Queen Katherine Parr

by Anthony K. Martienssen

Queen Katherine Parr presents a detailed and impressive portrait, not only of Katherine, but of the whole tortuous, dangerous, treacherous yet brilliant Tudor age in which she lived.

An impressive portrait of Henry VIII’s brilliant, but often overlooked, sixth and last wife.

Perfect for fans of Tracy Borman, Alison Weir and John Guy.

A devotee of Renaissance humanism, Protestant firebrand, political intriguer, wily survivor, and early campaigner for the rights of women; there are few figures in Henry VIII’s court who had a greater legacy than Queen Katherine Parr.

Born into an ancient and wealthy family of Northern gentry, Parr received a thorough introduction into the New Learning advocated by Erasmus and Sir Thomas More before being married off at twelve to a sixty-year-old noble who would die only three years later. She and her second husband, John Latimer, somehow managed to escape condemnation and execution when they flirted dangerously with the rebels in the Pilgrimage of Grace. Yet, it was after Latimer’s death that Katherine took the greatest risk by catching the eye of that brutal monarch, Henry VIII.

Antony Martienssen utilises a huge assortment of sources to illuminate the dangerous world of Henry’s court, exploring how Katherine was able to stay alive and survive when so many others found their necks upon the chopping block. What makes this biography remarkable is the fact that Martienssen demonstrates that Parr was not simply a passive pawn, but a skilled navigator through the dangerous shoals of Tudor politics. Outwitting her arch-enemy, Thomas Cromwell, she was the prime factor in his disgrace and execution.

As Henry’s final Queen it fell to her to oversee the education of her step-children, the future Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Tutors were chosen steeped in humanism and her brand of Protestantism which particularly shaped Edward and Elizabeth’s reigns. Martienssen even shows how it was through Parr’s influence that Mary and Elizabeth were restored to the line of succession.

‘A biography of King Henry VIII’s sixth and last wife, who had the acumen to survive that formidable monarch with her neck intact. Mr Martienssen sees this much-married lady as a woman of character and intellect, a devotee of Humanism in her early life and of the Reformation in her maturity. A pioneer in the growth of feminine influence in affairs of state, Katherine, in his view, was the prime agent of Thomas Cromwell's fall, and played a leading part in moulding the character of the future Queen Elizabeth I’ Sunday Telegraph

Queen Katherine Parr should be essential reading for all interested in learning more about this remarkable woman, charting the course of her life as she rose from being a young northern gentlewoman to the sixth wife of Henry VIII and ending with her final years spent as guardian to her stepdaughter, Elizabeth.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Royalty, History

337 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on I believe most enigmatic Henry VIII's wife. The Author presents clearly and yet in an unputdownable way the making of Katherine Parr and explains her ambitions and maschinations. This non-ficiton reads like a page-turner which I believe is hard to achieve.
BTW, I did not realize this book was published forty years ago.
*A big thank-you to Anthony Martienssen, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Parr is my second-favorite of King Henry VIII's famous six wives (Anne Boleyn being first, of course). She was very intelligent, emotionally as well as intellectually, and this emotional intelligence famously kept her alive (OK, except for her love of Thomas Seymour, a cad-about-town if there ever was one).
This is an old biography of Katherine, written in 1973, and as a scholarly work, it is definitely lacking, quoting only one source throughout, and that one not even a primary source. There is no bibliography and no footnotes, so read this "biography" for entertainment value only. The entertainment value, for me, was in the amount of information devoted to Katherine's life BEFORE becoming Henry's last queen. I don't think I realized that her mother was a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, and that Katherine was therefore probably educated at the royal court, one which was famous for educating girls as well as boys. I also didn't realize how neck-deep Katherine's second husband, Lord Latimer, was in the Pilgrimage of Grace, in which northern Catholics revolted against the religious revolution instigated by Henry in order to divorce Catherine. Katherine's adroit political sense saved them both from Henry's revenge over the Pilgrimage. And her ability to keep an ailing King Henry soothed actually saved her life, when the Catholic faction at court almost had her in its clutches.
So, overall, this was an enjoyable look at Queen Katherine Parr. Just don't read it for historical scholarship. Rounded up to 4 stars.

[Frrobins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this biography of Katherine Parr, 6th and final wife of Henry VIII, at a library sale and have lately been on a spree of reading about Henry's final four wives. Through the process I have found that one of the problems that plagues biographers of the final four wives is how to deal with the scarcity of material, something that different biographers handle to varying degrees of success. This was a problem that was openly confronted by this biographer and in the end I would say he did not do the best job of navigating this problem but also it was not the worst I had read. At times I felt Katharine got lost in her own biography and he also included a lot of letters written in Old English that were rather tedious and not terribly illuminating. He was more successful when he explored the philosophies of Humanism and how they influenced Katharine as well as when he explored how women in the Tudor Era ushered in the age of new learning and how that influenced not only Katharine's life but the course of a nation.

The author developed a theme well of how Katharine, who was raised at Henry VIII's court and had front row tickets to much of the drama the previous five went through, learned from their mistakes and became the surviving and arguably the most influential wife. I have read both Antonia Fraser and Alison Weirs' biographies of The Six Wives of Henry VIII and both of them lost the opportunity to include a young Katharine Parr in the events that happened to the previous wives, and without this we lose a lot of context for how Katharine was forged. Katharine's mother was a lady in waiting to Katherine of Aragon, Henry's first wife and possibly named in her honor. Katharine was educated with Princess Mary and benefitted from Katherine of Aragon's enthusiastic support of new learning. Katharine had also known Henry VIII her entire life, and I had never realized how this influenced his eventual decision to marry her. After having his heart broken by Catherine Howard, Katharine Parr was well known and respected and Henry could be assured that she would be loyal and dutiful, even though she had been married twice before and never born a child.

The author portrays Katharine as ambitious and strategic and describes how she advocated for Henry's children to cement her favor at court and how she was careful to ensure that she had the support of the ladies at court. Undoubtably this likely did help to save her when rival factions targeted her and thus she avoided Anne Boleyn's mistakes. Katharine knew how viscous the Tudor court could be and she was playing to survive. And while I am drawn to the idea that Katharine was very smart and strategic about surviving, the author also portrays Henry VIII as a Machiavellian political genius who deliberately pitted rival factions against each other to his benefit. While I could be wrong, what I have read about Henry VIII in the past has lead me to conclude that while Henry was Machiavellian, it was an unexpected byproduct of having a personality disorder (likely narcissistic personality disorder) and possibly a head injury sustained while jousting when he was married to Anne Boleyn that lead him to be unpredictable and kept his courtiers in a state of fear as they did what they could not to upset him. Given that I suspect the author may be overstating Henry's political acumen, I also have to wonder if he did the same for Katharine.

Regardless, Katharine was an intelligent and influential woman. She helped restored Mary and Elizabeth back into the line of succession and she shared her love of humanism with Elizabeth, and I could see the echoes of Elizabeth's policies of religious tolerance in ideas that Katharine embraced. I also enjoyed reading about Katharine's relationship with Mary, something that has been oddly neglected in other works I have read about her considering they were raised together and were close until Katharine made the regrettable decision to marry Thomas Seymour. I am also relieved to read that Katharine was content in her earlier marriages. From a modern perspective, the thought of a young girl having to marry a series of much older men sounds wretched. The author explains a lot about the reasons in the context of the time and while still abhorrent it makes it more understandable.

This biography was written in the 1970s and in some ways is rather dated. More modern portrayals of Henry VIII seem to realize that the adoration his subjects felt for him was born of terror of what would happen if they crossed him, and this author seems to take a half way view, acknowledging that Henry was a tyrant but seeming to believe he was genuinely loved and adored in spite of it. With this in mind, and given the terror that every other wife after Anne Boleyn seemed to have of Henry, I'm not sure what to make of his assertion that Katharine was genuinely fond of Henry. She could have been, especially given that he was likely a father figure to her for most of her life and how these feelings can be complicated. But I also have to wonder about rose colored glasses.

Overall, though, I would likely recommend that someone try a more recent biography of Katharine Parr and read this one if they are a diehard Tudor fanatic or very interested in the role that women played in influencing a kingdom at a time when they had little real political power. Sadly many biographers, when writing about the wives, overlook the influence Katherine of Aragon had on Katharine Parr, who in turn influenced Elizabeth I to be the greatest Tudor monarch of them all. Much respect to the author for not losing this vital and inspiring story.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first few pages of this book, I thought - ??? - until I saw that it was originally published in 1973 and is being reissued by this publisher with several other books of the same era. It's definitely in the style of mid-20th century biographies, not biographies being written by historians today. Extremely sparse with the footnotes, and an extremely omniscient narrator.

On the one hand, Martienssen was ahead of his time in attending to Katherine Parr as an extremely intelligent and politically aware person, not the mousey widow who didn't do anything to attract sufficient attention to get herself executed or divorced. He anticipates 21st century historians in crediting her with a great influence on the future Queen Elizabeth, and provides context to show that her family was highly placed in Henry VIII's court.

On the other hand, he continually states that Katherine did this or that thing because of a political or religious project or agenda, without showing anything of a justification for his statements. It is not at all clear how he knows that she did something because she had a long term goal of achieving religious reforms or bringing down Cromwell. (It does seem rather hyperbolic to credit her with Cromwell's fall, given who else was gunning for the man. She may have gone to Henry to intercede for an uncle who was accused of religious crimes, but could what she said really have caused Cromwell to be arrested, when Norfolk and Wriothesley and Gardiner were also on the case??)

I'm not saying he's invented falsehoods. I'm just saying I don't know how he reached this particular conclusion as opposed to any other.

This is the first time I've seen a detailed assertion of Katherine as having been born and brought up at court, and a schoolfellow of Princess Mary throughout their youth. Here, he does give some facts to support this idea - Katherine's mother was in Catherine of Aragon's household and never left it, but I'm not sure where he got the information that Katherine was educated throughout her childhood with Mary and other daughters of courtiers. I'd love to know. He based many assessments of her future actions on her having been in the classroom with Mary, and a few other women who subsequently married influential courtiers and were part of Katherine's household.

He also takes a different view of Henry VIII than has become fashionable. He asserts that Henry was extremely intelligent and well-read in Machiavelli, and if he appeared to be bumbling about, or bewitched by a beautiful woman, it was because he wanted to give that impression. In this light, the question of whether it was Henry or Cromwell who brought down Anne Boleyn is rather moot - long before she miscarried that last son, she was being lined up to be the scapegoat for the somewhat unpopular religious reforms Henry and Cromwell were implementing. It's quite interesting to read an account of Henry seen from this angle, although again it's clearly his interpretation of the evidence rather than anything more concrete.

If you can remain aware of how much is going unspecified or unsupported, this is an interesting look at the 1530s and 1540s from a different point of view. Katherine is someone who has not really gotten her due in the history books, and fifty years ago someone tried to give it to her.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Publishing for the proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I know that this book is a reissue of this book, which was originally published in the 1970s. Given the recent popularity of Katherine Parr it makes sense that a biography of her would also increase in popularity.

I did enjoy how much of Katherine's voice was in this book including excerpts of her letters to her fourth husband. I also really appreciated how Martienssen highlighted Katherine's female relationships and influences throughout the book. The discussion around Katherine and the circle of women that she was educated with at court as a young girl was particularly interesting as I had not previously realized how ingrained into court life Katherine had been before her second marriage. I did know that Katherine's godmother might have been Catherine of Aragon because Parr's mother was a lady-in-waiting. However, just how integrated the Parr family was within the court structure was fascinating to learn about. I also feel the information Martienssen provided helped me to better understand the relationship between Princess Mary and Katherine before they were step-daughter/step-mother.

Martienssen's suppositions of what lessons Katherine learned from observing Henry's previous consorts were interesting. I do think that Martienssen did have a rather narrow view of some of the previous Queen consorts, particularly Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. In my opinion, the presentation of Henry's first five wives and the two Howard cousins in particular was very one-sided and did make this biography feel somewhat biased.

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting discussion of the Tudor period that highlighted one of the most eminent families of the Tudor era. However, Katherine Parr does often get lost in the description of the history of the period. There is a whole chapter on Catherine Howard in which Katherine does not figure at all because she was not at court and played very little role in events. I however did find it interesting that Martienssen believes that Parr played a not-insignificant role in the downfall of Cromwell. Although it was an interesting theory Martienssen has very limited circumstantial evidence and overstated Katherine's role in Cromwell's downfall.

If you love Tudor history this book contains a great deal of information of the period, particularly focused on the Parr family. However, the author does rely on archetypes of other prominent figures of the period that are not often flattering. I also found parts of this book difficult to read because the prose was rather dry. Certain parts of the book captivated me, such as Katherine's religious evolution, but other times I had a hard time focusing.




Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Miscarriage

[Anne Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all my reading of Tudor England, Katherine Parr is someone I've read very little about. This book (originally published in the 70s) was a really great introduction to her. It explores her entire life, focusing on the Humanist education she received as a young girl, how she learned by watching Henry's wives over the years, and how she developed her touch for politics.

I had no idea that Katherine was pretty much raised at court, her mother being a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon. Katherine and Henry VIII's daughter Mary were contemporaries and spent their formative years together, learning at a Court school with several other girls who would form a block of influential women as they grew up. The author emphasises the Humanist learning the girls were taught, which becomes the bedrock of Katherine's belief system and what she eventually passed on to Elizabeth I. I liked how the obligatory history of Henry VIII and his other wives was seen more through what Katherine learned from the women- if she was at Court how she might have interacted with them and how the other women in her circle also interacted with them. There were also times when the Parrs dealt with Henry, since they were almost taught to see him as a father figure, and he was surprisingly interested in their lives and careers going forward. This may have saved Katherine's second husband when he was caught up in the Pilgrimage of Grace and the author suggests that it may have played a role in the downfall of Thomas Cromwell, after a conversation between Henry and Katherine.

I especially liked how Martienssen looked at the power of women-both as individuals and as a group-in this book. The comparison between Anne Boleyn, who flaunted her power, and Katherine Parr, who largely kept her influence behind the scenes, is striking. I would definitely want to read more on her to see if other authors see Katheirne in similar ways. The book has its weaknesses, the largest one being not including an actual bibliography but just including notations in brief footnotes. But I'm definitely hooked and now planning on looking for many more books on Katherine in the future.

I received an ARC of this edition from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Lauralee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen Katherine Parr was the last wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was also England’s most married queen. In fact, King Henry VIII was her third husband. This biography shows Katherine Parr as an intelligent Queen and who was skilled in manipulating the Tudor Court. It also showed that she was the perfect Queen for King Henry VIII.

Queen Katherine Parr was one of the most respected English queens. This book mentions that Katherine Parr’s mother was a lady-in-waiting to King Henry VIII’s first wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon. Katherine Parr was educated alongside Princess Mary and was taught by Juan Luis Vives. She was a humanist and was not fully Protestant. Katherine Parr also helped bring down Thomas Cromwell. Mr. Martienssen stated that Queen Katherine Parr was not reluctant to marry King Henry VIII. Instead, she was ambitious and always thought she had a destiny to rule. Therefore, she was eager to marry King Henry VIII and to become queen. She did not fall in love until after King Henry VIII’s death.

Overall, this was a very comprehensive biography of Queen Katherine Parr. This book barely talks about Queen Catherine’s first two marriages and her last marriage. Instead, it mostly focused on Henry VIII’s reign. It also focused more on her marriage to King Henry VIII and the impact she had on her husband and her step-daughter, Princess Elizabeth. Queen Katherine Parr helped Princess Elizabeth become part of King Henry VIII’s succession, which would allow her to become queen. Queen Katherine Parr also promoted a love of learning for Queen Elizabeth. Queen Katherine Parr is an enjoyable read because it shows Queen Katherine Parr as a fascinating and intelligent woman! I wished the book would have focused more on her personal life. I recommend this book for fans of Carolly Erickson, Elizabeth Norton, and Nicola Tallis!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Queen Katherine Parr" by Anthony Martienssen is a captivating biography that illuminates the life of a remarkable woman often overshadowed by her more famous Tudor predecessors. Martienssen skillfully navigates through the complexities of Katherine Parr's life, providing readers with a vivid portrait of a queen who played a crucial role in the turbulent times of the 16th century.

The book presents a balanced and insightful exploration of Katherine's multifaceted character, showcasing her intelligence, resilience, and diplomatic acumen. Martienssen's meticulous research is evident in the rich historical context he provides, offering readers a deeper understanding of the political and religious challenges faced by Katherine during her time as queen.

The narrative unfolds seamlessly, blending historical facts with engaging storytelling to bring Katherine Parr to life. Martienssen's prose is both accessible and evocative, making this biography not only informative but also an enjoyable read. "Queen Katherine Parr" is a commendable addition to Tudor history literature, shedding light on a queen whose legacy deserves greater recognition.

[Meow558 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen Katherine Parr is a book by Anthony Martienssen about Katherine Parr, the last wife of King Henry VIII. This covers Katherine's life as much as possible, as well as talking about important events in her life such as the Protestant movement and England's wars.
I found this book quite interesting. It gave a great deal of context to the story while also not overwhelming the reader with tangents. The book was also quite easy to read, though the many nobles were difficult to keep track of at times.
However, I did have a couple issues with the book. The biggest issue I had was all the quotations in the book. For example, there would be an entire letter that Katherine wrote to someone. This was helpful at times, but I wish more of the letters were summarised by the author rather than just put in.
I would recommend this book to people who are interested in King Henry VIII's wives. I would recommend a decent amount of knowledge, because the book does not spend much time explaining King Henry or his previous wives.
Thank you to Sapere Books for this ARC on NetGalley.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography chronicles the daring influence of Queen Katherine Parr on Henry VIII's court. A Renaissance humanist raised among scholars, she outmaneuvered Thomas Cromwell and, as Henry's final queen, shaped future monarchs Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I through her progressive education policies. Parr emerges not as a passive pawn but a shrewd political force who molded history.

I've read a lot of books about the Tudors in general and Katherine Parr in particular. This one offers insights I hadn't heard before. Engaging and easy to understand, this biography is informative and a pleasure to read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Lena Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all the lovers of history, this is your book as it's now mine. I love this book. It's extremely well written with a great deal of research and documentation. The book is about King Henry VIII last wife, Queen Katherine Parr, who you will learn was a remarkable woman. She was intelligent, strong in her convictions, her beliefs in religion, love, family, and loyalty in a time when women were not supposed to have a voice. It takes you from the beginning until her death and what happened afterward. Enjoy readers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Angela DT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen Katherine Parr by Anthony Martienson

For those that have read many books on the tudor period you may feel that you know most of the history that is available on HenryV111 & his wives . However after reading this I am wrong .
Katherine Parr was quite a complex character , who I feel probably watered down her intelligence from the king to keep her head and her life. She obviously succeeded as she was his last and surviving him queen.
I enjoyed the book inspite of it being re published from the original which was released in the late 70s.

[Lindsay S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A definitive biography of a unique fixture of Tudor England. She was ahead of her time in so many ways, yet cunning and immensely intelligent. She still was not immune from the injustices women endured during this period. A great biography first published in 1973. I’m thrilled to see this is being reissued for other readers to enjoy.

Thank you to Sapere Book and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

[Edith · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars
When I read this biography (1973?), there were few popular books available on Katherine Parr. I am glad to see there are more now, because this one is inadequate. No sources (except in a vague preface) and a lot of speculation. Worth reading if you can't find another book on Henry's last queen--it only got three stars because I was so glad to see anything about her.

[J WOOLERTON · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best history books I have read. The forensic analysis of Katherine's early life and especially her relationship with her mother set the scene for the intriguing royal career that followed. It's one of the few histories I have read of Katherine which explain just why she was such an appealing candidate as queen consort.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. This was a very fascinating read! I love reading anything about the Tudors. But you don't really find that many books about Catherine Parr. I have read little things about her. So I was very excited to read this! Very well written. Highly recommend! Perfect for all Tudor friends.

[LOIS · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely capable and knowledgeable woman is described in this informative and well written book. Queen Katherine Parr led an intriguing life long before her marriage to Henry. She witnessed and was part of English history, surviving
partly because of her own tactics and compassion.

[Hebe Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read exploring so much more about Henry's last queen. Well written and informative. She was obviously a clever woman who managed to survive difficult times whilst still holding her own views. Sadly, she died so young otherwise what could she have become.

[Ari (Head in a Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

We don't talk about the fact Parr was the first female to publish a book under her name in England enough.
This book explores the other incredible events Parr was involved in and how intelligent she really was, especially in regards to politics. The whole Thomas Seymour thing is a shame though.

[elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay biography, would maybe like one a little more succinct.

[Hilary Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into women's education, influence and place in politics in Tudor times.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martienssen gives Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife, the spotlight in this incredible piece of historical biography. This biography brings her childhood and extended family into the spotlight, as Martienssen discusses her childhood at court, her mother’s soft power and position in Catherine of Aragon’s household, her shared childhood with Princess Mary (her eventual stepdaughter), and her family history and genealogy. Martienssen later discusses her four marriages, giving her first two marriages more of a focus as they were so critical to her development and position as Henry VIII’s wife and Thomas Seymour’s wife; he also discusses her commonalities with the infamous Anne Boleyn -- their humanist educations, interest in the New Religion (a discussion fascinating in and of itself), their use of soft power, and their political skills (and how they benefited Henry VIII). Martienssen gives Katherine Parr a lot of credit, including excerpts of primary documents to demonstrate her skills and power as an educated noblewoman in sixteenth century England and how she used her education and power as a wife to various noblemen and the King of England. This is a fascinating, intelligent, and complex biography of a great English queen that Tudor fans are sure to enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for the advance copy.