Catherine Parr [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Norton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2010

Wife, widow, mother, survivor, the story of the last queen of Henry VIII.

The sixth wife of Henry VIII was also the most married queen of England, outliving three husbands before finally marrying for love. Catherine Parr was enjoying her freedom after her first two arranged marriages when she caught the attention of the elderly Henry VIII. She was the most reluctant of all Henry's wives, offering to become his mistress rather than submit herself to the dangers of becoming Henry's queen. This only served to increase Henry's enthusiasm for the young widow and Catherine was forced to abandon her lover for the decrepit king.

Whilst Catherine was reluctant to be a queen she quickly made the role 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, to Catherine's terror. Catherine is remembered as the wife who survived but, without her strength of character it could have been very different. When informed that the king had ordered her arrest for heresy, she took decisive action, defusing the king's anger and once again becoming his 'own sweetheart'. It was a relief for Catherine when Henry finally died and she secretly married the man she had been forced to abandon for Henry, Thomas Seymour. During her retirement, Catherine's heart was broken by her discovery of a love affair between her stepdaughter, Princess Elizabeth, and her husband. She never recovered from the birth of her only child and, in her fever accused her husband of plotting her death.

Catherine Parr is often portrayed as a matronly and dutiful figure. 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Scintillating' THE FINANCIAL TIMES 'Cuts an admirably clear path through tangled Tudor intrigues' JENNY UGLOW 'Wonderful - a joy to read' HERSTORIA --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Elizabeth Norton gained her first degree from the University of Cambridge, and her Masters from the University of Oxford. Her other books include Anne Boleyn: Henry VIII's Obsession, Jane Seymour: Henry VIII's True Love, Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII's Discarded Bride (all published by Amberley Publishing) and She Wolves: The Notorious Queens of England. She is currently writing England's Queens: The Biography, also for Amberley. She lives in Kingston Upon Thames.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Amberley (February 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1848685823
• ISBN-13: 978-1848685826
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,605,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compared with the Recent Porter Book on Parr, September 18, 2010

By 

Loves the View "Louise" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Catherine Parr (Hardcover)

It's interesting that two new volumes on Parr have been published simultaneously. I read this book by Elizabeth Norton book back to back with the other by Linda Porter: Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr. Both are good for different reasons.

This book is Norton's fourth in her series on Henry VIII's wives. In general, it has much more detail than Porter's Parr biography. For instance, for Queen Catherine's escape from persecution, Porter relies heavily on the Anne Askew "trial" and Norton brings more issues to bear. In writing of the last "courtship" Norton demonstrates why Catherine and Thomas Seymour are considered a love match, where with Porter you learn of the secret trysts, but for "love" you need to take it on faith. There is more here about Catherine's mentorship of Mary and Elizabeth (and Thomas Seymour's interference) and while neither book says much about Lady Jane Grey, this one has the most information. There is more here on many other topics such as the Pilgrimage of Grace and the fate of Catherine's only child.

Norton's book, at times, reads like a text book. There are excerpts from the primary sources on almost every page. At times the authentic words add to the material, mostly I found them too elliptical to slog through. Fortunately, Norton explains each of them.

Porter's book is a page turner. I think this is because it is more people centered. The profile on Katherine's mother and Katherine's life in her first marriage begin the book in an empathetic way. Porter gives warmer descriptions of the relationships Katherine built with her step-children and her relationships with her attendants. In the end, you feel you've bridged the centuries and you feel like you know and understand Katherine.

Both books show Catherine's mentorship of Mary I and Elizabeth I. Both books mention Catherine's role in the education of Lady (9 days' Queen) Jane Grey, but neither develops this. While she is often known as the most married Queen of England, a more fitting tribute would be Catherine Parr: Mentor to Three Queens.

The Norton book has the wonderful plates. There are lots of them and each one is gorgeous. The book is printed on heavy glossy paper which really brings out the photos. (The paper has some glare which is not easy on the eyes.)

I've read two Norton's others: JANE SEYMOUR: Henry VIIIs True Love and ANNE OF CLEVES: Henry VIIIs Discarded Bride and recommend them both. This new one on Parr, I liked the best.

K/Catherine Parr is fascinating and if you are a Tudor aficionado, you will want to read both Norton and Porter.