Having discovered that a warrant for her arrest had been issued on charges of heresy ( as a result of the religious debate and study she encouraged amongst those close to her, especially women) Katharine found herself in a delicate position.
Threat of Execution
After discovering a copy of an arrest warrant outside her chamber door, Katharine Parr immediately sought the King, fearing for her life. Upon arrival the King proceeded to denigrate all of the beliefs and opinions Katharine had previously expressed to him when the pair had debated theology. Katharine conceded she had been mistaken to argue with Henry, but claimed that she had only done so to occupy his mind from the painful ulcer he had on his leg, and, of course, to learn from him. At this, the King is alleged to have smiled and proclaimed: "Then Kate, we are friends again" .
The Death of Henry VIII
The King's health continued to fail, until on 28th January 1547 he passed away in the early hours of the morning.
Upon the King's death, Thomas Seymour (the brother of Jane Seymour and now uncle to the new King Edward VI) became Protector of the Kingdom, ruling in his nine year old nephew's name.
Marriage to Thomas Seymour
Although it is not known exactly when the marriage between Katharine Parr and Thomas Seymour took place, it was generally felt (even by Katharine's three step children) that the wedding was improperly soon after the death of the King (Thomas referred to Katharine as his wife in a letter dated May 1547, just five months after Henry died).
During this time, Katharine had taken on guardianship of her step daughter Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey, continuing to encourage the two young girls to study the "New Faith" to which she was devoted.
In November 1547, Katharine discovered she was pregnant, much to the surprise of herself and everyone around her (by this time she was thirty-five and thought unlikely to conceive).
It was during this time that the rumours of an improper relationship between Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth started to circulate. The truth of these rumours have never been established, but Katharine sent Elizabeth away shortly before she gave birth.
Death of Katharine Parr
On 30th August 1548, Katharine gave birth to a daughter, Mary, who was soon christened with Lady Jane Grey standing as Godmother. However, Katharine shortly became very ill, which, unfortunately, was not unusual at the time.
Katharine Parr died on 5th September 1548 of what many believe to have been puerperal sepsis as a result of unhygienic conditions when giving birth.
The fate of Katharine's daughter, Mary, is not known. The last mention of her was upon her second birthday, leading most historians to believe she followed her mother to the grave soon after.
To learn about the earlier life of Katharine Parr, click here.
Sources:
The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Antonia Fraser, (Phoenix; New Ed edition, Aug 2002)
Six Wives: The Wives of Henry VIII, David Starkey, (Vintage; New edition edition, Mar 2004)
Letters of the Queens of England, ed. Anne Crawford, (Sutton Publishing Ltd; New edition edition, Aug 2002)
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