Queen Katherine Parr; letter of "The Tudors" and the real deal

Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer; built 13th century

From The Tudors, episode 7. Katherine Parr's letter to Henry while Regent of England; during his siege of Boulogne, France.

Although Your Majesty's absence has not been long, yet the want of your presence means that I cannot take pleasure in anything until I hear from Your Majesty. Time hangs heavily. I have a great desire to know how Your Majesty has done since you left, for your prosperity and health I prefer and desire more than my own. And although I know Your Majesty's absence is never without great need, still love and affection compel me to desire your presence. Thus love makes me set aside my own convenience and pleasure for you at whose hands I have received so much love and goodness that words cannot express it. We hear word of ill weather and delays besetting you and though we thank God for your good health we anxiously await the joyous news of the success of your great venture and for your safe and triumphant return for which all England offers daily prayers. I fear am I but a poor substitute for Your Majesty in the matter of the guidance of your kingdom. I long for your return. I commit you to God's care and governance.
By Your Majesty's humble obedient wife, and servant,
Katherine, the Queen

The actual letter which she wrote in July 1544; it was written during Henry's six-week absence while he was in Boulogne, France and during the Regency of Queen Katherine. Its tone is loving and respectful.

Although the distance of time and account of days neither is long nor many of your majesty's absence, yet the want of your presence, so much desired and beloved by me, maketh me that I cannot quietly pleasure in anything until I hear from your majesty. The time, therefore, seemeth to me very long, with a great desire to know how your highness hath done since your departing hence, whose prosperity and health I prefer and desire more than mine own. And whereas I know your majesty's absence is never without great need, yet love and affection compel me to desire your presence.
Again, the same zeal and affection force me to be best content with that which is your will and pleasure. Thus love maketh me in all things to set apart mine own convenience and pleasure, and to embrace most joyfully his will and pleasure whom I love. God, the knower of secrets, can judge these words not to be written only with ink, but most truly impressed on the heart. Much more I omit, lest it be thought I go about to praise myself, or crave a thank; which thing to do I mind nothing less, but a plain, simple relation of the love and zeal I bear your majesty, proceeding from the abundance of the heart. Wherein I must confess I desire no commendation, having such just occasion to do the same.
I make like account with your majesty as I do with God for his benefits and gifts heaped upon me daily, acknowledging myself a great debtor to him, not being able to recompense the least of his benefits; in which state I am certain and sure to die, yet I hope in His gracious acceptation of my goodwill. Even such confidence have I in your majesty's gentleness, knowing myself never to have done my duty as were requisite and meet for such a noble prince, at whose hands I have found and received so much love and goodness, that with words I cannot express it. Lest I should be too tedious to your majesty, I finish this my scribbled letter, committing you to the governance of the Lord with long and prosperous life here, and after this life to enjoy the kingdom of his elect.
From Greenwich, by your majesty's humble and obedient servant,
Katharine the Queen.

Hot or Not: the six wives exhibition of Hampton Court

The Tudors King Henry as portrayed by Jonathan Myers and Queen Katherine Parr as portrayed by Joely Richardson

 What did they really looked like during their reign?

Thanks to countless interpretations of Henry VIII's six wives on film we have certain pre-conceived ideas as to what they look like. When the exhibition of Henry's six wives at Hampton Court displayed portraits in 2009, it was of the ones below. Compared to the authentic portraits -- these seem contemporary and make some of the wives look ugly! What's your take? Would Henry really marry these women if they were so plain and ugly? Are these really true to life portraits?

King Henry VIII c.1520

At the time of Henry's marriage to Queen Katherine of Aragon, Henry was still a young man; fit. By the time of Queen Katherine Parr, Henry looked like --

King Henry VIII c.1545

-- The Queens of Henry VIII --

The Tudors Queen Katherine of Aragon portrayed by Maria Doyle Kennedy

Katherine of Aragon by an unknown artist, 1530s.

The Tudors Queen Anne Boleyn as portrayed by Natalie Dormer

Anne Boleyn by an unknown artist, possibly contemporary.

The Tudors Queen Jane Seymour as portrayed by Annabelle Wallis

Jane Seymour by one of the ‘Cast Shadow Workshop’, c 1536.

The Tudors Queen Anne of Cleves as portrayed by Joss Stone

Anne of Cleves by Barthel Bruyn, 1530s.

The Tudors Queen Katherine Howard as portrayed by Tazmin Merchant

Katherine Howard, probably a copy of a contemporary work by Holbein. This painting is interesting because it was originally identified as being of Katherine Howard but then this was rejected in the last century and it was decided that it either depicted Henry VIII’s niece Lady Margaret Douglas or Jane Seymour’s sister, Elizabeth, who married Cromwell's son. However, opinion would appear to have swung in the opposite direction thanks to its close resemblance to the only known likenesses of Katherine.

The Tudors Queen Katherine Parr as portrayed by Joely Richardson

Katherine Parr by an unknown artist, probably contemporary. Recently identified by biographer Susan James, author of "Catherine Parr: Henry VIII's Last Love". Not all are in agreement as to if this is really Queen Katherine.

The Hampton Court Pedigrees; the six wives of King Henry VIII

All of King Henry's wives had one thing in common, they all descended from Edward I; some by his first wife Eleanor of Castile or by his second, Marguerite of France; and in some cases both! In Hampton Court Palace in King Henry VIII's apartment there are six stained glassed windows showing his wives pedigrees from King Edward I. As some were descended mutiple times or by both wives the more prominent ancestry was featured. It is quite a site and if you ever have the chance to visit when the light is right you will be in awe!

From Atonia Fraser's The Wives of Henry VIII, pg 363:

The following genealogy should be seen as a reflection of the narrowness of aristocratic society in a world of small population, rather than as some unconscious desire [that King Henry VIII might have] to commit forms of incest as has been suggested. The wives of Henry VIII were not "closely" related or to King Henry himself. The exception would be of the first cousins Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard; Henry's 2nd and 5th wife whom shared the same grandfather, Sir Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk by his 1st wife Elizabeth Tilney (herself the daughter of Elizabeth Cheney by her first husband Sir Philip Tilney. Elizabeth married secondly Sir John Say. Her daughter Anne would become grandmother to Queen consort Jane Seymour, thus making Queen Anne, Queen Jane, and Queen Catherine Howard second cousins).

 The Hampton Court Pedigrees 

The SIX pedigrees of Henry VIII's Wives, Henry's Apartments;
linking them all back to King Edward I

Queen Katherine of Aragon 

 (1509-1533)

"Not for my Crown" (As Princess of Wales) & "Humble and Loyal" (As queen consort)

Katherine of Aragon

daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile

daughter of King John II Castile y Leon and Isabel of Portugal

daughter of Infante João of Portugal and Isabel of Braganza

daughter of King John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster [Plantagenet]

daughter of Blanche of Lancaster and John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster [Plantagenet]

son of Philippa of Hainault and King Edward III of England

son of Isabella of France and King Edward II of England

son of Eleanor of Castile and King Edward I of England

Queen Anne Boleyn

(1533-1536)

"The Most Happy"

Anne Boleyn

daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire and Lady Elizabeth Howard

daughter of Elizabeth Tilney and Sir Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk

son of Katherine Moleyns and Sir John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk

son of Sir Robert Howard and Lady Margaret Mowbray

daughter of Lady Elizabeth FitzAlan and Sir Thomas Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk

son of Sir John Mowbray, 4th Baron and Lady Elizabeth Segrave, suo jure 5th Baroness Segrave

daughter of Sir John Segrave, 4th Baron and Lady Margaret, suo jure 2nd Duchess of Norfolk [Plantagenet]

daughter of Alice Hayles and Prince Thomas of Brotherton, Earl of Norfolk [Plantagenet]

son of Margaret of France and King Edward I of England

Queen Jane Seymour

(1536-1537)

"Bound to Serve and Obey"

Jane Seymour

daughter of Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth

daughter of Anne Say and Sir Henry Wentworth

son of Sir Philip Wentworth and Mary Clifford

daughter of Sir John, 7th Baron Clifford and Lady Elizabeth Percy

daughter of Sir Henry, Lord Percy and Lady Elizabeth Mortimer

daughter of Sir Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March and Lady Philippa, suo jure 5th Countess of Ulster [Plantagenet]

daughter of Lady Elizabeth Burgh, suo jure 4th Countess of Ulster and Prince Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence [Plantagenet]

son of Philippa of Hainault and King Edward III of England

son of Isabella of France and King Edward II of England

son of Eleanor of Castile and King Edward I of England

Queen Anne of Cleves

(1540)

"God Send Me Well to Keep"

Anne of Cleves

daughter of Mary of Jülich-Berg and John, Duke of Cleves

son of Maud of Hesse and John, Duke of Cleves

son of Elizabeth de Nevers Bourgogne and John, Duke of Cleves

son of Adolf, Duke of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy

daughter of Margaret of Bavaria von Wittelsbach and John, Duke of Burgundy

son of Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Marguerite of Flanders

daughter of Louis, Count of Flanders and Margaret of Brabant

daughter of Margaret of Evreux and John, Duke of Brabant

son of John II, Duke of Brabant and Princess Mary of England [Plantagenet]

daughter of Eleanor of Castile and King Edward I of England

Queen Katherine Howard

(1540-1541)

"No Other Will But His"

Katherine Howard

 daughter of Jocasa Culpepper and Lord Edmund Howard

son of Elizabeth Tilney and Sir Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk

son of Katherine Moleyns and Sir John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk

son of Sir Robert Howard and Lady Margaret Mowbray

daughter of Lady Elizabeth FitzAlan and Sir Thomas Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk

son of Sir John Mowbray, 4th Baron and Lady Elizabeth Segrave, suo jure 5th Baroness Segrave

daughter of Sir John Segrave, 4th Baron and Lady Margaret, suo jure 2nd Duchess of Norfolk [Plantagenet]

daughter of Alice Hayles and Prince Thomas of Brotherton, Earl of Norfolk [Plantagenet]

son of Margaret of France and King Edward I of England

 Queen Katherine Parr

(1543-1547)

"To be Useful in All That I Do"

Katherine Parr

daughter of Maud Green and Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal

son of Sir William, Baron Parr of Kendal and Lady Elizabeth FitzHugh

daughter of Henry, Baron FitzHugh of Ravensworth and Lady Alice Neville

daughter of Alice Montacute, suo jure 5th Countess of Salisbury and Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury

son of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Lady Joan Beaufort

daughter of Katherine Roët and Prince John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster

son of Philippa of Hainault and King Edward III of England

son of Isabella of France and King Edward II of England

son of Eleanor of Castile and King Edward I of England

 

Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall

Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall

Born 1474, died 18 November 1559 at Lambeth Palace
Character's backstory: Was an English church leader, diplomat, administrator and royal adviser. He was "lucky" enough to have served as Bishop of Durham during the reigns of King Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Tunstall was an outstanding scholar and mathematician, he had been educated in England, spending time at both Oxford and Cambridge, before a six year spell at the University of Padua in Italy, from which he received two degrees. His Church career began in 1505, after he returned to England. He was ordained four years later. At the time of his ordination four years later he had caught the attention of the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Warham, who sponsored Tunstall's advancement and brought him to court. Tunstall was also a close to Wolsey, who recognized his potential to serve his country and diplomacy.

Tunstall was close to all the great names of English humanism in the early sixteenth century, especially Sir Thomas More. The European humanist Erasmus greatly admired Tunstall's modesty, scholarship, and charm. Tunstall helped Erasmus in his publishing.

Tunstall was a great publisher of many books including De arte supputandi libri quattuor (1522), which enhanced his reputation among the leading thinkers of Europe. This book would be used later by Mary Tudor and Catherine Parr as queen.

Like More, Tunstall was on intimate terms with King Henry VIII. During the King's 'Great Matter', Tunstall defended Queen Katherine of Aragon, but not with the vigour or absolute conviction of Bishop Fisher. Tunstall had been bold enough to tell Henry that he could not be Head of the Church in spiritual matters and he may have been one of the four bishops of the northern convocation who voted against the divorce, but he recognized that the queen's cause was hopeless and never attempted opposition to the King. In fact, he attended Anne Boleyn's coronation. But Tunstall felt he could not keep quiet, he wrote a letter personally to Henry about the rejection of Christendom, and other matters that bothered him. Henry disagreed and refuted every point Tunstall made. These exchanges led to a search of Tunstall's home by order of the King, but no incriminating evidence was found. Rumor was that Sir Thomas More warned Tunstall in time to dispose of anything that might incriminate him.

Tunstall agreed to take the oath, unlike More and Fisher. He and Archbishop Lee of York were required to explain to the imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, and subsequently the very angry Katherine of Aragon the justification for the annulment of her marriage. They did not succeed in getting her to agree or acknowledge the fact that she was no longer queen.

After the 'great matter' was resolved, Tunstall turned his loyalty back to the King. Tunstall was an executor of King Henry VIII's will. Tunstall would go on to serve in the reigns of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. It was during Elizabeth's reign that Tunstall refused to take Elizabeth's Oath of Supremacy and was subsequently arrested. He was deprived of his diocese in September 1559, and held prisoner at Lambeth Palace, where he died within a few weeks, aged 85. He was one of eleven Catholic bishops to die in custody during Elizabeth's reign.

Tunstall was illegitimate at birth, although his parents later married and the irregular circumstances of his background were never held against him. Sharing a grandmother, Alice Tunstall, Tunstall was first cousin on his father's side to Queen Katherine Parr and her siblings Anne and William. Tunstall was a close family friend after the death of Katherine's father, Sir Thomas. Katherine's mother, Maud, named Tunstall as one of the executors of her will.

Gentility: illegitimate son of a courtier, Clergy

Position: Bishop of Durham, Bishop of London, Archdeacon of Chester, Lord Privy Seal, diplomat

Personality type: engaging man, loyal, ambitious

Endearing trait(s): prominent humanist, survivor of sixteenth century Tudor England, outstanding scholar and mathematician, reputation of virtue and intellect, modesty, charm.

Annoying trait(s): Tunstall was afraid to stand up to Henry VIII much like everyone else in England, he was very affected by the death of Sir Thomas More who he thought could have done more in life than death, stubborn.

Family members:
Father: Sir Thomas Tunstall of Thurland
Mother: Eleanor Conyers
Brother: Brian Tunstall (died 1513 at battle of Flodden Field)
Cousins: Katherine Parr, Anne Parr, William Parr

Romance(s): none known of, never married.

Friends:
Katherine Parr
Anne Parr
William Parr
Sir Thomas More
King Henry VIII
Bishop Warham
Bishop Gardiner
Queen Katherine of Aragon
Cardinal Wolsey
Princess Mary Tudor (when Queen)

Enemies:
Edward Seymour, Earl of Somerset
Princess Elizabeth Tudor (when Queen)

Written by Meg McGath
Information from: Porter, Linda. 'Katherine, the Queen'. 2010.

Sir Thomas Parr, father of Queen Katherine Parr

Sir Thomas Parr (c. 1483 – 11 November 1517) was an English nobleman, Lord of the Manor of Kendal in Westmorland (now Cumbria). He is best known as the father of Queen Katherine Parr.
He was the son of Sir William Parr of Kendal and the Lady Elizabeth Fitzhugh, later known as Baroness Vaux of Harrowden. He was descended from King Edward III of England through his mother, Lady Elizabeth.^[1]

Section by Meg McGath:

Thomas Parr was the descendant of a rough and ready northern gentry clan, the Parrs of Kendal. They had been, after the crown, the most influential presence in Southern Westmoreland since 1381. His mother and grandmother before him were royal ladies-in-waiting giving Sir Thomas an upbringing at court.^[1]
Sir Thomas was most likely a scholar under Maurice Westbury of Oxford who was installed as a teacher by Lady Margaret Beaufort at her estate of Colyweston. It was at Colyweston that certain gentlemen, including the son of the Earl of Westmoreland, were taught not only education but important future political connections. Thomas' father, William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Kendal had once been Lady Margaret Beaufort's revisionary heir to her substantial lands in Westmoreland, known as the Richmond fee. Thomas' grandmother's family, the Vaux's, were close to and had had a long time relationship with Margaret. Through his education Thomas was a scholar in Latin, Greek, and modern languages. He was a master of wards.^[1]
Parr was fond of Sir Thomas More. He found his ways of education to be useful and looked to his household when it was time to educate his own children. Sir Thomas More's first wife, Jane, was a niece of Parr, therefore making More an in-law. Parr was also an advocate of his cousin, Sir Cuthbert Tunstall's teachings; which included that of mathematics; something that his daughter Katherine would use later in her life as the lady of many households.^[1]
Under the rule of King Henry VIII the Parr family flourished. Influence, income, and titles increased as the Parr's became more involved with the court of Henry VIII. Thomas became Master of the Guards and Comptroller to Henry VIII. He was knighted and made sheriff of Northampton in 1509, and of Lincolnshire in 1510. His wife, Maud, became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon. Shortly before the birth of their first child, Katherine, the couple had bought a house in Blackfriars, London. Sir Thomas was popular with the King and had served at court with such men as Sir Thomas More. Although he was rich in land and money, Thomas never attained the title of Baron. Sir Thomas was found to have held messuages, lands, woods, and rents in Parr, Wigan, and Sutton; with the manor of Thurnham.^[1]

Marriage

He married Maud Green (6 April 1495 – 20 August 1529), daughter of Sir Thomas Green and Joan Fogge in 1508. Before the birth of Catherine, Maud gave birth to a son shortly after their marriage. The happiness was short lived as the baby quickly died and his name was never known. After the birth of their third child, Anne, Maud again became pregnant c. 1517, the same year of Thomas' death. The baby was either lost through a miscarriage, stillbirth, or death in early infancy. Whatever the cause, it must have been somewhat of a relief as the baby came at a most difficult time.^[2]


Children of Sir Thomas and Maud:

• Katherine Parr (c. 1512–5 September 1548); Queen consort of England and Ireland, who married four times:
  • Sir Edward Borough, 1529 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England.
  • John Neville, 3rd Baron Latimer, 1534 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • King Henry VIII of England, 1543 at Hampton Court.
  • Sir Thomas Seymour on 4 Apr 1547. Had issue: Lady Mary Seymour.^[2]
• William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton (c. 1513–28 October 1571) He married three times, all without issue:^[2]
  • Anne Bourchier, 7th Baroness Bourchier
  • Elisabeth Brooke
  • Helena Snakenborg.
• Anne Parr, Countess of Pembroke (c. 1515-20 February 1552), married in 1538, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, by whom she had two sons and a daughter. Anne was the only child to have surviving issue. Her descendants include the current Earls of Pembroke.^[3]

Death

In November 1517, Thomas fell ill. He left a will for his wife and children leaving dowry's and his inheritance to his only son, William, but as he died before any of his children were of age, Maud along with Cuthbert Tunstall, their uncle Sir William Parr, and Dr. Melton were made executors. Sir Thomas died in his home at Blackfriars, London on 11 November 1517 leaving two daughters and a son. He was buried in St. Anne's Church, Blackfriars, beneath an elaborate tomb. His widow, upon her death, was buried beside him.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} James, Susan. Catherine Parr: Henry VIII's Last Love. The History Press. 1 Jan 2009.
2. ^ ^{a b} Catherine Parr The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14, 1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000, volume VII, page 483. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.
3. ^ Anne Parr, Lady Herbert Peerage.com entry of Anne Parr, Lady Herbert.
4. ^ "thePeerage". http://thepeerage.com/p335.htm#i3346. Retrieved 2010-09-20
5. ^ "thePeerage". http://thepeerage.com/p335.htm#i3344. Retrieved 2010-09-20

William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Horton

By Meg McGath

William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Horton (c. 1483 – 10 September 1546) was the son of Sir William Parr of Kendal and his wife Elizabeth Fitzhugh, Baroness Vaux of Harrowden.

William Parr was a military man who fought in France, where he was knighted by King Henry VIII at Tournai Cathedral, and Scotland. Parr seemed to be uncomfortable in court circles and insecure in securing relationships. None the less he accompanied the King at the 'Field of the Cloth of Gold' in France. Like his brother, Sir Thomas Parr, William flourished under Sir Nicholas Vaux.

William was a family man. After the death of his brother, Sir Thomas Parr, William's sister-in-law Maud, widowed at age 25, called upon him to help in financial matters and to manage her estates in North England while she was busy in the south securing a future for her three children. William had been named one of the executors of his brother's will. Along with Cuthbert Tunstall, a kinsman of the Parrs, Parr provided the kind of protection and father figure which was missing in the lives of Maud's children. William's children were educated along side Maud's children.

Although William was en-adapt at handling his financial matters, he was ironically appointed the office of Chamberlain in the separate household of Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, the acknowledged illegitimate son of King Henry VIII and Elizabeth Blount, based at Sheriff Hutton Castle in Yorkshire. It was William who found a spot for his nephew, William Parr, later Earl of Essex, in the Duke's household where he would be educated by the very best tutors and mixed with the sons of other prominent families. Though thought to be a wonderful environment for Parr and his nephew to flourish in, the household was not a great passport to success as Parr hoped for. Henry VIII was very fond of his illegitimate son, but had no intention of naming him his heir. It has been claimed that Parr and his sister-in-law, Maud Parr, coached William to make sure that he ingratiated himself with the Duke, in case the Duke became heir to the throne but there is no factual evidence to support this claim.

Although Parr was named Chamberlain of the Duke's household, the household was actually controlled by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in London. This control by Wolsey diminished any opportunity of Parr gaining financial benefit or wider influence. Along with the limited possibilities came other daily frustrations as the Duke's tutors and the household officers under Parr disagreed on the balance of recreation and study. Parr was a countryman who thought it perfectly normal for boys to prefer hunting and sports to the boring rhetoric of learning Latin and Greek. As the Duke's behavior became more unruly Parr and his colleagues found it quite amusing. The Duke's tutor, John Palsgrave, who had only been employed six months, would not tolerate being undermined and decided to resign. Such was the household in which Parr presided over. Parr was suspicious of schoolmaster priests and anyone of lesser birth, even though he was not considered a nobleman at the time. The experience did not further the Parr family. If Sir William had paid more attention to his duties and responsibilities he may have reaped some sort of advancement; thus when the overmanned and over budgeted household was dissolved in the summer of 1529, Parr found himself embittered by his failure to find any personal advancement or profit from the whole ordeal.

Despite his failed attempts at achieving personal gain from the household of the Duke, Sir William made up for it during the Pilgrimage of Grace during 1536. William showed impeccable loyalty to the Crown during the rebellion. He had been in Lincolnshire along with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and supervised the executions at Louth and Horncastle. William tried to ingratiate himself with Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex. Parr's presence at the execution in Hull of Sir Robert Constable prompted Cromwell to share in confidence a correspondence in which he received from the Duke of Norfolk on William's "goodness" which "never proved the like in any friend before."

==Offices==
Sir William was Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1518 and 1522. He was also Esquire to the Body to Henry VII and Henry VIII. In addition to this, he was a third cousin to King Henry VIII through his mother. William was appointed Chamberlain to his niece Katherine Parr and when she became Queen regent during Henry's time in France, Catherine appointed William part of her council. Although he was too ill to attend meetings, the appointment shows her confidence in her uncle.

Parr was knighted by King Henry VIII on Christmas Day, 1513. He was made a peer of the realm as 1st Baron Parr of Horton on 23 December 1543. Upon his death in 1546, with no male heirs, the barony became extinct.

==Family==
He married Mary Salisbury, the daughter and co-heir of Sir William Salisbury; who brought as her dowry the manor of Horton. It was a happy marriage which produced four daughters who survived infancy:

* Maud (Magdalen) Parr, who married Sir Ralph Lane of Orlingbury. One of their children was Sir Ralph Lane, the explorer. Maud grew up with her cousin Katherine Parr, who would later become the last queen of Henry VIII. Maud would become a lifelong friend and confidante of the queen.
* Anne Parr, who married Sir John Digby.
* Elizabeth Parr, who married Sir Nicholas Woodhall.
* Mary Parr, who married Sir Thomas Tresham I.

He is buried at Horton, Northamptonshire where the family estate was.

By two of his daughters, Maud and Mary, the late Princess Diana is a descendant.

References: 'Parishes: Horton', A History of the County of Northampton: Volume 4 (1937), pp. 259-262. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66363&strquery=SirWilliamParr Date accessed: 19 October 2010.

Burke, A general and heraldic dictionary of the peerages of England, Ireland, and Scotland, extinct, dormant, and in abeyance, pg. 411

Porter, Linda. Katherine, the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr, the Last Wife of Henry VIII. Macmillan, 2010.