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Rosalie Crutchley as Katherine Parr. Clips from the series 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII'. I decided to post something related to Parr after visiting Sudeley Castle two days ago. I will post my photos from the day including pictures of Katherine's tomb and possessions soon as a video. Katherine Parr became regent in the summer of 1544 when Henry led an expedition against the French in aid of Charles V. During her time as Regent, Katherine signed five royal proclamations and dealt with war matters including pricing of armour and issuing the arrest and trials of military deserters. She also dealt with petitions and troubles along the Scottish border. During this period Katherine was given safeguard of Henry's children to whom she formed a close relationship with. Katherine took her duty as stepmother very seriously particularly her step-children's educational progresses. Katherine did not reunite Henry with his daughters as we know he was seeing them prior to her marriage to him (Henry met up with Mary and Elizabeth just after Katherine Howard's death). However she took significant interest in them and would promote their respective causes. Katherine appears to have become close to Thomas Seymour over the winter of 1542-1543. We know from a letter she later wrote to Seymour that she had fallen in love with him but that she saw her marriage to Henry as her duty and God's will: 'My mind was fully bent the other time I was at liberty to marry you before any man I know. Howbeit, God withstood my will therein most vehemently ... [and] made me to renounce utterly mine own will, and to follow his most willingly' Henry died in Jan 1547 and Katherine secretly married Thomas Seymour sometime in May that year. Despite the somewhat hasty marriage (which could have offended the king), Edward VI turned out to be happy with the match. Whilst Katherine had last married the man she loved, disappointment was to follow. The reckless and highly ambitious Seymour was acting inappropriate towards Katherine's ward, the young Elizabeth Tudor, and eventually Katherine sent her away. Katherine was by this point pregnant and she went to her husband's property (Sudeley Castle) for the birth. It was there on the 30th August 1548 that she gave birth to a daughter Mary Seymour. Unfortunately she developed puerperal fever and died about two or three o'clock in the morning on the 5th September.

rosalie, crutchley, katherine, parr, henry, viii, keith, michell, six, wives,