A Rising Maiden

Catherine Parr's badge depicts a young, crowned maiden rising from the core of a Tudor rose. The maiden is a symbol of youth and a innocence; the crown is of course to show Catherine's regal status. The loose hair was only used for weddings and by unmarried young ladies.
Unlike many of her predecessors as the wife of Henry VIII, Catherine looked to her family history for inspiration: the Parr family's crest consisted of a maiden.

Queens' Rings

All can be bought here

Book Theme: Catherine Parr

The last of Henry VIII's wives who caused a scandal when she married the man she loved shortly after her royal husband's death. Catherine Parr is remembered as the Protestant wife of Henry VIII who reunited the old King with all his children:

Catherine Parr by Elizabeth Norton

Catherine Parr: Henry's Last Love by Susan E. James

Katherine the Queen: the Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr by Linda Porter

Katherine Parr: A guided tour of the life and thought of a Reformation Queen by Brandon G. Withrow

The Sixth Wife by Jean Plaidy

Drawings of the Queens

I have come across these beautiful drawings of Henry VIII's wives and I thought that I might share them (I have arranged them to look nicer):

Catherine Parr

Catherine Parr was born in 1512 (probably August) to Sir Thomas Parr and Maud Green. She received the standard education but developed a lifelong passion for learning. She was fluent in French, Latin and Italian but hated any kind of needlework.

She married her first husband (sir Edward Borough) when she was seventeen and it is possible that her husband was in poor health and died in 1533. After her husband's death she spent some time with the Dowager Lady Strickland before marrying John Neville, who was the 3rd Baron Latymer and twice her age. Her husband was a strongly believing Catholic and during the Lincolnshire rising a mob appeared in front of their house, demanding that Lord Latymer supported the reinstatement of Catholicism and Catherine watched as they dragged him away. In 1536 and 1537 Catherine lived alone with her two step-children, fearing what would happen next. It is likely that she developed her intense dislike of the rebellion and the old religion during this period.

Queen vs. Duchess

One of the scandals at the time was the renowned cat-fight between the Dowager Queen Catherine Parr and the Duchess of Somerset, Anne Seymour (Stanhope).

So here are the juicy details:
Anne was convinced that Catherine Parr possessed a lower rank than herself by marrying Thomas Seymour who was the younger brother of Anne's husband - and therefore far less important. When Anne was asked to carry Catherine's train, the Duchess refused. But the scandal peaked when Anne took the Queen's place at the hearing of matins in the chapel. Allegedly Catherine then grabbed Anne's arm.
In the end Catherine Parr won the rivalry because she referred to the Third Succession Act that clearly stated that Catherine had precedence over any lady at court. It also meant - probably to Anne's horror - that Anne also came after Lady Mary, Lady Elizabeth and Anne of Cleves.

Whether the story is true is difficult to know for sure because the only source (at the moment) is the Spanish Chronicle that is known for stating rather unlikely things.

Anne Stanhope

Catherine Parr