Today in 1548 Katherine Parr died. She was Henry VIII’s final wife, having outlived him, but only for just over a year. Childbed fever caught her, the way it did so many women of this time period. Giving birth was a dangerous time for women, no matter what class. Henry’s mother, Elizabeth of York, died in childbirth. His third wife Jane Seymour died in childbirth. And so did Katherine Parr, just under a week after giving birth to her daughter. It’s no wonder that when women found out they were pregnant, one of the first things they did was write their wills. It’s extraordinary that midwives had full capabilities to baptize children, as they wanted to ensure that babies who died went to heaven, even before a priest could be called. This was an extraordinary danger for women, and sadly, today Katherine Parr succumbed to it.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.
Suggested links:
Episode 024: Pregnancy and Childbirth in Renaissance England
Rebecca Larson on Thomas and Katherine: A Love Story?
Episode 093: Tudor Times on Katherine Parr
From the Shop:
Katherine Parr Collection
“Methinks Love Maketh Men Like Angels” Katherine Parr Quote Mug
Ps. All products are made on-demand and can take a few weeks to ship.
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast, one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.