Six Tudor Queens: Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife: Six Tudor Queens 6
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- Create Date：2021-04-30 00:51:27
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Alison Weir
- ISBN：1472227824
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Summary
Two husbands dead; a life marred by sadness。 And now Katharine is in love for the first time in her life。
The eye of an ageing and dangerous king falls upon her。 She cannot refuse him。 She must stifle her feelings and never betray that she wanted another。
And now she is the sixth wife。 Her queenship is a holy mission yet， fearfully， she dreams of the tragic parade of women who went before her。 She cherishes the secret beliefs that could send her to the fire。 And still the King loves and trusts her。
Now her enemies are closing in。 She must fight for her very life。
KATHARINE PARR – the last of Henry’s queens。
Alison Weir recounts the extraordinary story of a woman forced into a perilous situation and rising heroically to the challenge。 Katharine is a delightful woman， a warm and kindly heroine – and yet she will be betrayed by those she loves and trusts most。
Too late， the truth will dawn on her。
The eye of an ageing and dangerous king falls upon her。 She cannot refuse him。 She must stifle her feelings and never betray that she wanted another。
And now she is the sixth wife。 Her queenship is a holy mission yet， fearfully， she dreams of the tragic parade of women who went before her。 She cherishes the secret beliefs that could send her to the fire。 And still the King loves and trusts her。
Now her enemies are closing in。 She must fight for her very life。
KATHARINE PARR – the last of Henry’s queens。
Alison Weir recounts the extraordinary story of a woman forced into a perilous situation and rising heroically to the challenge。 Katharine is a delightful woman， a warm and kindly heroine – and yet she will be betrayed by those she loves and trusts most。
Too late， the truth will dawn on her。
Reviews
Heidi Malagisi
，
A woman twice widowed with no children of her own has the opportunity to choose who she will marry next。 Will she marry the man of her dreams or marry the man who has been married numerous times and has killed two of his wives already？ It seems like a no-brainer who she should choose， but the man she married for her third marriage was the man who was married numerous times before simply because he is the notorious King Henry VIII and you do not disobey the king。 However， his last wife， Katharine A woman twice widowed with no children of her own has the opportunity to choose who she will marry next。 Will she marry the man of her dreams or marry the man who has been married numerous times and has killed two of his wives already？ It seems like a no-brainer who she should choose， but the man she married for her third marriage was the man who was married numerous times before simply because he is the notorious King Henry VIII and you do not disobey the king。 However， his last wife， Katharine Parr， is willing to fight for the religious reforms and her stepchildren that she loves dearly。 In the last book of the Six Tudor Queens series， “Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife”， Alison Weir takes her readers on an extraordinary journey to explore who this brave woman was and why she is the one who survived Henry’s last days。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/ Ballantine Books for sending me a copy of this novel。 I have enjoyed the Six Tudor Queens series so far and I was looking forward to reading the last book。 Like many people， I know what happened with Katharine during her marriage to Henry VIII and her fourth marriage to Thomas Seymour， but I am not well informed when it comes to her first two marriages。 Katharine Parr has been my favorite wife of King Henry VIII for a while now and I wanted to read a novel about her life， to see what Weir’s interpretation of her life story would be like。 Katharine Parr’s story begins with her childhood and her connection with her family。 It was unique to see how her childhood helped shaped what type of queen she would become as her mother pushed hard for her daughters to be well educated。 Katharine’s first husband， Sir Edward Burgh， was just a boy who followed whatever his father， Sir Thomas Burgh， asked him to do。 I think Weir has a unique spin on Katharine’s life with Edward Burgh and their marriage， but it did not last long as Edward Burgh would die in 1533。 Katharine’s second husband， John Neville 3rd Baron Latimer， was her longest marriage。 Although they had no children of their own， like Katharine’s marriage to Edward Burgh， it was a happy relationship。 They may have differed when it came to their views on religion， but they did seem to love each other。 Their happy household was thrown asunder when the Pilgrimage of Grace and Robert Aske knocked on their door and asked for help。 There was a real sense of danger during this episode and the bravery that Katharine showed was nothing short of astounding。 When John died， Katharine was left with a choice of who her third husband would be; either the ailing Henry VIII or the suave and debonair Thomas Seymour who deeply loved Katharine。 Katharine’s choice was Henry VIII who she hoped she could sway to accept the religious reforms that she believed in strongly。 She developed a friendship with the king and his children， but she was still in love with Thomas Seymour。 She wrote books during this time that gave her comfort during the difficult times when the court tried to attack her for what she believed and wanted to pit her against Henry。 In the end， love triumphed over sorrow and Katharine survived to live with her beloved until the end of her days。 I found this book an absolute treat to read。 As someone who loves Katharine Parr and her story， this novel just made me love her even more。 The one problem that I had was actually with the spelling of her name as Weir spelled it a bit differently than what I am used to， but it was really a minor detail。 I am a bit sad that this is the last book in this wonderful series， but this book was worth the wait。 This novel was a delight to read。 It was full of action and intrigue， intense love， and immense sorrow。 Katharine was one remarkable woman， just like every wife of Henry VIII Weir has written about in this marvelous series。 “Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife” by Alison Weir is a masterpiece in historical fiction and the perfect conclusion to the Six Tudor Queens series that will leave readers satisfied。 。。。more
Petrina Binney
，
In this epic and beautifully written book， we learn the life story of the sixth wife of Henry VIII， Katharine Parr。 I don’t know about you， but all I knew about her before opening this book was - she survived。 Which， given the times she lived in and the man she married， was pretty good going， but I had no idea how much more there was to know。Katharine Parr was born in 1512， four years before the birth of King Henry’s eldest daughter， Mary。 In her thirty-six years of life， she married four times， In this epic and beautifully written book， we learn the life story of the sixth wife of Henry VIII， Katharine Parr。 I don’t know about you， but all I knew about her before opening this book was - she survived。 Which， given the times she lived in and the man she married， was pretty good going， but I had no idea how much more there was to know。Katharine Parr was born in 1512， four years before the birth of King Henry’s eldest daughter， Mary。 In her thirty-six years of life， she married four times， and survived the machinations of a court， and indeed a nation， that was not quite ready for a woman to make any decisions over her own destiny。 At a time of deep religious unrest， Katharine Parr coped with various poignant losses， awkward marriages， a nigh-on endless parade of stepchildren and the heartbreaking difficulties of bearing a child of her own。The detail in the writing is just astonishing。 I was completely enveloped in Katharine’s world。 I was delighted by her highs， devastated by her lows， and lived every moment of the narrative。My heart almost stopped when I realised how young high-born children were when promised to each other in marriage。“The girls Elizabeth and congratulated her， but Aunt Mary forestalled them， raising her hand。 ‘It is to be a double wedding，’ she said。 ‘Magdalen， your father has found you a husband too。’“As her sisters gasped， Magdalen went white。 She loved her life at Rye House and Katharine knew that she regarded marriage as something that would happen far off in the future。“‘Are you struck speechless， child？’ Aunt Mary asked。“‘I am am-amazed，’ Magdalen stuttered。“‘Don’t you want to know who the lucky bridegroom is？’ Mother smiled at her。“‘He is Ralph Lane of Orlingbury in Northamptonshire，’ Aunt Mary said， without waiting for Magdalen to reply。 ‘He is fourteen， just a year older than you， and he is set to inherit a fair Manor House with twenty rooms。’P 16， Chapter Two， Six Tudor Queens: VI， Katharine Parr， The Sixth Queen by Alison WeirI really should have studied history， but I think I’ve made a good start in finding this series。 I’ll be sure to read the rest of them （in order） and return to Katharine as soon as possible。Wonderful stuff。 。。。more
Bookgrrl
，
4。5 starsThis is my first time reading a historical fiction novel about a real person that I actually have a decent amount of knowledge on。 Where did I get that knowledge， you ask？ Why， from The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir， of course。 I used to read a lot more historical fiction than I do currently， but I was happy to get back to it with this book。 Since I read history as well， I have a bad habit of picking apart the inaccurate details in most historical fiction’s。 So where can I expe 4。5 starsThis is my first time reading a historical fiction novel about a real person that I actually have a decent amount of knowledge on。 Where did I get that knowledge， you ask？ Why， from The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir， of course。 I used to read a lot more historical fiction than I do currently， but I was happy to get back to it with this book。 Since I read history as well， I have a bad habit of picking apart the inaccurate details in most historical fiction’s。 So where can I expect accuracy in abundance？ Why， from a historian of course！ Now I realize I can’t necessarily use the word “accurate“ for the dialogue， since a word for word transcript doesn’t exist。 But it all read as very plausible to me。 As I would expect from this author everything is very well written。 While I have read quite a few of Weir’s history books， this is my first fiction from her， but will certainly not be my last。Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this advanced reader copy。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Claire
，
I received Katharine Parr， The Sixth Wife as part of a NetGalley giveaway。Katharine Parr is twice a widow and childless when she is elevated to be Henry VIII's sixth （and ultimately final） queen）。 While she is nursing a passionate love of her own， with the young Prince Edward's uncle， Thomas Seymour， she feels called to the position in order to guide the king to embrace Protestantism。 While their time together was relatively short， Henry and Katharine made an effective pair， and she made an impa I received Katharine Parr， The Sixth Wife as part of a NetGalley giveaway。Katharine Parr is twice a widow and childless when she is elevated to be Henry VIII's sixth （and ultimately final） queen）。 While she is nursing a passionate love of her own， with the young Prince Edward's uncle， Thomas Seymour， she feels called to the position in order to guide the king to embrace Protestantism。 While their time together was relatively short， Henry and Katharine made an effective pair， and she made an impact on a reign that had seen much chaos and bloodshed。 But when Henry passes away， and Katharine finally gets what she thinks she's always wanted， she is beset by trials， heartache， and a tragic end。I enjoyed this novelization of Henry VIII's final， surviving queen。 Weir draws her beautifully with a lot of dimension and complexity。 To a 21st century reader， a lot of her attitudes seem terrible （thinking in particular of her attitude toward her husband's molestation of Elizabeth）， but in historical fiction， I think that's good。 I hate when authors make their subjects anachronistically progressive in order to make them palatable to modern readers。 And at the same time， she was a great promoter of education and intellectual development for women， and threaded the needle of court politics effectively， becoming a favorite of all of her stepchildren despite their differing religious views。 A complex book for a complex person。 I really enjoyed it。 。。。more
Ashley
，
Wow！ This book is amazing！ Every single time I picked up "Katharine Parr， The Sixth Wife"， I was whisked back in time to the Tudor Era， and I was immersed in history that came to life right before my eyes。I absolutely love Alison Weir's book， both fiction and non-fiction。 This novel is a part of her historical fiction series， "Six Tudor Queens"， with each book focusing on one of Henry VIII's wives。 Ms。 Weir has such a beautiful way of telling history in such a way that grabs the reader's interes Wow！ This book is amazing！ Every single time I picked up "Katharine Parr， The Sixth Wife"， I was whisked back in time to the Tudor Era， and I was immersed in history that came to life right before my eyes。I absolutely love Alison Weir's book， both fiction and non-fiction。 This novel is a part of her historical fiction series， "Six Tudor Queens"， with each book focusing on one of Henry VIII's wives。 Ms。 Weir has such a beautiful way of telling history in such a way that grabs the reader's interest from the first page to the last。 I could envision each and every moment， and Ms。 Weir seamlessly blends history with fiction， and the result is this INCREDIBLE book！Katharine Parr was the sixth wife of Henry VIII， and what an intelligent， compassionate， brave， interesting， and kind woman she was。 I really feel like I came to understand Katharine more as a person， as well as a deeper understanding of her life from reading this book。 From earlier moments in her life， to her life and marriage with Henry VIII， to her marriage to Thomas Seymour， Katharine went through so much。 To Henry VIII， she was a kind wife， and wonderful and loving step-mother to his children。 She was able to navigate the politics of court life while remaining true to herself， and I can only imagine how she felt with the danger around every corner。 I do not want to spoil anything in this review， so， I will simply say， this book is an absolute must-read！ If you enjoy historical fiction and / or reading about the Tudor Era， I highly recommend this book！ It kept me turning page after page and chapter after chapter， and I can't wait to see what Ms。 Weir writes next！Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC of this book， it is incredible！ All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Kelly Baroletti
，
So sad this series has come to end。 #netgalley
Jordan
，
It’s obvious that an incredible amount of research went into this exhaustive novel of Katharine Parr’s life。 Parr is the wife I always forget—the mysterious woman who outlived Henry VIII by only a year despite her comparative youth。 I had no idea that she was already twice widowed and in her thirties by the she became Henry’s final spouse。 Parr remains the most married English queen （four times！）， remarrying less than a year after Henry’s death。 Parr is known for her Protestantism and religious It’s obvious that an incredible amount of research went into this exhaustive novel of Katharine Parr’s life。 Parr is the wife I always forget—the mysterious woman who outlived Henry VIII by only a year despite her comparative youth。 I had no idea that she was already twice widowed and in her thirties by the she became Henry’s final spouse。 Parr remains the most married English queen （four times！）， remarrying less than a year after Henry’s death。 Parr is known for her Protestantism and religious views that were not yet safe during Henry’s twilight years。 This account highlights how those beliefs may have begun; her religious convictions form the majority of the novel， outside the quotidian tedium。 I frequently felt impatient with the length of the novel and its dedication to detail， but this is a result of historical accuracy and scholarly enthusiasm on behalf of the author。 I’d recommend it for someone looking for a deep dive into what daily life was like for a noblewoman commonly living outside of court life。 Many thanks to Ballantine Books for a free copy！ Opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Karen Mace
，
Why was history never this interesting at school？！ This was a wonderfully informative and engaging installment in the Tudor Queens series - just a shame it has had to come to an end - and in Katherine Parr， it's probably one of the Queens I knew the least about， so reading this book was fascinating and has made me learn so much。This series can easily be read as standalones or in any order， but it has been nice to see the chronological order of the women in the Kings' life play out in these books Why was history never this interesting at school？！ This was a wonderfully informative and engaging installment in the Tudor Queens series - just a shame it has had to come to an end - and in Katherine Parr， it's probably one of the Queens I knew the least about， so reading this book was fascinating and has made me learn so much。This series can easily be read as standalones or in any order， but it has been nice to see the chronological order of the women in the Kings' life play out in these books and with Katherine Parr there is another fascinating story to be told。 The author really does capture the mood and atmosphere of the times so well， and she portrays these women in such a 'real' way that you can't help but be transported back in time watching over these woman as history plays out in front of them。I found this to be such an informative and dramatic read and so brilliantly portrayed by the author - you can picture the scenes playing out in your mind and can't help but gasp at the goings on！ Imagine if there'd been social media and 24/7 news channels around when these royals were on the throne！ 。。。more
Michelle
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Katharine Parr is one of Henry VIII’s wives that I didn’t really know much about， apart from she was his last wife - and survived to the end of their marriage！ I found this book a bit slower than the previous five - perhaps because it seemed to take quite a while before she met Henry and then before she was married to him。 She was married twice before Henry。 But it was quite an interesting life she led， even if some aspects were enhanced for the storytelling。 She was also in the background of qu Katharine Parr is one of Henry VIII’s wives that I didn’t really know much about， apart from she was his last wife - and survived to the end of their marriage！ I found this book a bit slower than the previous five - perhaps because it seemed to take quite a while before she met Henry and then before she was married to him。 She was married twice before Henry。 But it was quite an interesting life she led， even if some aspects were enhanced for the storytelling。 She was also in the background of quite a lot of Henry’s life， despite not being at court for the majority of it。 Apart from Anna of Kleves， a lot of the wives were known to Henry before marriage。 Katharine did have quite a hard short life， and I did feel for her at quite a few points during the book。 She was one of the wives who grew to have a genuine affection for Henry， despite having her hand forced。 There’s also a bit of an insight into Elizabeth I’s early life， as we see her getting to the verge of womanhood under Katharine’s watchful eye。 Did she do wrong or did she turn a blind eye to what was going on？ This book I found was slightly heavier on the religion side than the previous ones， and it wasn’t detracting， but it did get tedious at points。 This has been an excellent series and I’m quite sorry to see it end。 Particularly with the novellas as well， that were released prior to each book， it definitely fleshed out the series。 They are all quite lengthy books， but you will find yourself immersed in them and the Tudor period。 。。。more
Juliew。
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Surprisingly，I thought this was a fairly accurate account of Katherine Parr's life。Full of detail，well written with good pacing throughout the book。There are a few debatable scenes in here but the one that really stuck out to me was Katherine's confrontation with Elizabeth over Thomas Seymour。To my knowledge I think Elizabeth was too intelligent to ever to say that Thomas prefered her to Katherine。I think I broke up laughing at that point in the book。On the other hand Ms。Weir seemed to have capt Surprisingly，I thought this was a fairly accurate account of Katherine Parr's life。Full of detail，well written with good pacing throughout the book。There are a few debatable scenes in here but the one that really stuck out to me was Katherine's confrontation with Elizabeth over Thomas Seymour。To my knowledge I think Elizabeth was too intelligent to ever to say that Thomas prefered her to Katherine。I think I broke up laughing at that point in the book。On the other hand Ms。Weir seemed to have captured Thomas and Katherine's relationship as volatile which seemed in keeping with the historical record。As for Katherine I felt this was a sympathetic portrayal where the author managed to bring out her personal qualities quite well。Overall I enjoyed it and it has been my favorite of the series。Much thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Anya Leonard
，
As someone who really enjoys not only just historical fiction， but Tudor fiction in the realm of Philippa Gregory and also Weir’s previous works in the Wives of Henry VIII series， being able to read this book was so wonderful and interesting to be allowed to do。 Katharine Parr is an interesting character， as Weir has so meticulously researched and developed。 As the last wife of Henry VIII， she was unlike his other wives in that she had been previously married， and was beloved by him and his chil As someone who really enjoys not only just historical fiction， but Tudor fiction in the realm of Philippa Gregory and also Weir’s previous works in the Wives of Henry VIII series， being able to read this book was so wonderful and interesting to be allowed to do。 Katharine Parr is an interesting character， as Weir has so meticulously researched and developed。 As the last wife of Henry VIII， she was unlike his other wives in that she had been previously married， and was beloved by him and his children for a time as well。 Weir is not only a historical fiction writer but also a historian and her portrayal of Katharine Parr is second to none。 The story starts before her marriage to the King， and led us through a history that was absolutely confounding， and I found myself really sympathizing with her for her plight throughout the story。Weir also makes the story accessible for 20th century women because it frames the goings on in the story differently than previous books have done。 I greatly loved this book and would definitely suggest it to anyone who wants to learn more about her life， but in a great historical fiction way。This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Lucy
，
This was the first fiction book I've read by Alison Weir， after being a big fan of her non fiction for YEARS。 Turns out that a serious skill at writing history doesn't translate comfortably into fiction。 It was capably written and structured， but the prose was seriously wooden。 There was also a lot of information in the novel that I think could have been cut for a more streamlined and efficient read， and interestingly， one of the main tension points （when Katharine is in danger of being arrested This was the first fiction book I've read by Alison Weir， after being a big fan of her non fiction for YEARS。 Turns out that a serious skill at writing history doesn't translate comfortably into fiction。 It was capably written and structured， but the prose was seriously wooden。 There was also a lot of information in the novel that I think could have been cut for a more streamlined and efficient read， and interestingly， one of the main tension points （when Katharine is in danger of being arrested） was seriously underused and glossed over quickly。 Essentially， it was ok。 I definitely won't be searching out any more of Alison Weir's works of fiction。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this。 。。。more
Jennifer Lynch
，
This is a wonderful final instalment to the Six Tudor Queens series。 I didn't know a great deal about Katherine Parr but found her to be an interesting and complex woman。 She had already lived quite a full life before meeting Henry VIII then her world was turned upside down as she became Queen despite loving another man。 A fascinating take on Katharine's life。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 This is a wonderful final instalment to the Six Tudor Queens series。 I didn't know a great deal about Katherine Parr but found her to be an interesting and complex woman。 She had already lived quite a full life before meeting Henry VIII then her world was turned upside down as she became Queen despite loving another man。 A fascinating take on Katharine's life。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Jamie
，
Alison Weir’s Katharine Parr， The Sixth Wife is the story of Katharine Parr， Henry the VIII’s sixth and final wife。 Through her books， Weir makes history come alive。 These are no longer just people we read about in history books， but people who lived， cared about others， made mistakes， and were human。 This well-researched and beautifully written novel is a must for anyone who enjoys reading about the Tudors and fans of historical fiction。 Well done， Alison Weir！ I can’t wait to read what you wri Alison Weir’s Katharine Parr， The Sixth Wife is the story of Katharine Parr， Henry the VIII’s sixth and final wife。 Through her books， Weir makes history come alive。 These are no longer just people we read about in history books， but people who lived， cared about others， made mistakes， and were human。 This well-researched and beautifully written novel is a must for anyone who enjoys reading about the Tudors and fans of historical fiction。 Well done， Alison Weir！ I can’t wait to read what you write next。 。。。more
Sheryle
，
This was a fresh look into the life of the last queen of Henry VIII and one of Alison Weir’s best fiction books。 Everything rang true to life。 I felt like I was lost in Katherine’s life。 This time she wasn’t only the tired widow who signed on to nurse Henry in the twilight of his life。 We saw her when she was young and vibrant and beginning to question her religious beliefs。 We also saw her as a loving wife in her earlier marriages and as well as the dowager queen。 This was a wonderful end to a This was a fresh look into the life of the last queen of Henry VIII and one of Alison Weir’s best fiction books。 Everything rang true to life。 I felt like I was lost in Katherine’s life。 This time she wasn’t only the tired widow who signed on to nurse Henry in the twilight of his life。 We saw her when she was young and vibrant and beginning to question her religious beliefs。 We also saw her as a loving wife in her earlier marriages and as well as the dowager queen。 This was a wonderful end to a very enjoyable series。 My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 My thanks to the the author， the publisher， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it。 。。。more
Katie
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I’m rating this book in two halves with the first half being 5 stars and the second being 3 stars， and I suspect that many people will feel the opposite！ I was really eager to learn more about Katharine’s life before marrying Henry as I knew that she had been widowed before but didn’t know any more than that。 While I understand Weir had to be more creative than historically accurate with this part due to the lack of material available， I enjoyed her approach and imagination （in the afterword she I’m rating this book in two halves with the first half being 5 stars and the second being 3 stars， and I suspect that many people will feel the opposite！ I was really eager to learn more about Katharine’s life before marrying Henry as I knew that she had been widowed before but didn’t know any more than that。 While I understand Weir had to be more creative than historically accurate with this part due to the lack of material available， I enjoyed her approach and imagination （in the afterword she mentions that she used other contemporary sources to influence what some of these characters “could have” been like to reflect the times）。 I think other readers might find this part of the book to be boring as it is quite long， but I also think it’s important to illustrate why the second half of the book is puzzling to me。It’s well-understood that Katharine wanted to marry Thomas Seymour and had to put that on hold due to Henry’s interest in her。 I liked that Weir explored the theme of Katharine coming to terms with marrying Henry as her calling to help aid the cause of religious reform， something which becomes a clear arc for her character early on。 As her dedication to reform ultimately lands her in a dangerous position with the King and the machinations of Gardiner， we see how clever she is deferring to Henry’s “superior intellect” in a move that likely saved her from being his next victim。 It’s at this moment that we fully understand just how smart Katharine is。So it’s especially surprising following Henry’s death how quickly Katharine turns into a goggle-eyed teen over Seymour。 While I’m sure there’s something to be said for being “blinded by love，” we see Seymour make so many bad decisions it’s difficult to reconcile Katharine’s acceptance of his selfishness and egomania。 At the very end we see some of her anger come forward at the point it can no longer have any consequence。 I would have liked to see more introspection， more difficult conversations between Katharine and Seymour， how his actions hurt her， if she felt she’d made a mistake in marrying him。 It’s not difficult to assume that she may have felt this way given the point that she was at in her life: she was finally able to marry for love， is this what she expected？ Given that she was so intelligent， it must have been hard to watch him make terrible choices， but in this book we see that she often agrees with them and feeds his jealousy。In the afterword Weir mentions that she hadn’t read about Katharine for almost 30 years and it made me wonder how this book might have been different if Katharine had maybe been her favorite of Henry’s wives。 I’m sad that this series is over and I did enjoy reading this book even if I would have liked to see Katharine portrayed in a different way。 Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy！See more of my reviews: Instagram 。。。more
Debbi
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Katherine Parr， The Sixth Wife （and the last in Alison Weir's series on Henry VIII's wives） is well researched and well written。 If you are familiar with Katherine Parr， you won't learn much that's new， but if you don't know much about her， this book will give you depth and insight into the deeply religious， intelligent woman who was instrumental in influencing changes in the Church of England， and who managed to survive marriage with the capricious Henry the VIII without losing her head。 Katherine Parr， The Sixth Wife （and the last in Alison Weir's series on Henry VIII's wives） is well researched and well written。 If you are familiar with Katherine Parr， you won't learn much that's new， but if you don't know much about her， this book will give you depth and insight into the deeply religious， intelligent woman who was instrumental in influencing changes in the Church of England， and who managed to survive marriage with the capricious Henry the VIII without losing her head。 。。。more
AtomicBooks
，
Alison Weir’s combination of skilled writing and exceptional historical knowledge makes for the best historical novels。 She manages to make history come alive as you live and breathe the time period。 Although you know the characters are based on real people， the storyline is based on fact and you know the outcome you get so immersed in the writing that I still found myself rooting for Katharine！ This book is so comprehensive but there is never a dull moment as I am sure there never was in Tudor Alison Weir’s combination of skilled writing and exceptional historical knowledge makes for the best historical novels。 She manages to make history come alive as you live and breathe the time period。 Although you know the characters are based on real people， the storyline is based on fact and you know the outcome you get so immersed in the writing that I still found myself rooting for Katharine！ This book is so comprehensive but there is never a dull moment as I am sure there never was in Tudor England。 Katharine Parr was the one wife of Henry VIII that I knew the least about and was probably least interested in but having read this book I actually think I was wrong， she is one of the most fascinating and inspiring of them all。 She was an incredibly strong and powerful woman who managed to thrive in a man’s World。 What Alison Weir manages to do in her writing is give historical women a voice of which I think they would all be immensely proud。 。。。more
Krista
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Alison Weir's 6 Tudor Queens series wraps up with Katharine Parr。 Katharine was Henry VIII's final wife and as usual she had her own drama。 She was Protestant leaning in Henry's reformist movement from the Catholic church， even though full Protestant was seen as heresy and punishable by death。 Parr was his wife at his death， and a wonderful stepmother to his 3 children。 Parr is still the most married queen consort as she was married 4 times with Henry being her third husband。 Weir has spent deca Alison Weir's 6 Tudor Queens series wraps up with Katharine Parr。 Katharine was Henry VIII's final wife and as usual she had her own drama。 She was Protestant leaning in Henry's reformist movement from the Catholic church， even though full Protestant was seen as heresy and punishable by death。 Parr was his wife at his death， and a wonderful stepmother to his 3 children。 Parr is still the most married queen consort as she was married 4 times with Henry being her third husband。 Weir has spent decades researching the Tudors and it shows in her books。 They are well written and interesting to read。 I do wonder if she gives these queens their personalities in the books or if she sees their personalities through her research。 Parr seemed to be well loved by most people that spent any time around her， yet I felt she came across as arrogant， or at least a know it all。 Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to give my voluntary and honest opinion on #KatherineParrTheSixthWife。 。。。more
Candace
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Alison Weir winds up her fictional study of Henry VIII's six wives with "Katharine Parr， the Sixth Wife。" It's fictional because this is a novel， and because like so many women in the period， we only know the bare outlines of their lives。 More is known about Katharine Parr than Kathryn Howard （whose birthdate is unknown） but there is still lot for a historian/novelist like Weir to fill in。Katharine is different from the other wives in that there are fewer connivers around her， she was older， and Alison Weir winds up her fictional study of Henry VIII's six wives with "Katharine Parr， the Sixth Wife。" It's fictional because this is a novel， and because like so many women in the period， we only know the bare outlines of their lives。 More is known about Katharine Parr than Kathryn Howard （whose birthdate is unknown） but there is still lot for a historian/novelist like Weir to fill in。Katharine is different from the other wives in that there are fewer connivers around her， she was older， and she was more educated。 By the time she met Henry， she had been widowed twice and was just about to announce her engagement to Thomas Seymour， a man with whom she had truly fallen in love。 But when the King takes an interest， a woman cannot say no。 Knowing that Henry was ill and did not have a long life ahead， they put their plans off。The marriage of Katharine and Henry was a happy one。 They liked each other， she did a lot of work to give his children a mother （although Mary was already 29） and create a warm household。 Henry could discuss matters of religion with her， as long as she always conceded to his kingly knowledge。 She took his New Religion to heart and even a step forward， believing that everyone had the right to read the Bible in their own language。 This brought her closer to Lutheranism， and her enemies were listening at the keyhole。Henry's other wives fell because of their passions， but Katharine approached the brink because of her intellect。 There were many in Henry's court who wanted to return to Catholicism and kept sharp eyes out for people who got too close to the teaching to Martin Luther。 Katharine and a number of her ladies gathered to read forbidden texts。 With Henry's power waning， she came oh， so close， to being arrested and burned。But she wasn't。 After Henry's death， she secretly marries Tom Seymour before her mourning period is out。 And， after being married to three other men with no issue， she becomes pregnant。 If you need another sad Tudor story， look into what happened to their little girl， Mary， after Katharine dies in childbed and Seymour is executed for treason。Alison Weir， what historical period will you take on next to weave into novels？ I've enjoyed every book in this series and am excited to find out！Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this excellent series。~~Candace Siegle， Greedy Reader 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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It has been over 25 years since I discovered the writings of Alison Weir， first as a historian and then as a writer of historical，fiction。 She wrote an excellent book on the last wife of Henry VIII， Katherine Parr。 In this series， the women’s voices have come alive。 I pored over every page as Katherine’s story was told。 Weir takes some liberties with the story， but that’s the beauty of historical fiction。 It is sad to see the close of this series。 It has been a pleasure to read。 Thanks to NetGal It has been over 25 years since I discovered the writings of Alison Weir， first as a historian and then as a writer of historical，fiction。 She wrote an excellent book on the last wife of Henry VIII， Katherine Parr。 In this series， the women’s voices have come alive。 I pored over every page as Katherine’s story was told。 Weir takes some liberties with the story， but that’s the beauty of historical fiction。 It is sad to see the close of this series。 It has been a pleasure to read。 Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the early read。 。。。more
Brittany Zimmerman
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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the arc of this book。 All opinions are my own。 Anyone who knows me well knows I have a weird obsession and fascination with Tudor England， so when I saw this pop up under Ballantine I immediately hit download。 I am so glad I did。 I didn’t know much about Katharine Parr except what was sung in Six the musical。 So basically， nothing。 This was such an exciting looking into her life and I really enjoyed it！ Katharine was such a force in English Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the arc of this book。 All opinions are my own。 Anyone who knows me well knows I have a weird obsession and fascination with Tudor England， so when I saw this pop up under Ballantine I immediately hit download。 I am so glad I did。 I didn’t know much about Katharine Parr except what was sung in Six the musical。 So basically， nothing。 This was such an exciting looking into her life and I really enjoyed it！ Katharine was such a force in English history and I would’ve never known how much influence she truly had over Henry until I read this。 Her knowledge and love for her religion was apparent。 I thoroughly enjoyed the way Weir described her life， her wants and her relationships with people。 It wasn’t dull at any point and was a great read！ 。。。more
Mary Ann
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I was sad that this series came to an end but glad to be able to read the story of a true survivor！ Katharine Parr is one of the less famous wives and there aren't as many books about her as some of the others。 Weir did a wonderful job of telling her story from childhood， through multiple marriages and the end of her life post Henry VIII。 I learned a lot about Katharine Parr， especially about her life prior to being married to the king。 Weir writes about her first marriage to an inexperienced bo I was sad that this series came to an end but glad to be able to read the story of a true survivor！ Katharine Parr is one of the less famous wives and there aren't as many books about her as some of the others。 Weir did a wonderful job of telling her story from childhood， through multiple marriages and the end of her life post Henry VIII。 I learned a lot about Katharine Parr， especially about her life prior to being married to the king。 Weir writes about her first marriage to an inexperienced boy with a controlling father and her second to a widower to whom she was married when Henry began courting her。 Then of course Weir describes the roller coaster marriage to the king and her troubling love for Seymour。 Parr married Seymour shortly after the king's death which created unimaginable drama。I love this series because it describes the lives of the queens from their own perspectives and includes their entire lives， not just when they were queen。 This lets us gain a better understanding of who they were and the why behind their decisions。 While these are works of fiction， the amount of research done by the author， her extensive knowledge of Tudor history and her desire to remain close to the facts in her writing make these books a wonderful source to learn about the queens of Henry VIII。Thanks to Netgalley for the arc！ 。。。more
Lottie （The Disney Bookworm）
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I have been reading Alison Weir books since I was a teenager so imagine how much I fangirled when I was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of her final book in the Tudor Queens series！ To Netgalley and Headline， thank you， thank you， thank you！ It is my opinion that Katharine Parr is often the most overlooked of Henry VIII's wives: indeed most novels focus only on her life after becoming Queen。 That is why this novel from Alison Weir was simply brilliant。Weir introduces us to Kathari I have been reading Alison Weir books since I was a teenager so imagine how much I fangirled when I was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of her final book in the Tudor Queens series！ To Netgalley and Headline， thank you， thank you， thank you！ It is my opinion that Katharine Parr is often the most overlooked of Henry VIII's wives: indeed most novels focus only on her life after becoming Queen。 That is why this novel from Alison Weir was simply brilliant。Weir introduces us to Katharine Parr as a girl， constantly surrounded by family and， after losing her father at a young age， being brought up by her uncle， aunt and her mother who was an attendant to Queen Katharine of Aragon。The reader instantly falls in love with Katharine， an intelligent， caring child who is acutely aware of her eventual duty to her family but desperately wishes to remain in her carefree days with her siblings。 As we know， Tudor girls married young and Weir explores each of Katharine's four marriages in great detail: combining historical fact and storytelling in the way that only she can。 It struck me that， in three of Katharine's four marriages， she was used as a pawn， marrying for rank， power and connections as was the norm at the time。 However， in every one of these marriages Katharine was able to find love; even when marrying an old overweight Henry， already famous for disposing of numerous wives。 The writing during each of these marriages is rarely emotional: Katharine is a very rational and practical character， only showing real passion for religion。 She is even super calm when she believes she is being investigated as a heretic！ It isn't until Katharine's fourth and final marriage that she marries for herself and for love。 The passionate relationship between Katharine and Tom Seymour seeps into the writing at this point: introducing jealousy and anger where there has previously been merely a stoic resolve。 The fact that this novel spans the lifespan of Henry's marriages is fitting and really allows Weir to paint a picture of Tudor society throughout the religious reforms and upheavals associated with its monarch。 No one who has read Alison Weir's books before will be surprised that this is yet another success。 Together with Philippa Gregory， Weir is a Queen of historical fiction and this novel is only the latest jewel in her crown。 。。。more
Dayanara Ryelle
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THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE/BALLANTINE FOR FEEDING MY ALISON WEIR ADDICTION！Ahem。 （*giggle*）The first part of the first chapter reminds me of。。。（*goes looking for the title*）。。。Judith Arnopp's Intractable Heart。 （Although that starts off twenty years after this one。 The similarity is weird！） But when they move into Rye House， it splits off into its own story。Good！ I look forward to reading far enough to develop a rating。 💙~*~23 March: I'm confused by this passage:The whole Parr famil THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE/BALLANTINE FOR FEEDING MY ALISON WEIR ADDICTION！Ahem。 （*giggle*）The first part of the first chapter reminds me of。。。（*goes looking for the title*）。。。Judith Arnopp's Intractable Heart。 （Although that starts off twenty years after this one。 The similarity is weird！） But when they move into Rye House， it splits off into its own story。Good！ I look forward to reading far enough to develop a rating。 💙~*~23 March: I'm confused by this passage:The whole Parr family traveled there from Rye House for the occasion， and Uncle William brought Will， having obtained leave from the Duke of Richmond。 The way that sentence is written， it sounded like Will had to get permission to attend someone else's wedding， rather than leaving Henry's presence to get married himself。Otherwise， it's pretty good reading。 I'm surprised at the audacity of Lord Scrope， though。。。all that BS to marry his son， and then his father--who is supposed to be a friend to Maud--has the nerve to be angry when Maud is too poor to indulge his son's insane demands？Yeesh。Bullet dodged。~*~30 March: I finished another book first and then came back to this one， but I haven't said anything for a few days （partially due to laziness）。A number of chapters ago， it was mentioned that the nasty Lord Borough had kicked Elizabeth Owen （another daughter-in-law） out after her newborn didn't look like his son。 I had a hard time finding the correct passage cited by the Wiki article on Catherine's late husband （Edward Burgh）， but when the article says， "A little while after [he and Catherine] were married"， I tend to think "not too long after they were married"， rather than Catherine being two or three years into her marriage to John Neville。Even then， why was there such a wait to delegitimise Elizabeth's children？ Regardless of whether I'm right and Lord Borough kicked Elizabeth out circa 1531 or whether Alison is right and it was closer to 1536， why did they not get their act of parliament until something like 1542？More confusing was this sentence about Catherine's wedding night after marrying Henry:At least Anne was with her， and Margaret， and Lady Suffolk， whom she had grown to like， for all her stridency So Margaret was too sick to come to her former stepmother's wedding， but she's magically well enough later that night to attend on Catherine as she gets ready for bed？ I suppose it's possible that Catherine meant that she was going to have Margaret as an attendant later on， when she got better; but it sounded an awful lot like she was already up and on her feet and working with Anne Parr and Catherine Willoughby-Brandon。 I don't know about you， but if I'm sick enough to miss a wedding， I'm not going to be there for the bedding。Pretty decent otherwise， and much more thorough of a book than the previously mentioned Heart， or even Pippa Gregory's Taming of the Queen。 Can't believe it's the last in the series already！~*~1 April: It's a long book。。。I'm still nibbling away at it！I have， however， gotten to about 1547 and the mention of the "Howard Kingship Plot"， but I've found a small stumbling point。Alison mentioned that Henry Howard wasn't allowed to have Edward Wessex's emblem（s） on his coat of arms because he wasn't descended from the Confessor。While that's true*， that's not the nature of the sub-scandal。I believe it was Janet Wertman who said in The Path to Somerset that using Edward the Confessor's emblems is only permissible if you're about to take the throne for yourself。 For Henry Howard to do that while Henry Tudor was still alive was treason and tantamount to declaring war。[*No one was descended from Edward--he and Edith Godwin had no children。 The monarchy is descended from Williame I de Normandie （William the Conqueror）。]~*~2 April: The problem with the habit of authors of using titles instead of names is that the average person has no idea who they're talking about。 After Henry's death， Alison mentions that Lord Lisle was promoted to Earl of Warwick。 Since I'm used to hearing that name in association with Edward IV's illegitimate son， I thought it was him。No， Arthur Plantagenet died earlier in the decade—this is John Dudley， Lady Jane Grey's future father-in-law。I acknowledge that the dowager queen and those around her would have referred to him by his title instead of his name， but that doesn't help the rest of us！~*~3 April: The only thing I have to say in closing is that I hope "Mrs。 Gotobed" is just a placeholder name that will be remedied when it comes time for publication。I just can't imaging building up to a dramatic death scene and dropping in a midwife called "Go To Bed"。 🤦🏼♀️ 。。。more
CC
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In writing about Katharine Parr I felt the author was able to put her best historian foot forward again- there is less of the Mills & Boon about it than some previous books in the series。 I'm a longtime fan of Weir's nonfiction work and so appreciated that this is an updated narrative on the Queen's life with some new perspectives on important events。 Even though on the whole I was lukewarm on a fictionalised series and the inevitable comparisons in retreading the work of someone like Phillippa In writing about Katharine Parr I felt the author was able to put her best historian foot forward again- there is less of the Mills & Boon about it than some previous books in the series。 I'm a longtime fan of Weir's nonfiction work and so appreciated that this is an updated narrative on the Queen's life with some new perspectives on important events。 Even though on the whole I was lukewarm on a fictionalised series and the inevitable comparisons in retreading the work of someone like Phillippa Gregory， The Sixth Wife was admittedly a strong finish that I mostly enjoyed。 。。。more
Vivian Harrington
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I’ve loved reading the non-fiction books by Alison Weir throughout the years。 And I’m a huge fan of historical fiction。 However， I’ve seldom read a book of historical fiction about an actual historical figure from a period that has been so heavily researched as the Tudor period because the historical facts are so fascinating there is no nod to make them up！ I first became intrigued by Henry VIII and his six wives when the mini series was broadcast on PBS in the early 70’s。 I’d actually read quit I’ve loved reading the non-fiction books by Alison Weir throughout the years。 And I’m a huge fan of historical fiction。 However， I’ve seldom read a book of historical fiction about an actual historical figure from a period that has been so heavily researched as the Tudor period because the historical facts are so fascinating there is no nod to make them up！ I first became intrigued by Henry VIII and his six wives when the mini series was broadcast on PBS in the early 70’s。 I’d actually read quite a lot about the six wives， most particularly Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn。 Although I’d known a bit about Katharine Parr， her support of the reformed church， subsequent marriage to Thomas Seymour & death following childbirth， I had very little insights into her life before she became Queen of England。 It was an interesting life to be sure。 And I am confident that Alison Weir based her fictional account on solid research。 So I can truly recommend Katharine Parr， The Sixth Wife， without hesitation。 Hers was not an easy life。 But she should herself to be incredibly astute in navigating the politics of the Tudor Court。 A huge thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Random House for a courtesy galley to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Judy
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Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife was a fascinating read。 I knew very little about Henry VIII’s final wife， the one fortunate enough to survive him。 She was very intelligent and had a lot of education， thanks to her mother tutoring Katharine， her siblings and her cousins。 I didn’t know that she had been married a total of four times。 I also didn’t know that she was also a published author。 She was also a Protestant which was heresy at the time。 Thomas Seymour was a real piece of work， very abusive Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife was a fascinating read。 I knew very little about Henry VIII’s final wife， the one fortunate enough to survive him。 She was very intelligent and had a lot of education， thanks to her mother tutoring Katharine， her siblings and her cousins。 I didn’t know that she had been married a total of four times。 I also didn’t know that she was also a published author。 She was also a Protestant which was heresy at the time。 Thomas Seymour was a real piece of work， very abusive and also clearly had designs on Elizabeth。 I have really enjoyed this series and will be re-reading them all。 Thank you to Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine for the ARC。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Maureen
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