Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
6:57 pm
March 12, 2010
Offline
Ok, so I'm about to finish “The Wives of Henry VIII” by Antonia Fraser, and I've discovered that Catherine Parr is so underrated in the history world! She was a truly brilliant woman. Several of her qualities…such as her love of fashion, her strong Protestant beliefs, her seemingly genuine love of the children in her life, and her sharp mind…remind me of the Anne we all love so much! Now I definitely want to buy Linda Porter's biography on her. I think that Anne and Catherine Parr would've been friends had they come in contact with each other during their lives. What are everyone else's thoughts on the sixth wife? 
11:31 pm
January 9, 2010
Offline
After Anne, Catherine Parr is my favourite of the wives. And you're right – she has been overlooked, being remembered primarily as the one who 'survived' though her life had been full of drama even before she married Henry!
I can't wait for Linda Porters new book either, though unfortunately I might have to wait a while. 
I do have the Susan James biography which I thoroughly recommend and Elizabeth Norton has written a book on her too. It seems to have taken a while but maybe Catherine is getting her moment to shine! 
Can't wait to see Joely Richardsons' portrayal of her in The Tudors, either!
10:19 am
February 16, 2009
Offline
Yes, Catherine Parr is suddenly trendy, what with Elizabeth Norton and Linda Porter writing about her in the past couple of months. I've nearly finished the Linda Porter one and I'm really enjoying it, it was great to get an insight into her early life and her first two marriages. I think history has done her an injustice by painting her as some kind of nursemaid to Henry and also by suggesting that Seymour only married her for her money.
I am really glad that Catherine is being examined by historians and brought to life, she has replaced Catherine of Aragon as my second favourite wife.
I think Joely Richardson will be a great Catherine Parr as she is a superb actress, plus she is also elegant and attractive.
Debunking the myths about Anne Boleyn
10:26 am
February 16, 2009
Offline
Hannah said: Several of her qualities…such as her love of fashion, her strong Protestant beliefs, her seemingly genuine love of the children in her life, and her sharp mind…remind me of the Anne we all love so much!
I agree with you, Hannah. Henry definitely wanted to be sensible in his choice of sixth wife after such a disastrous 5th marriage to such a young woman. Catherine was attractive, intelligent and she'd done a great job at being a mother to her stepchildren, Lord Latimer's children, so she was ideal wife material. I think Henry craved the relationship he'd had with Anne, the intelligent debates they'd had, the partnership they'd enjoyed, and Catherine could offer him that without the quick temper that Anne had had. Catherine's religious fervour did nearly cost her her life and Elizabeth Norton wonders if this was a test from Henry, rather than simply a conspiracy against Catherin, but whatever the truth of the matter, Catherine's quick thinking and her knowledge of the King's psyche saved her.
Debunking the myths about Anne Boleyn
11:12 pm
June 20, 2009
Offline
I haven't read too much about Catherine Parr, save for Starkey's book. Even from that, she is very interesting. I admire what she did for Henry's children, and that she was a published author in her own time. She seems more than the “nurse” that the Victorians made her out to be. I will have to add the new biographies that have come out to my amazon wishlist..
Let not my enemies sit as my jury
2:52 pm
January 9, 2010
Offline
I'd have to rate the Susan James one over Linda Porter – she goes into more detail. But they're both excellent!!
6:17 pm
June 7, 2010
Offline
Personally she is my second fave of the wives – and it saddens me to know that she married so many times for duty and when she finally fell in real love she had to wait to be with him because of Henry and that she had such a short time with Thomas Seymour the man she was in love with because of Henrys selfishness. It is even sadder then what Seymour did to her after she had married him.
11:50 am
February 24, 2010
Offline
I have just read Elizabeth Norton's comments dealing with Catherine's impending arrest. When Catherine was in trouble, there suddenly appears a copy of the charges against her for someone in her household to find and show her. That couldn't have been accidental. He also tells her friend, Dr. Butts, what is going on. Henry swears Butts to secrecy, but then sends him to her when he hears her crying. I am assuming he wanted Butts to warn her and calm her.
When Anne and CH were being investigated, Henry refused to see them. He shipped COA out and would not speak to her once he decided to marry Anne. He would not see AOC once he decided to divorce her. Yet, when it came to Catherine, he allowed her to explain herself to him. She was intelligent enough to see through Henry's ploy and deferred to his beliefs by saying she was trying to get his mind off his pain.
I realize Henry was playing a game here, but still, he allowed her to come before him and clear up the charges. When it comes to his wives, his action toward this wife is a out of character. I have to assume that he held Catherine in high esteem. She had brought his family together. He genuinely seems to have cared for her.
3:19 pm
August 12, 2009
Offline
He might have been running out of women who'd have him, too, maybe. Maybe he knew he was running out of time and just wanted to her to back down, not go away. Typical of Henry to over-do making his point, though.
ETA: He was probably grumbling in his mind, “Jane wouldn't have made me do that. All I had to do was snap at her and she backed right down. I miss Jane…”
"Don't knock at death's door.
Ring the bell and run. He hates that."
