Common questions about Catherine Parr

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When did Catherine Parr die and what was the cause of her death?

Catherine Parr died on the 5th of September 1548 from childbed fever six days after giving birth to her daughter Mary Seymour. Her death was a medical tragedy rather than a political execution like that of Anne Boleyn or Catherine Howard.

Who was Catherine Parr married to and how many times was she wed?

Catherine Parr was married four times to Sir Edward Burgh, John Neville 3rd Baron Latimer, King Henry VIII, and Thomas Seymour 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley. She became the most-married English queen consort in history and the final queen consort of the House of Tudor.

What significant literary achievement did Catherine Parr accomplish during her lifetime?

Catherine Parr was the first woman in England to publish an original work under her own name with Psalms or Prayers published on the 25th of April 1544. Her second book Prayers or Meditations was published on the 2nd of June 1545 and became a bestseller with Princess Elizabeth translating it into Latin Italian and French.

Where was Catherine Parr born and what was her early education like?

Catherine Parr was born in 1512 in the family townhouse at Blackfriars while her mother attended court rather than in Kendal Castle. Her early education was rigorous for a woman of her time granting her fluency in French Italian Latin and later Spanish.

How did Catherine Parr survive the arrest warrant issued against her in 1546?

Catherine Parr survived the arrest warrant issued by Stephen Gardiner and Lord Wriothesley by reconciling with Henry VIII and explaining that their arguments about religion were a ruse to take his mind off his ulcerous leg. The following day Chancellor Wriothesley attempted to arrest her while she walked with the King but Henry angrily dismissed his chancellor saving her life.

Where is Catherine Parr buried and when was her grave rediscovered?

Catherine Parr is buried in St. Mary's Chapel on the grounds of Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire where her coffin was last moved in 1861 to its final location under a canopied neo-Gothic tomb. Her grave was found by Joseph Lucas in 1782 after her presence at the castle was first rediscovered by the antiquarian Rev. Huggett in 1768.