Author: Anthony Martienssen
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography
Publisher: Sapere Books
Book Release Date: 2023
Pages: 316
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: A devotee of Renaissance humanism, Protestant firebrand, political intriguer, wily survivor, and early campaigner for the rights of women; there are few figures in Henry VIII’s court who had a greater legacy than Queen Katherine Parr.
Born into an ancient and wealthy family of Northern gentry, Parr received a thorough introduction into the New Learning advocated by Erasmus and Sir Thomas More before being married off at twelve to a sixty-year-old noble who would die only three years later. She and her second husband, John Latimer, somehow managed to escape condemnation and execution when they flirted dangerously with the rebels in the Pilgrimage of Grace. Yet, it was after Latimer’s death that Katherine took the greatest risk by catching the eye of that brutal monarch, Henry VIII.
Anthony Martienssen utilises a huge assortment of sources to illuminate the dangerous world of Henry’s court, exploring how Katherine was able to stay alive and survive when so many others found their necks upon the chopping block. What makes this biography remarkable is the fact that Martienssen demonstrates that Parr was not simply a passive pawn, but a skilled navigator through the dangerous shoals of Tudor politics. Outwitting her arch-enemy, Thomas Cromwell, she was the prime factor in his disgrace and execution.
As Henry’s final Queen it fell to her to oversee the education of her step-children, the future Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Tutors were chosen steeped in humanism and her brand of Protestantism which particularly shaped Edward and Elizabeth’s reigns. Martienssen even shows how it was through Parr’s influence that Mary and Elizabeth were restored to the line of succession.
My Review: Queen Katherine Parr was the last wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was also England’s most married queen. In fact, King Henry VIII was her third husband. This biography shows Katherine Parr as an intelligent Queen and who was skilled in manipulating the Tudor Court. It also showed that she was the perfect Queen for King Henry VIII.
Queen Katherine Parr was one of the most respected English queens. This book mentions that Katherine Parr’s mother was a lady-in-waiting to King Henry VIII’s first wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon. Katherine Parr was educated alongside Princess Mary and was taught by Juan Luis Vives. She was a humanist and was not fully Protestant. Katherine Parr also helped bring down Thomas Cromwell. Mr. Martienssen stated that Queen Katherine Parr was not reluctant to marry King Henry VIII. Instead, she was ambitious and always thought she had a destiny to rule. Therefore, she was eager to marry King Henry VIII and to become queen. She did not fall in love until after King Henry VIII’s death.
Overall, this was a very comprehensive biography of Queen Katherine Parr. This book barely talks about Queen Catherine’s first two marriages and her last marriage. Instead, it mostly focused on Henry VIII’s reign. It also focused more on her marriage to King Henry VIII and the impact she had on her husband and her step-daughter, Princess Elizabeth. Queen Katherine Parr helped Princess Elizabeth become part of King Henry VIII’s succession, which would allow her to become queen. Queen Katherine Parr also promoted a love of learning for Queen Elizabeth. Queen Katherine Parr is an enjoyable read because it shows Queen Katherine Parr as a fascinating and intelligent woman! I wished the book would have focused more on her personal life. I recommend this book for fans of Carolly Erickson, Elizabeth Norton, and Nicola Tallis!
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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