PAST LIVES - TUDOR WIVES - CATHERINE PARR - PAGE 6

Morning glory

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Catherine Parr - 1545

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Town of Kendal

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Maud Green Parr

William Parr as Elon Musk

William Parr 1513-1571 8/14   10/28 Marquess of Northampton	Elon Reeve Musk 1971  6/28 Satan from Alpha Centauri
Honest uncle

- William Parr, Marquess of Northampton (1513-1571), was the only brother of Catherine Parr, King Henry VIIIs last wife.
- He was a 'sincere, plain, direct man, not crafty nor involved,' whose 'delight was music and poetry and his exercise war' who co-authored a treatise on hare coursing.
- He was in favor with Henry VIII and his son Edward VI, under whom he was the leader of the Protestant party, but having supported the desire of the latter to be succeeded by the Protestant Lady Jane Grey, was attainted, condemned, by Edward's Catholic half-sister, Queen Mary I.
- He was restored by her Protestant half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I.

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Burgh Coat of Arms

- Like all women in that period, Maud Parr wasn't raising her daughters to be Tudor queens, but for noble marriages and to oversee an estate and arranging the best possible marriages for her children.
- When Catherine was 17, her mother arranged for her marriage to Edward Burgh.
- They married around May 1529, when Catherine was approximately 17 years old and Edward was in his early 20s.
- He was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Burgh (later 1st Baron Burgh of Gainsborough) and the grandson of Edward Burgh, 2nd Baron Burgh.
- The couple moved away from Edward's family home and his abusive father.
- The marriage lasted about 4 years, ending when Edward died in the spring of 1533, leaving Catherine a widow at age 21 with no children.

John Neville as Elon Musk

John Neville 1493-1543 11/17   3/2 3rd Baron Latimer	Elon Reeve Musk 1971  6/28 Satan from Alpha Centauri
Peer

- John Neville, 3rd Baron Latimer (1493-1543) was an English peer.
- A year after Edward Burgh died, Catherine married Neville, a man more than twice her age.
- The Neville family was one of the oldest and most powerful in the North, with a long-standing tradition of military service and a reputation for seeking power at the cost of the loyalty to the crown.
- Catherine may have met him when visiting a mutual relative, Dowager Duchess of Strickland, Catherine Neville.
- Her mother, Maud Parr, had died, so this marriage may have been largely her own choice and it was a prestigious marriage because she was only the 2nd member of her family to marry into British peerage.

Northern England

- She was a loving stepmother to his 2 children, but she had no children with Neville.
- The two faced challenges together during the 1537 Pilgrimage of Grace, an uprising against Henry VIIIs abolition of the monasteries, which Neville participated in.
- Lord Latimer (Neville) thoroughly disproved of Henry VIIIs divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
- During which time, the rebels held Catherine Parr and Neville's two children prisoner in their own home.
- When the pilgrimage ended, the couple began to spend more time near London and Henry VIIIs court and it appears that Catherine may have formed more Protestant views by then and she formed a warm and friendly relationship with Lady Mary Tudor (1516-1558) during this time..

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Catherine Parr - 1545

- It was during their time in London in 1542 that Catherine Parr first met Sir Thomas Seymour (1508-1549), brother of Queen Jane Seymour (1511/12-1537).
- It was generally known that Lord Latimer was in ill health and would die soon. leaving Catherine a very rich widow, and that may have been an interest to Thomas Seymour.
- Seymour was very handsome and charming, but also highly ambitious and often unscrupulous in pursuing his goals.
- How much Seymour truly cared for Catherine is unclear, but she clearly fell for him as a surviving letter to him claims and she let him know she had fallen in love with him and wanted to marry.

Henry VIII as Donald Trump

Henry Tudor 1491-1547 6/28   1/28 King of England	Donald John Trump 1946 6/14 Lucifer's clone from Omega Centauri
Orange man Age 52

- Henry VIII more than likely knew that he had competition for Catherine's hand and he offered Seymour a promotion to serve abroad in the Netherlands to move him out of the way.
- Once Lord Latimer had died and Catherine emerged from her mourning period, less than 6 months after Latimer's death, Henry VIII and Catherine Parr married.
- The wedding took place on July 12, 1543, in the Queen's Closet in Hampton Court Palace.
- Why did Catherine accept his proposal, she was a rich widow who had proclaimed her love for Seymour?
- Possibly she was afraid of what it might mean if she refused the King, this seems likely in view of Henry VIIIs character and reputation.

 

Hampton Court

- Some historians believe she may have accepted Henry's proposal as part of a religious mission to advance the Protestant Reformation.
- The warm relationship she had established with Lady Mary, Henry VIIIs oldest daughter, during those years may have played a role as well.
- Plus, Catherine of Aragon had stood as Catherine Parr's Godmother and her parents had named her after the Queen.
- Catherine may have been motivated by a sense of duty to the Tudor family for those reasons.
- She adapted to her new position as Queen Consort, quickly and well, and their honeymoon lasted for the latter half of 1543.
- Henry VIII took pride, not only in her virtue and intelligence, he also admired her beauty and that were at least 3 portraits completed of her during the short time they were married.

Henry greeted like a hero

- The 2 were much closer in age than Henry had been with any of his 3 previous wives and they seemed to develop a close companionship.
- They were also fairly evenly matched in education, intelligence and points of view.
- During Henry's absence in 1544 when he led another military campaign in France he made Catherine his regent in charge of the kingdom.
- But he lost an absurd amount of men and resources with no tangible reward in an attempt to recapture part of his lost youth and glory when Britain ruled part of France.
- However, Catherine offered Henry VIII her full support in his military endeavors and greeted him like a hero when he returned.

Catherine/Katherine

- During his periodic bouts of illness he did not attempt to ban Catherine from his chambers which centered around his old leg wound.
- As Queen, she willingly and ably nursed Henry just as she she had nursed Lord Latimer through his final illness.
- During this sickness, she placed more emphasis on the English Protestant reform, and this put her into the same danger as Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard before her.
- She elevated her family members by appointing them to positions in her household, including her siblings and stepchildren.
- Her sister, Anne Parr, Lady Herbert, who had served both Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard, was made principal lady in waiting and her brother was appointed as Earl of Essex.
- Catherine also made subtle efforts to promote Protestantism by appointing reformers to key positions, including her personal chaplain and the tutors assigned to teach the Lady Elizabeth and Prince Edward.

Protestant reformer

- Catherine Parr was influential in Henry's passing of the Third Succession Act in 1543 that restored his daughters Mary and Elizabeth to the line of succession to the throne.
- Henry VIII was impressed by her learning and educational sophistication and readily sought Catherine's advice on his children's education.
- But he was at that time probably very unaware of how deeply committed to the cause of religious reform.
- He knew that she was pious and that she wasn't a Catholic sympathizer, but it would not become clear to him until 1546 how strongly his wife favored the reformist cause.
- Henry was more religiously conservative than Catherine, his main problem may have been with being increasingly outspoken while challenging him.
- Especially on religious matters and policy.

John Fisher as Elon Musk

John Fisher c.1469-1535 10/19    6/22 English Catholic prelate  Bishop of Rochester	Elon Reeve Musk 1971  6/28 Satan from Alpha Centauri
Most saintly prelate

- John Fisher (c.1469-1535) was an English Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Rochester from 1504 to 1535 and as chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
- He is honored as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Church.
- Fisher was executed by order of Henry VIII during the English Reformation for refusing to accept him as Supreme Head of the Church of England and for upholding the Catholic Church's doctrine of papal supremacy and the independence of the Church from control by the State.
- Fisher was named a cardinal shortly before his death.
- In 1544, Catherine Parr anonymously published an English translation of Bishop Fisher's Latin text, psalms and prayers.
- The following year she published prayers and meditations under her own name and her English translation sold remarkably well.

Irked

- Catherine's growing popularity may have irked Henry VIII, especially as she grew bolder in her arguments and challenges on religious matters.
- He might even have felt some jealousy on receiving as a New Year's gift in 1546, a Latin translation of his wife's enormously popular book from his daughter Elizabeth who may have seemed by Henry to admire her stepmother more than she did him.
- Catherine was the first woman in England to publish in print an original work under her own name in the English language.
- Catherine's increasingly bold speech eventually produced open grumbling from Henry VIII that he should not be lectured and condescended to by his wife on matters he considered to be in his power alone.

Stephen Gardiner as Elon Musk

Stephen Gardiner 1483-1555 7/27    11/12 English Catholic Bishop of Winchester	Elon Reeve Musk 1971  6/28 Satan from Alpha Centauri
Wily Winchester

- Stephen Gardiner (1483-1555) was an English Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I.
- Skilled in canon law, he had a significant career as a civil servant and diplomat, being brought to King Henry VIII's attention when working for Cardinal Wolsey, then serving as the king's secretary.
- As a bishop, he was the most important religious conservative to retain his diocese during the later reign of Henry, supporting the king's claim as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
- He spent most of the reign of Edward VI in prison, but was restored by Mary I of England, in whose reign he died.
- Bishop of Winchester, Stephen Gardiner and Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, approached Henry VIII with allegations that the Queen's supposedly heretical leanings which appeared far more extreme than the Act of Six Articles allowed, the King seemed disposed to entertain their convictions.

The Act of Six Articles was a 1539 English law passed by King Henry VIII that reasserted traditional Catholic doctrines.People also called it the "whip with six strings" because breaking the law brought harsh punishments like death or property loss. (Assistant)

Thomas Wriothesley as Donald Trump

Thomas Wriothesley 1505-1550 12/21    7/30  Lord Chancellor and Lord High Admiral	Donald John Trump 1946 6/14 Lucifer's clone from Omega Centauri
Call-Me Risley

- Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton (1505-1550), was an English peer, secretary of state, Lord Chancellor and Lord High Admiral.
- A naturally skilled but unscrupulous and devious politician who changed with the times, Wriothesley served as a loyal instrument of King Henry VIII in the latter's break with the Catholic Church.
- Richly rewarded with royal gains from the Dissolution of the Monasteries, he nevertheless prosecuted Calvinists and other Protestants when political winds changed.
- That's the most confusing part because Henry VIII also shifted back and forth between Catholic and Protestant views.
- Henry VIII permitted Wriothesley to issue a warrant for Catherine Parr's arrest and interrogation who was a Protestant reformer who was translating Catholic prayer books and publishing them.

The Dissolution of the Monasteries took place between 1536 and 1541 when King Henry VIII closed all Catholic religious houses in England, Wales, and Ireland. (Assistant)

Henry's illness

- But luckily for Catherine, the warrant was never served.
- The document was first waylaid by an unknown servant that delivered directly into Catherine's hands instead of Henry's.
- Panicked, she collapsed into weeping and hoped to conform and try as hard as possible to uphold Henry's will.
- When he confronted her about challenging him and her refusal to allow herself to be instructed by English religious authorities, namely himself, Catherine elegantly protested that she had only argued with Henry in order to benefit from his superior wisdom.
- As well as to distract him from the painful trials of his recurring illness which had been increasingly plaguing him.
- She then confirmed that her duty and her place was to honor and respect Henry's authority.

Suffering

- These claims were probably not just lip service from Catherine or a clever ploy to save her skin.
- She may have been considered a radical in her own time for her Protestant views, which makes all these accusations even more confusing, but her perspective on the role of women was quite conventional.
- This was made clear in her religious treaties published after Henry's death in 1547 called Lamentacions of a Sinner which was quite traditional in its attitudes to women's roles.
- Catherine believed that women should be taught to read and understand the Scriptures, but simultaneously taught to remain silent and obedient to their husbands in all things.

Lavish will

- Henry VIII was generous to her in his will bequeathing to her a lavish annual income of 7,000 pounds as well as the right to retain the royal jewels in her lifetime.
- Catherine was appointed regent from July to September 1544, while Henry was on a military campaign in France; in the event that he lost his life, she was to rule as regent until Edward came of age.
- However, Henry VIII did not give her any function in government in his will.
- Following Henry's death and Catherine's prompt retirement from the royal court, Thomas Seymour, who had recently been named 1st Baron of Sudeley reentered Catherine's life almost immediately.
- Before she was even out of mourning for Henry VIII, the 2 were together.

Thomas Seymour as Elon Musk

Thomas Seymour c.1508-1549 ?     3/20 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley	Elon Reeve Musk 1971  6/28 Satan from Alpha Centauri
Not a protector

- Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley (c.1508-1549) was a brother of Jane Seymour, the 3rd wife of King Henry VIII.
- With his brother, Edward Seymour (1500-1552), 1st Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector of England, he vied for control of their nephew, the young King Edward VI  and stood as his regent from 1547–1553.
- Catherine Parr married Thomas Seymour in a secret ceremony in May 1547, just a few months after the death of her previous husband, King Henry VIII.
- The wedding caused quite a stir in Edward VIs court because they had wed without his permission.
- With 4 husbands, she is the most-married English queen.

Edward Seymour as Elon Musk

Edward Seymour 1500-1552 ?     1/22 Lord Protector of England	Elon Reeve Musk 1971  6/28 Satan from Alpha Centauri
Summer setting

- Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp (1500[-1552) was an English nobleman and politician who served as Lord Protector of England from 1547 to 1549 during the minority of his nephew King Edward VI.
- He was the eldest surviving brother of Queen Jane Seymour and mother of King Edward VI.
- Edward Seymour, Thomas Seymour's brother, had been made Lord Protector during the new Edward VI minority was furious with both his brother and the Dowager Queen Catherine.
- Their hasty marriage could have made it doubtful to judge the paternity of any child that Catherine might give birth to within 9 months of Henry's death which had only just occurred at the end of January 1547.
- Only with Henry's track record producing heirs, that wasn't a problem.

Lady Mary

- Because of this, the Regency Council was suspicious of the marriage and they distrusted Thomas Seymour's ambitions.
- The marriage also alienated Lady Mary who considered the secretness and hastiness to be both indecent and an affront to her father's memory.
- A rift developed between Catherine and Mary which was never healed.
- Such a risky approach to marriage seemed out of character for Catherine, but perhaps at age 35, having made what she finally believed to be a true love match, she decided to waste no more time.
- She threw caution to the wind and married the man she wanted.

Sudeley Castle

- The year following her 4th marriage was probably one of the happiest in Catherine Parr's life, she and her husband established residence at his seat at Sudeley Castle.
- Catherine responded to an appeal by her former stepdaughter, Lady Elizabeth, with an invitation to come and live with her and Thomas Seymour where she could continue to supervise Elizabeth's education.
- Naturally, Catherine's intellectual reputation proceeded her and other noble families were soon applying to the Dowager Queen to take in other daughters of the aristocracy who needed a respectable place to complete their education.
- Most notable among them was Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554) who was the granddaughter of Henry VIIIs sister, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth's first cousin.

Katherine Parr

- Just as her mother Maud Parr had been, Catherine was now a respected woman of learning and culture sought after and entrusted with the care and education of the children of England's most illustrious families.
- Early in the following year, 1548, Catherine discovered that she was pregnant for the first time in her life and at last her happiness seemed complete.
- Sadly, her calm contentment would be shattered several months later when more than halfway through the pregnancy, she discovered that her husband had been actively pursuing a relationship with her own stepdaughter, Lady Elizabeth.
- It later came to light that Thomas Seymour had been regularly visiting Elizabeth's chamber in the early mornings in a state of nighttime undress and attempting to engage in inappropriate and vaguely sexual horseplay.

Abuse of a minor

 - During Thomas Seymour's marriage to Catherine, he involved the future Queen Elizabeth I (then 14 years old), who resided in his household, in flirtatious and sexual behavior.
- To what understanding Catherine had to the extent of his actions is unclear and some sources claim that she participated in some of Seymour's acts but that is not true.
- By the summer of 1548 she discovered Seymour and Elizabeth in an embrace and Catherine promptly sent Elizabeth away to protect her stepdaughter from her husband.
- Perhaps even in an attempt to save the marriage, but the actions had hurt Catherine deeply.

Pregnancy

- When she went into labor in late August 1548, her experience proved very difficult and taxing.
- In the pain of the birth, Catherine vented her rage and despair with Seymour, actions which she did not seem to remember after her daughter Mary was born.
- But Catherine lived less than a week after the birth, the infant, Mary Seymour, who was named for Lady Mary, lost her mother when she was only 6 days old.

Queen Catherine's death

- Catherine was the final queen consort of the House of Tudor, and outlived Henry by a year and 8 months.
- She died on September 5, 1548, of prenatal complications and she was buried on her husband Thomas Seymour's estate.
- It appears that Thomas Seymour even intended on marrying Elizabeth and then kidnap Edward VI and force him to abdicate so he could seize power.
- He was executed for treason, less than a year after Catherine's death.
- Their daughter, Mary Seymour, was sent to live with Catherine's friend and fellow reformer, Katherine Brandon (1519-1580), the duchess of Suffolk.
- Although the child didn't survive her early childhood and she died by age 3.

Past Lives - Tudor - Sisters - Page 7