Lead: Through his long and interesting reign, King Henry VIII of England married six women, three Catherines, two Annes and a Jane.

Content: Having divorced or dispatched the first five, he married his last wife in July 1543. The new Queen was Catherine Parr. She succeeded the teen aged Catherine Howard who proved to be no virgin at marriage and perilously indiscreet thereafter. Catherine was from North Hampton, had been married and widowed twice, was 31 years old and a moderate Protestant. She did much to soften the disappointment of the old king's last years. Henry, by this time was white-headed, obese, had the gout and an ulcerated leg. Catherine was his most dutiful wife if not an object of great romance.

Under her influence all three of the royal children came together for the first time in their father's household. Because of the difficulties of Henry's troubled reign, Elizabeth, Mary, and Edward had been separated, but now under the Queen they received a highly enlightened education. Queen Catherine assembled a number of prominent scholars from the universities. Both Mary and Elizabeth were set to translating important religious documents and Edward was encouraged to begin that life of scholarship which distinguished his brief, but important reign.

At Henry's death Catherine continued to assist the young king, thereby proving her usefulness to her late husband, even after his death. Catherine Parr lacked the allure of Anne Boleyn, the sexual crackle of Catherine Howard, or the diplomatic advantage of Anne of Cleaves, but if a little dull, she was stable and efficient, in other words, just what the King needed.

At the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts.

Resources

Fraser, Antonia. The Wives of Henry VIII. New York: Knopf Publishing Company, 1992.

Scarisbrick, J.J. Henry VIII. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968

Copyright 1997 by Educational Broadcast, Inc.