On this day in history, 5th September 1548, Catherine Parr, Queen Dowager, wife of Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley, and widow of Henry VIII, died early in the morning at Sudelely Castle. She’d given birth to her first child, a daughter named Mary, six days earlier, and it is thought that she died of puerperal fever, or some other kind of postpartum complication.
You can click here to read more about her death and burial.
Catherine was just thirty-six years old when she died, but she’d led an interesting life, having been married four times, having been taken hostage during the Pilgrimage of Grace, and having published two works. She was far from the boring nursemaid of myth!
You can read more about her in my article Catherine Parr – The Old Nursemaid?.
Here are more resources for you to find out about Catherine Parr:
- 60 second history – Catherine Parr
- Was Katherine Parr a feminist?
- 25 April 1544 – Queen Catherine Parr’s first work is published
- The Catherine Parr Bio page
- Catherine Parr in Danger, an article by Elizabeth Norton
- Last But Not Least: The Enduring Fascination of Catherine Parr, an article by Linda Porter
- Catherine Parr – The One Who Got Away
- The Mystery of Mary Seymour Solved?
- 30 August 1548 – Catherine Parr, Queen Dowager, Gives Birth to a Daughter
I also recommend the following books:
- Catherine Parr: Henry VIII’s Last Love by Susan James
- Catherine Parr: Wife, Widow, Mother, Survivor, The Story of the Last Queen of Henry VIII by Elizabeth Norton
- Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr, the Last Wife of Henry VIII by Linda Porter
- Katherine Parr: Complete Works and Correspondence
The website TudorQueen6: The Life and Family of Queen Katherine Parr is great to browse too.
