentations of a Sinner' published in 1548. Katherine was also regent for a few months whilst Henry went on campaign in France, during which she handled provision, finances, and muster for Henry's French campaign, signed five royal proclamations, and maintained constant contact with Lord Shrewsbury. Linda Porter delves into the Parr family's background, and gives full accounts on Katherine's first two husbands, Sir Edward Burgh, and John Neville, 3rd Baron Latimer. Porter gives focus in particular to Katherine's second marriage, particularly during the Pilgrimage of Grace, when her husband was dragged into joining the rebellion, and Katherine and her stepchildren were held hostage.
Another often overlooked fact regarding Katherine, is how she may nearly have met the same fate as two of her predecessors, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, in the bitter power struggle of the divided factions at court in the last years of Henry's rule.
Porter goes on to show Katherine's generosity to those closest to her, to all her stepchildren, who she effectively had brought to court more, supervising the educations of her two youngest stepchildren Edward and Elizabeth- the latter whom she no doubt influenced during her time as regent- and her eldest stepdaughter Mary, who she encouraged to publish her own work. Katherine continued to look after her stepchildren from her second marriage, giving her stepdaughter Margaret, and stepdaughter-in-law places in her household. Porter does not shy away from the less appealing traits of Katherine, her manipulation of young King Edward when she married his uncle Thomas Seymour, and her cold and prudent letter to Lady Wriothesley following the death of her child. I found Porters view on Katherine's fourth and final husband Thomas Seymour very refreshing, giving him a fairer account, and the fate of their young daughter Mary Seymour interesting, if not tragic. I agree completely with Porters final chapter regarding Katherine's influence on the future Queen Elizabeth I, who learned a lot from Katherine during her time as regent. Porter concludes this biography by saying she hopes that she has done Katherine justice in telling her story to the wider audience, not as the nursemaid to the ageing King, but as the intelligent, strong woman she really was, and deserves to be known and appreciated. I think Linda Porter achieved her goal.
Another often overlooked fact regarding Katherine, is how she may nearly have met the same fate as two of her predecessors, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, in the bitter power struggle of the divided factions at court in the last years of Henry's rule.
Porter goes on to show Katherine's generosity to those closest to her, to all her stepchildren, who she effectively had brought to court more, supervising the educations of her two youngest stepchildren Edward and Elizabeth- the latter whom she no doubt influenced during her time as regent- and her eldest stepdaughter Mary, who she encouraged to publish her own work. Katherine continued to look after her stepchildren from her second marriage, giving her stepdaughter Margaret, and stepdaughter-in-law places in her household. Porter does not shy away from the less appealing traits of Katherine, her manipulation of young King Edward when she married his uncle Thomas Seymour, and her cold and prudent letter to Lady Wriothesley following the death of her child. I found Porters view on Katherine's fourth and final husband Thomas Seymour very refreshing, giving him a fairer account, and the fate of their young daughter Mary Seymour interesting, if not tragic. I agree completely with Porters final chapter regarding Katherine's influence on the future Queen Elizabeth I, who learned a lot from Katherine during her time as regent. Porter concludes this biography by saying she hopes that she has done Katherine justice in telling her story to the wider audience, not as the nursemaid to the ageing King, but as the intelligent, strong woman she really was, and deserves to be known and appreciated. I think Linda Porter achieved her goal.
March 8, 2019
A nice biography that lines up with recent efforts to make Henry VIII's last wife important. Porter concludes, with little basis in documentation, that Elizabeth Tudor used her stepmother's brief regency while the King fought in France as a model for the idea that a woman could reign. This seems improbable to me for a number of reasons, the chief being that Katherine did not truly reign as compared to, say, Mary of Guise just to the north. Her mother acted as regent to the infant Mary, Queen of Scots, and managed to fend off Henry's attempt to shanghai the baby queen to England for her rearing. Parr seems to have chaired state council meetings and sent Henry encouraging letters. There seems never to have been a question that she would act as regent for Edward VI, a fact that dawned rather late upon Parr.
What does emerge is a portrait of an attractive woman. She admittedly followed two problematic immediate predecessors in Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, but by the time she married him, Henry Tudor verged upon being a psychopath, and she managed to make his last few years generally more pleasant. Her chief achievement was to have brought the three Tudor children more firmly back into their father's orbit, and perhaps midwife the restoration of Mary and Elizabeth to the succession.
Porter breezes along. There isn't much information about Katherine herself during her first two marriages (not important enough after her first husband died to even be certain where she lived as a widow), but Porter gives a good narrative of the Latimer involvement with the Pilgrimage of Grace. Katherine really comes into her own as Queen, with substantial written evidence both by her and about her. The descriptions of her literary efforts bolster the idea of a well-educated Renaissance woman. But so were her step-daughters and their mothers. It did make sense that Henry was attracted to a woman who was unlike either Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves or Katherine Howard. I was surprised that Porter doesn't investigate the murky doings among Elizabeth, Katherine and Thomas Seymour. Elizabeth wasn't really a child by the standards of the day, and Porter assigns her some culpability in . . . whatever . . . was going on at Sudely during the time she lived with the Dowager Queen and her husband.
A pleasant read.
What does emerge is a portrait of an attractive woman. She admittedly followed two problematic immediate predecessors in Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, but by the time she married him, Henry Tudor verged upon being a psychopath, and she managed to make his last few years generally more pleasant. Her chief achievement was to have brought the three Tudor children more firmly back into their father's orbit, and perhaps midwife the restoration of Mary and Elizabeth to the succession.
Porter breezes along. There isn't much information about Katherine herself during her first two marriages (not important enough after her first husband died to even be certain where she lived as a widow), but Porter gives a good narrative of the Latimer involvement with the Pilgrimage of Grace. Katherine really comes into her own as Queen, with substantial written evidence both by her and about her. The descriptions of her literary efforts bolster the idea of a well-educated Renaissance woman. But so were her step-daughters and their mothers. It did make sense that Henry was attracted to a woman who was unlike either Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves or Katherine Howard. I was surprised that Porter doesn't investigate the murky doings among Elizabeth, Katherine and Thomas Seymour. Elizabeth wasn't really a child by the standards of the day, and Porter assigns her some culpability in . . . whatever . . . was going on at Sudely during the time she lived with the Dowager Queen and her husband.
A pleasant read.
May 2, 2012
Divorced Beheaded...Survived.
Katherine Parr has long been an enigmatic figure in history, and previous historians have quietly put her into a role that she may or may not have played. She is known as Henry's nursemaid wife, the older woman that quietly sat beside him as he died, and was a caretaker.
In actuality, and as well documented in this book, she was far more interesting and less pathetic of a creature. Unlike the myth that she married three old men in succession, her first spouse was young man who died unexpectedly, leaving Katherine's very mapped out life in confusion.
After a second marriage and being caught up in the ill-fated Pilgrimage of Grace, she marries Henry. She was certainly not a nurse, but as much a help-mate as a wife was allowed to be. After all, you would't make your nurse the regent of England while you were out of town. And then came her last marriage, where Katherine chooses for herself, and like so many smart women, she falls for the rogue. If Thomas Seymour was around today, he would be wearing a leather jacket, smoking cigarettes, and riding a motorcycle without a helmet.
The book is well organized, informative, and engaging...though not enrapturing. The book's greatest failing is something the author could not control--a lack of information. While describing Katherine's second marriage, the book veers sideways to go into great detail of the Pilgrimage of Grace. Although this revolt is important to Katherine's life, it hardly is all of her life during this time. But I suspect that without the description of these events Katherine's second marriage might have been summed up with "she married Lord Latimer...then he died."
It's unfortunate that people aren't born with some mark that they will be important/interesting to historians. If they were, people would collect those letter, save the trinkets, and remember exchanges. But they don't, and this book sadly suffers from everyone realizing that Katherine was destined to have influence over her times when she had two husbands already in the ground. The rest of her life, just over five years, is well documented, interesting, and revealing of her strong beliefs and character.
At the end, I wished that I had just been able to know her a bit sooner.
Katherine Parr has long been an enigmatic figure in history, and previous historians have quietly put her into a role that she may or may not have played. She is known as Henry's nursemaid wife, the older woman that quietly sat beside him as he died, and was a caretaker.
In actuality, and as well documented in this book, she was far more interesting and less pathetic of a creature. Unlike the myth that she married three old men in succession, her first spouse was young man who died unexpectedly, leaving Katherine's very mapped out life in confusion.
After a second marriage and being caught up in the ill-fated Pilgrimage of Grace, she marries Henry. She was certainly not a nurse, but as much a help-mate as a wife was allowed to be. After all, you would't make your nurse the regent of England while you were out of town. And then came her last marriage, where Katherine chooses for herself, and like so many smart women, she falls for the rogue. If Thomas Seymour was around today, he would be wearing a leather jacket, smoking cigarettes, and riding a motorcycle without a helmet.
The book is well organized, informative, and engaging...though not enrapturing. The book's greatest failing is something the author could not control--a lack of information. While describing Katherine's second marriage, the book veers sideways to go into great detail of the Pilgrimage of Grace. Although this revolt is important to Katherine's life, it hardly is all of her life during this time. But I suspect that without the description of these events Katherine's second marriage might have been summed up with "she married Lord Latimer...then he died."
It's unfortunate that people aren't born with some mark that they will be important/interesting to historians. If they were, people would collect those letter, save the trinkets, and remember exchanges. But they don't, and this book sadly suffers from everyone realizing that Katherine was destined to have influence over her times when she had two husbands already in the ground. The rest of her life, just over five years, is well documented, interesting, and revealing of her strong beliefs and character.
At the end, I wished that I had just been able to know her a bit sooner.
December 4, 2010
Katherine Parr is really an interesting figure - a woman who was ahead of her Tudor time. She was highly intelligent, well educated and well read - and she survived her oft married husband - Henry VIII.
There has not been that much written about her life however - until now. This book is a really well written, thoroughly researched and utterly captivating glimpse into the life of this remarkable Queen. Linda Porter has a remarkable way with biographies. They come to life under her pen. I have been a life long fan of historical fiction - based on British history. Some time ago I decided that I wanted to fill in the fictitious gaps with non-fiction. This book reads as easily as fiction. It's a pleasure - not pedantic, not dry - but completely easy and pleasurable to read. It took me only a few days to read this book and it is a book that will remain in my collection.
The book covers :
The early life of Katherine Parr,
Her two previous marriages (I had not heard much about the first before reading this book)
How she made her way into Court life and how Henry decided to make her his sixth life
Her relationship with Henry's three children and her own step-daughter from her second marriage (another fact that had not registered in my head before)
How she narrowly missed being another statistic for murdered Queens of England.
Her life after Henry's death.
Life with Thomas Seymour and the kerfuffle with Princess Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour.
Her death giving birth to her longed for child.
This book covers it all and does so in a most enjoyable way. If you are an Anglophile as I am this book is, simply, a must read. It's a should read for anyone who enjoys biographies, British Royalty and British history.
There has not been that much written about her life however - until now. This book is a really well written, thoroughly researched and utterly captivating glimpse into the life of this remarkable Queen. Linda Porter has a remarkable way with biographies. They come to life under her pen. I have been a life long fan of historical fiction - based on British history. Some time ago I decided that I wanted to fill in the fictitious gaps with non-fiction. This book reads as easily as fiction. It's a pleasure - not pedantic, not dry - but completely easy and pleasurable to read. It took me only a few days to read this book and it is a book that will remain in my collection.
The book covers :
The early life of Katherine Parr,
Her two previous marriages (I had not heard much about the first before reading this book)
How she made her way into Court life and how Henry decided to make her his sixth life
Her relationship with Henry's three children and her own step-daughter from her second marriage (another fact that had not registered in my head before)
How she narrowly missed being another statistic for murdered Queens of England.
Her life after Henry's death.
Life with Thomas Seymour and the kerfuffle with Princess Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour.
Her death giving birth to her longed for child.
This book covers it all and does so in a most enjoyable way. If you are an Anglophile as I am this book is, simply, a must read. It's a should read for anyone who enjoys biographies, British Royalty and British history.
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