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Not Just the Tudors

Six Wives: Kateryn Parr

Ep. 335

Six wives - six lives that we think we know everything about. But beyond their mostly doomed marriages to Henry VIII and, in most cases, tragic ends, here were six women who shaped history in their own unique ways.


In a special six part series, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb has been bringing together the most illuminating interviews about the six wives from the Not Just the Tudors archive.  She has also been exploring some of the latest research and speaking to Dr. Charlotte Bolland - curator of the National Portrait Gallery’s current exhibition Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens - to paint an even fuller portrait of each of the six wives.

 

In this last episode in the series, Suzannah is also joined by Dr. Susan James, Dr. Micheline White and Dr. Elizabeth Norton to recount the life of Henry VIII's sixth and final consort Kateryn Parr, whom he married in July 1543 and who survived his death. Often written off as a dowdy old widow who nursed him in his last years, Kateryn Parr is the most surprising and one of the most fascinating of all the unfortunate women who were married to the king.


Not Just The Tudors is presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. This episode was edited, mixed and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.


Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast


The National Portrait Gallery's exhibition titled Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens runs until 8 September 2024, displaying the images that have shaped our perception of the six wives.  Find out more, here.


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