Wife, widow, mother, survivor, the story of the last queen of Henry
VIII. Catherine Parr was enjoying her freedom after her first two
arranged marriages when she caught the attention of the elderly Henry
VIII. The most reluctant of all Henry's wives, she offered to become his
mistress rather than submit herself to the dangers of becoming Henry's
queen. This only increased Henry's enthusiasm for the vibrant,
intelligent young widow and Catherine was forced to abandon her handsome
lover, Thomas Seymour, for the decrepit king. She quickly made her role
as queen a success, providing Henry VIII with a domestic tranquillity
that he had not known since the early days of his first marriage. For
Henry, Catherine was a satisfactory choice but he never stopped
considering a new marriage, much to Catherine's terror. Catherine is
remembered as the wife who survived but, without her strength of
character it could have been very different. It was a relief for
Catherine when Henry finally died and she could secretly marry Thomas
Seymour. Left with no role in government affairs in her widowhood, she
retired to the country, spending time at her manors at Chelsea and
Sudeley. It was here that her heart was broken by her discovery of a
love affair between her stepdaughter, the future Elizabeth I, and her
husband. She died in childbirth accusing her husband of plotting her
death. Traditionally portrayed as a matronly and dutiful figure,
Elizabeth Norton's new biography shows another side to Catherine. Her
life was indeed one of duty but, throughout, she attempted to escape her
destiny and find happiness for herself. Ultimately, Catherine was
betrayed and her great love affair with Thomas Seymour turned sour.
