Today we remember a great lady and my second favourite of Henry VIII’s wives, Queen Catherine Parr, for it was on this day in history, Wednesday 5th September 1548, between two and three o’clock in the morning, that she died of puerperal fever.
I find her death a real tragedy. Henry VIII’s death in January 1547 had allowed her to finally be able to marry the man she had loved for many years, Thomas Seymour, and she had just given birth to their first child, a daughter, Mary. What is even more tragic is that her death resulted in Seymour losing complete control of himself and taking a course of action which would lead him to the scaffold in March 1549. I am sure that Catherine’s love, her guiding hand and steadying influence would have prevented that from happening.
Within just over 6 months of her birth, Catherine’s precious little girl, Mary Seymour, was left an orphan and it is thought that she died in early childhood.
RIP Queen Catherine Parr, a woman who was indeed “useful in all I do” and more.
You can read more about Catherine Parr’s death in my article “The Death of Catherine Parr” and more about the woman she was and the queen she became in the following articles:-
You can find out more about Catherine Parr in the following articles:-
- Last But Not Least: The Enduring Fascination of Katherine Parr – A guest post by historian Linda Porter
- Catherine Parr – The Old Nursemaid?
- Catherine Parr in Danger – A guest post by historian Elizabeth Norton
- Catherine Parr – A brief bio of Henry VIII’s sixth wife.
- Catherine Parr: The One Who Got Away
- The Mystery of Mary Seymour Solved?
I’ve also written about Catherine Parr over at The Elizabeth Files:-
- Catherine Parr and Thomas Seymour Part 1
- Catherine Parr and Thomas Seymour Part 2
- Catherine Parr and Elizabeth
- Elizabeth and the Two Katherines
RIP Catherine.. It is so sad that she wasn’t able to find the happiness she deserved. Just when she thought that at last she could be happy with her husband and baby, she lost her life.. RIP.
Hello Clarie:
Thanks so much for yet another great article.
I’m always curious why we don’t know what happened for sure to the child. Katherine seems to have remained relevant even after Henry’s death, which I guess surprises me a bit given the times. Yet the child seems disposable. Is this because it was a female child?
Thanks for the great work you’re doing.
Kim
It seems such a great pity that someone of Catherine Parr’s interlect and thinking died so soon after she finally got to marry the man she loved after giving birth to their child, especially when she had survived her marriage to the King.
It is also a great pity that after giving a mothers love, kindness and guidence to previous stepchildren, Henry’s children and Lady Jane, that she never had the chance to rear her own family with the same care.
The Lady was very forward thinking for the time in many aspects, that any family she may have had, would have grown into like minded people and would have gone on to do great things.
Although Thomas Seymore was somewhat a ‘loose cannon’, she seemed to have had some small amount of calming influence on him, for after her death he became more dangerous and erratic in his behaviour than before, much to his destruction, in my thoughts anyway.
In my mind her legacy is reflected in the future Queen Elizabeth, as it seems what she learnt at Catherine’s side, helped her become the great ruler she was.
A great loss to the ones who loved her, and to tudor England. May she rest in eternal peace and happiness.
Her anniversary is my birthday, I will always remember this now 🙂 x