House of Tudor - Catherine Parr
Name: Catherine Parr
Father: Thomas Parr
Mother: Maud Green
Born: abt.1512 at Kendal Castle
Married:(1) Edward Borough, on 1529
Married (2): John Nevill, on 1534
Married (3): Henry VIII, on July 12, 1543
Married (4): Thomas Seymour, on 1547
Children: Mary Seymour
Died: September 5, 1548 at Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire
Catherine Parr was the 6th and last wife of Henry VIII. She was born around 1512 in Kendal, and in 1527 at the age of 15 married Edward Borough. He died in 1533, and in the following year she married John Nevill, Lord Latimer, of Snape in Yorkshire. During the Pilgrimage of Grace the Nevill family was held hostage by the rebels.
Catherine brought a quiet family life to the aging king, and was responsible to reconciling him with his daughters Mary and Elizabeth whom he had previously disowned, and developed a good relationship with his son Edward. She was appointed regent in 1544 while Henry went on his last unsuccessful expedition to France. Catherine was deeply religious and although brought up a Catholic she embraced the new protestant faith and had strong reforming convictions. These brought her into conflict with Bishop Stephen Gardiner and Thomas Wriothesley who tried to turn Henry against her, but she survived.
Henry died on 28 January 1547, and she became a widow for the third time. She was now free to marry her former love Thomas Seymour. Childless after three marriages she became pregnant for the first time at the age of 35, but after giving birth to a daughter she died of complication following the birth at Sudeley castle on 5 September 1548.
Catherine Parr's Signature