Ghost of Catherine Parr

Catherine Parr died tragically after giving birth to her only child - a girl with the name of Mary. Catherine's ghost has been seen at two different locations: Snape Castle and Sudeley Castle.

At Snape Castle, Catherine's ghost is said to take the form of a young girl with long blond hair and wearing a Tudor gown. As her second husband used Snape Castle as the family's main residence, so Catherine must have spent a large amount of her married life here. When Catherine's ghost appears at Snape Castle it is said to be a happy spirit.

Snape Castle

However, the ghost of Catherine Parr at Sudeley Castle is of a completely different mood than the ghost of Snape Castle. Catherine's ghost has been seen roaming the castle that used to be home for Catherine and her last husband, Thomas Seymour. Allegedly, Catherine's ghost is wearing a green gown and appears to be searching for something - people have guessed that it might be her daughter who vanished from history when she was two years old.
But Catherine have been spotted on different occasions at Sudeley Castle. The maid, Margaret Parker, had reported that while working in the castle she has seen a tall, beautiful woman - again wearing green - looking out of a window. At first she thought that she had mistaken an artist, also working in the castle that same day for a ghost. But it turned out that the artist was no where near the place where the ghost was spotted. Margaret Parker herself believes that she saw the ghost of Catherine Parr. Unlike Catherine's ghost at Snape Castle there is a more melancholic feeling attached to the ghost at Sudeley Castle.

A Scandal of Playfulness?

A scandal that occurred after Henry VIII's death is still a source of debate. A juicy rumour of the Dowager Queen, her husband and the King's daughter is bound to be a source of interest - then and now. So let's take a look at a typical Tudor rumour:

When Catherine Parr had married Thomas Seymour (another scandal!) she invited the Lady Elizabeth to stay with her and her new husband at Sudeley Castle. Lady Elizabeth - and her ill-fated cousin Lady Jane Grey - accepted the invitation. But soon things got out of hands in the peaceful household. Allegedly, Thomas Seymour would engage in inappropriate games with the young princess Elizabeth which involved him tickling the princess - something that was not socially acceptable in a respectable relationship. But to make the scandal even more interesting the rumours has it that Catherine Parr herself joined in!
Apparently it was more than Catherine would accept when she supposedly found her husband embracing the Lady Elizabeth who was consequently sent to another household to stop the whole thing.

But is it true?

Probably not. One always has to consider the source and in this case it is "Kat" Ashley - Elizabeth's governess. Though she would be considered a reasonable witness in normal circumstances, she is not that reliable in this case. The situation was that Kat Ashley was imprisoned in the Tower when she told the story and had been threatened with torture - enough to make anyone lie. Except for her, there is nobody who has ever claimed that the incident took place. So it is reasonable to assume that the poor governess (otherwise completely loyal to Elizabeth) only told the story to spare herself the horrors of the torture chamber. Nevertheless, the story must have caused quite a scandal at the time.