mercoledì 14 settembre 2016

♚ NOBLE MANSIONS AND CROWNS ♚ Sudeley Castle & Gardens and Queen Katherine Parr.


Come una gemma incastonata nel verde, come uno scrigno conservato in un avvallamento naturale dalle colline sinuose dei Cotswolds che attraversano la parte centrale dell'Inghilterra e che ne conservano le più antiche vestigia, Sudeley Castle 


La Regina Katherine Parr nella sua stanza a Sudeley Castle



custodisce vicende inerenti secoli di storia e ai nomi di coloro che vi hanno trascorso la propria esistenza, legata agli eventi più noti e travagliati della storia inglese risalente ai secoli scorsi ( XVI - XVII ): esso fu dimora della regina Katherine Parr, ultima moglie - ed unica sopravvissuta - di Re Enrico VIII, dello stesso Enrico VIII, di Anna Bolena, di Lady Jane Grey, della Regina Elisabetta I e di Riccardo III i quali, tutti, giocarono un ruolo di rilievo nella storia di questo imponente e magnifico maniero; Re Carlo I trovò qui rifugio durante la guerra civile, quando suo nipote Prince Rupert aveva stabilito il proprio quartiere generale presso il castello, ma fu solo in epoca romantica, dopo anni di incomprensibile trascuratezza ed abbandono, che venne riscoperto da Re Giorgio III il quale si trovò ad essere tra quei turisti che vennero ad ammirarne quello che di esso rimaneva, ovvero le sue rovine 


che parlavano all'animo melanconico di coloro che vissero il Romanticismo nei suoi aspetti più peculiari. 
Successivamente, nel 1837, Sudeley passò nelle mani dei facoltosi manifattori di guanti Worcester, i fratelli John e William Dent, che avviarono un ambizioso progetto di ristrutturazione, proseguito dal nipote, John Coucher Dent che lo ereditò nel 1855, la cui consorte, Emma Brocklehurst, si dedicò con entusiasmo e devozione in tale opera di recupero, stringendo, nel contempo, forti legami con la vicina città di Winchcombe, ed è proprio il risultato della sua passione ad essere ancor oggi così tangibile nei giardini del castello. 










Sudeley Castle è oggi dimora di Elizabeth, Lady Ashcombe, dei suoi figli e delle loro famiglie, tutti impegnati nella continua conservazione del castello e dei suoi tesori, nel restauro tutt'ora in corso e nel mantenimento dei giardini.





LA CURIOSA STORIA DELLA REGINA KATHERINE PARR ~ 



Katherine Parr - Catherine Parr, detta anche Kateryn - ella si firmava 'Kateryn the Quene KP' - passata alla storia come la sesta ed ultima moglie di re Enrico ottavo, ebbe un'esistenza davvero particolare.
Alta, di bell'aspetto, vivace e spiritosa, di temperamento gentile e sensibile, era nata 
nell'anno 1512, probabilmente in agosto, presso Blackfriars, un quartiere nel centro di Londra, dal matrimonio di Sir Thomas Parr da Kendal con Maud Greene, Katherine era la maggiore di tre figli, seguita l'anno successivo dal fratello William - Will - e un anno dopo dalla sorella Anne - Nan -. Thomas e Maud erano cortigiani durante i primi anni del regno di Enrico VIII, Thomas era stato nominato cavaliere proprio in occasione dell'incoronazione del re nel 1509 e Maud divenne dama di compagnia della regina Caterina d'Aragona, prima moglie del re, ma quando improvvisamente Thomas morì nel 1517 Katherine fu fatta crescere nel Northamptonshire nella casa dello zio Sir William Parr mentre la madre, inserita nell'ambiente della Corte, si dedicò a garantire matrimoni 'favorevoli' per i suoi figli. L'educazione della piccola Parr fu ottima per i tempi, ma non completa, tanto che più tardi volle imparare greco e latino, compito di certo non semplice per una donna, per di più di madre lingua inglese: questo ci rende edotti del suo vero amore e del rispetto che ella nutriva per lo studio e per l'istruzione, in particolare per quanto riguardava le donne e fu infatti Katherine Parr che incoraggerà l'educazione di Elisabetta I, facendo così di lei il monarca più dotto nell'intera storia inglese.

Quando ormai aveva superata l'età per il matrimonio, che al tempo si aggirava intorno ai 14 anni, ella divenne sposa a 17 anni dell'amato Sir Edward Burgh pronunciato Borough
), il diciannovenne figlio primogenito di Sir Thomas Borough ( nei progetti della madre e dello zio vi era quello di maritarla al vecchio Edward Burgh, padre di Sir Thomas ed omonimo del nipote, non solo attuale Lord e proprietario della tenuta di Gainsborough Hall 









e molto, molto anziano, quasi non più autosufficiente, che avrebbe avuto più poco da vivere e che avrebbe presto fatto di lei una facoltosa ereditiera, ma quando il re intervenne nominando il giovane, inoltre, per l'occasione, vice-governatore del confine anglo-scozzese, fu l'amore ad avere la meglio ) e si scoprì così, insieme con il marito, capace ed organizzata gerente di un vastissimo podere, con relativa fattoria, situato nella campagna del Lincolnshire, nonché attenta ed abile conduttrice di una vasta residenza che entrambi condividevano con un nutrito seguito costituito da personale di servizio.
Ma questo idillio le fu concesso dal destino solo che per poco meno di quattro anni, poiché in un incidente strappo la vita dal corpo del suo devoto consorte rendendola vedova non ancora ventenne.
L'anno seguente vide Katherine sposa di John Neville,


III Barone Latimer, che aveva circa vent'anni più di lei e che viveva a Snape Castle



nello Yorkshire, per cui non solo più ella contava il titolo di Lady, ma ora anche quello di baronessa.
In questo maniero risalente al XIV°secolo visse insieme con i figli di primo letto del marito, Johnnie e Margaret, per circa un decennio ( mi piace ricordare qui che se Katherine era al suo secondo matrimonio, John Neville era sposo per la terza volta ).
Al tempo l'Inghilterra era dilaniata da due differenti ed agguerrite correnti religiose, una che voleva fosse mantenuto il legame con la Chiesa di Roma, l'altra che, in accordo con il re, preferiva dare a costui piena autorità anche in fatto di religione, tutto perché il Santo Padre, Clemente VII, gli negava il divorzio dalla prima moglie Caterina d'Aragona, che egli aveva nel frattempo già allontanato dai suoi palazzi per sposare Anna Bolena; coinvolto suo malgrado in una diatriba tra queste due fazioni che separavano il nord dell'isola dalla parte più centro-meridionale, il Barone Latimer fu preso in ostaggio, con conseguenti gravi danni per la sua già cagionevole salute e fu così che il 2 di marzo del 1543 Katherine si trovò vedova per la seconda volta, ma questa volta con una ancor più cospicua eredità.


This portrait originally and now identified as Catherine Parr was wrongly identified as Lady Jane Grey for decades, was probably painted by Master John in 1544 - 45.




 Detail


Da tempo Katherine si era innamorata dell'affascinante Thomas Seymour, fratello della defunta regina Jane e zio dell'unico erede maschio di Enrico VIII, per l'esattezza nel 1538, quando, per la prima volta s'incontrarono. Ma ella aveva anche attirato l'attenzione di Enrico VIII, che aveva un occhio di riguardo per lei da sempre, quando nel 1540 aveva fatto ritorno negli ambienti della corte in veste di dama di compagnia della terza moglie del re, la regina Anna di Clèves.

E così ella, ancora una volta, seguirà ciò che le detterà il suo senso del dovere, ossia contrarre un terzo matrimonio unendosi ad un uomo malato e ben più vecchio. Ma non fu una scelta facile.
Scriverà infatti a Seymour, 'Com'è vero che Dio è Dio, il mio pensiero era completamente risoluto .... sposarti prima di ogni altro uomo che conosco. Ma la volontà di Dio era diversa dalla mia e dopo una grande lotta spirituale, mi ritrovai a non avere altra scelta se non l'obbedienza.' Lei e Seymour si separarono scambiandosi alcune promesse per il futuro (dopo tutto, il re era malato, stanco ed appariva persino più vecchio della sua età) ed i loro sentimenti erano immutati.
Il 12 luglio del medesimo anno, ad Hampton Court Palace, vennero celebrate le nozze tra Re Enrico VIII 



Joos van Cleve, Enrico VIII, 1530-1535 circa, Londra, The Royal Collection
© Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014



e Katherine Parr, la quale venne così incoronata regina consorte d'Inghilterra e d'Irlanda.
Il matrimonio fu un immediato trionfo. Katherine scelse come motto personale 'Essere utile in tutto ciò che faccio' e possedeva una personalità davvero accattivante come ebbe a dimostrare il sincero affetto che molti provavano per lei: per il re era la compagna e l'infermiera perfetta, per i suoi figli, Edward, Mary ed Elisabetta, un'amorevole matrigna, come regina attirò anche quei cortigiani simpatizzanti per la nuova fede protestante - il credo del monaco tedesco Lutero che si opponeva agli abusi del clero stava conquistando sempre più plauso anche in Inghilterra - e le sue stanze divennero luogo d'incontro per veri e propri dibattiti teologici; in Katherine re Enrico aveva trovato per la prima volta una donna con cui intendersi anche intellettualmente, ma non solo, quando partì per la Francia per un'ennesima campagna militare nel mese del luglio 1544, Katherine



The Melton Constable or Hastings portrait of Queen Catherine



- la 'moglie più cara e più amata tra tutte' - fu nominata reggente d'Inghilterra - l'unica altra moglie a cui era stato accordato un siffatto privilegio dal re era Caterina d'Aragona - e quando egli fu di ritorno nel mese di ottobre trovò tutti i suoi affari in buon ordine.
Con il trascorrere del tempo, Enrico VIII si fece sempre più di frequente irritabile, 



era fortemente in sovrappeso, soffriva di gotta, sembra soffrisse anche di sifilide, e la ferita ulcerosa alla gamba, che si era procurata in occasione di un incidente occorsogli in giovine età giostrando ad un torneo, gli procurava dolori e complicazioni sempre più gravi; il declino della sua salute cominciò in modo irrimediabile nella primavera del 1546 con sporadici recuperi di breve durata: anche gli 'empiastri' che solo la sua Katherine conosceva e che amorevolmente ogni giorno gli applicava sulle ferita rimuovendo le parti di tessuto necrotizzato non erano più in grado di arginare la cancrena che stava progredendo.
Con l'inverno la malattia del re peggiorò drasticamente, sempre più brevi erano i periodi in cui egli si riaveva e sempre più acuti i dolori e nonostante Katherine fosse costantemente al suo fianco per medicarlo venne allontanata da lui ed inviata a Greenwich Palace con Mary ed Elisabetta per le celebrazioni natalizie. 
Tornò a Londra il 10 gennaio, ma non rivide più il suo re, sempre più avvinto dai suoi malesseri, perseguitato da forti emicranie e sempre meno cosciente, che cessò di vivere nelle prime ore del mattino del 28 gennaio 1547.

Cominciava così un nuovo corso per la vita di Katherine, ormai donna matura ... e libera di poter finalmente sposarsi con l'uomo che amava, Thomas Seymour



divenuto nel frattempo I Barone di Sudeley e Lord Ammiraglio
Il matrimonio fu celebrato in gran segreto, si suppone nel maggio del 1547, in parte perché appariva sconveniente che ella non mantenesse il lutto per la perdita del reale consorte almeno per un anno ed in parte per prevenire l'ostilità del cognato Edward Seymour, accanto al quale conviveva a Sudeley Castle, divenuto alla morte del sovrano Lord Protettore ed effettivo governante del regno, ma la felicità di Katherine non durò a lungo. 



Veduta di parte dei giardini di Sudeley Castle



Oltre a nascere una rivalità tra lei e la moglie di Edward, l'imperiosa Anne Stanhope, Thomas fu accusato di essersi concesso delle liberalità con la principessa Elisabetta, che viveva allora sotto il loro stesso tetto, e di aver persino progettato di sposarla. 
Al fine di tutelarne la reputazione, Katherine fu costretta ad allontanare Elisabetta ed inaspettatamente rimase incinta all'età di circa 35 anni. Morì di febbre puerperale il 5 settembre 1548 a Sudeley Castle dove fu sepolta, e dove tutt'ora riposa, dopo aver dato alla luce la sua unica figlia Mary, nata il 30 agosto. 

Un'ultima curiosità: dopo che Thomas Seymour fu giustiziato nel 1549, il castello cadde in uno stato di abbandono e quando nel 1782, 234 anni dopo la morte di Katherine, la sua tomba fu rinvenuta tra rovine del castello di Sudeley, John Locust, che ne aveva trovato i resti avvolti in un drappo, riferì che il cadavere era in ottime condizioni. Dieci anni dopo fu gravemente danneggiato, e alla terza riapertura, 25 anni dopo (nel 1817), non rimaneva che uno scheletro. 
Le spoglie di Katherine furono spostate nella tomba di Lord Chandos, la cui famiglia era allora proprietaria del castello ed in seguito la cappella fu ricostruita da Sir John Scott e vi fu eretto un altare a lei dedicato.



Ancor oggi Katherine Parr viene ricordata quale esempio di rettitudine e di saggezza e soprattutto per aver cambiato il corso della storia inglese, poiché la sua lotta sostenuta senza sosta alcuna per il ripristino della Act of Succession del 1544 che consentiva anche alle donne, qualora non fosse vivo un erede maschio, di sedere sul trono inglese, permise già a Mary e poi ad Elisabetta, di divenire regine dopo la morte del fratello Edward .... e dopo di loro Victoria ed infine H.M. Elisabetta II, che ancor oggi rende fiero di sé il suo popolo, sono divenute sovrane grazie a tale promulgazione.







~ GLI INTERNI DI SUDELEY CASTLE ~
 
Ancor oggi le mura del castello respirano della storia cui hanno assistito e molto è stato conservato anche nell'interno dell'aspetto originale del maniero.






Ambienti suggestivi sono stati mantenuti e ricreati con cura dagli attuali proprietari che, consci del patrimonio che custodiscono, portano avanti il ricordo del più vivace ed infervorato periodo della storia inglese, quello Tudor.

Nella speranza di avervi intrattenuti piacevolmente con questo salto indietro in un passato ricco di fascino e di intrighi di Corte, prendo congedo da voi augurandovi ogni bene e ringraziandovi sinceramente, come sempre,

a presto 💕










BIBLIOGRAFIA:

Arthur D. (Arthur Donald) Innes, England under the Tudors, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014; 

Carolly Erickson, L'ultima moglie di Enrico VIII, Mondadori, Milano, 2010; 

Jane Bingham, The Tudors: The Kings and Queens of England's Golden Age, Metro Books, 2012;

Leanda de Lisle, Tudor: Passion. Manipulation. Murder. The Story of England's Most Notorious Royal Family, PublicAffairs, 2015.










Like a gem set into the green, like a treasure preserved in a 

natural depression by the sinuous hills of the Cotswolds, 

crossing the central part of England, which preserve the 

most ancient remains of, Sudeley Castle




 - picture 1 - Queen Katherine Parr in one room of hers in Sudeley Castle



guards centuries of history and events related to the names of those who have spent their lives there, linked to the most famous and troubled events of the whole English history dating back to the XVIth - XVIIth centuries: it was the home of Queen Katherine Parr, last wife - and only surviving - of King Henry VIII, of King Henry VIII himself, of Anne Boleyn, of Lady Jane Grey, of Queen Elizabeth I, and of King Richard III who, all, played a prominent role in the history of this impressive and magnificent manor; King Charles I found here refuge during the civil war, when his nephew Prince Rupert had established his headquarters at the castle, but it was only during the Romantic era, after years of incomprehensible neglect and abandonment, that Sudeley Castle was rediscovered by King George III who was found to be among those tourists who came to admire what remained of it, I mean its ruins



- picture 2



which spoke to the melanchonic soul of those who lived the Romanticism in its most characteristic aspects.
Subsequently, in 1837, Sudeley passed into the hands of the wealthy manifacturer of the famous Worcester gloves, the brothers John and William Dent, who started an ambitious renovation project, continued by their nephew, John Coucher Dent who inherited it in 1855, whose wife, Emma Brocklehurst , devoted herself with enthusiasm and attachment in this work of recovery, tightening at the same time, strong ties with the neighboring town of Winchcombe, and it is just the result of this passion of hers to be so tangible even today in the castle gardens.



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Sudeley Castle is now home to Elizabeth, Lady Ashcombe, to her son, her daughter and their families, all engaged in the continued preservation of the castle and of its treasures, in the still ongoing restoration and in the maintenance of the wonderful gardens.






~ THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF QUEEN KATHERINE PARR ~



- picture 8



Katherine Parr - Catherine Parr, also called Kateryn - she signed himself 'Kateryn the Quene KP' - passed to History as the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII, had a very special existence.

Tall, good-looking, lively and witty, with a gentle and sensitive temperament, born in the year 1512, probably in August, at Blackfriars, a district in central London, from the wedding of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal and Maud Greene, Katherine was the eldest of three children, followed the next year by his brother William - Will - and a year later by her sister Anne - Nan -. Thomas and Maud were courtiers during the early years of Henry VIII's reign, Thomas was knighted on the occasion of the coronation of the king in 1509 and Maud became lady companion of Queen Catherine of Aragon, first wife of the king, but when Thomas suddenly died in 1517 Katherine was made to grow in Northamptonshire in the house of Sir William Parr, her uncle, while her mother, inserted in the Court, dedicated herself to ensuring 'favorable' marriages for her children.

The education of the little Parr was excellent for the times, but not complete, so that later in her life she wanted to learn greek and latin, certainly not an easy task for a woman, furthermore native English speakers: this makes us aware of her true love and respect she had for study and education, particularly in regard to women, and it was Katherine Parr, in fact, who will encourage the education of Elizabeth I, thus making her the most learned monarch throughout the English history.

When she had passed the age for marriage, which at the time was around 14 years old, at the age of 17 she became the bride of the beloved Sir Edward Burgh ( pronounced Borough ), the firstborn 19 yearold son of Sir Thomas Burgh (in her mother's and her uncle's projects there was to marry her with the old Edward Burgh, father of Sir Thomas and greatfather of his homonym grandson, the current Lord and owner of Gainsborough Hall 



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and very, very old, almost no longer self-sufficient, who would have had no more long to live and who'd soon made of her a wealthy heiress, but when the king intervened, naming the young Borough, for the occasion, even deputy governor of the Anglo-Scottish border, it was the love to win) and thus she discovered, along with her husband, a capable and organized manager of a vast estate, with its farm, located in the Lincolnshire countryside, as well as a careful and skilled master of a wide residence, which them both shared with a large following composed by service personnel.

But this idyll was allowed by the fate to last just for under four years, since an accident will take away the life from the body of her devoted Edward, making of her a widow aged not yet twenty.
The following year saw Katherine marrying John Neville,



- picture 13



IIIrd Baron Latimer, who was about twenty years her senior and who lived at Snape Castle,



- picture 14



in Yorkshire, so not only she had the title of Lady, but now also that of Baroness.
In this manor dating back to the XIV° century she lived together with the children of the first bed of her husband, Johnnie and Margaret, for about a decade (I like to mention here that if Katherine was on her second marriage, John Neville was groom for the third time).

At the time, England was torn by two different and fierce religious currents, one who wanted it was kept the link with the Church of Rome, the other, in agreement with the King, preferred to give him full authority even in matters of religion, all because the Holy Father, Pope Clement VII, refused him a divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon, that he had in the meantime already removed from his palaces to marry Anne Boleyn; unwillingly involved in a dispute between the two factions that separated the north of the island from the most south-central part, the Baron Latimer was taken hostage, thing that will cause serious damages to his already poor health and so it was that on March 2nd, 1543 Katherine found herself a widow for the second time, but this time with an even more considerable inheritance.



- picture 15 - This portrait originally and now identified as Catherine Parr was wrongly identified as Lady Jane Grey for decades, was probably painted by Master John in 1544 - 45.


- picture 16 - Detail



From time Katherine had fallen in love with the charming Thomas Seymour, brother of the late Queen Jane and uncle of the only male heir of Henry VIII, to be exact in 1538, when for the first time they met. But she had also attracted the attention of Henry VIII, who had an eye for her all along,when in 1540 she returned in the rooms of the Court as a lady in waiting of the third wife of the King, Queen Anne of Clèves.

And so she, once again, will follow what her sense of duty dictated her, by contracting a third marriage getting married to a diseased and much older man. But this was not an easy choice.
She wrote to Seymour: 'As surely as God is God, my thought was completely resolute .... to marry you before any other man I know. But God's will was different from mine, and after a great spiritual struggle, I found myself to have no other choice but obedience.' She and Seymour separated after exchanging some promise for the future (after all, the king was sick, tired and looked even older than his age) and their feelings were unchanged.

On July 12th of that year, at Hampton Court Palace, it was celebrated the marriage between King Henry VIII 



- picture 17 - Joos van Cleve, Enrico VIII, 1530-1535 circa, Londra, The Royal Collection, © Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014



and Katherine Parr, who was crowned Queen Consort of England and Ireland.

The marriage was an immediate triumph. Katherine chose as his personal motto 'Be helpful in everything I do' and had a really engaging personality as it had to demonstrate the genuine affection that many felt for her: for the king she was the perfect companion and nurse, for her step-children, Edward, Mary and Elizabeth, a loving step-mother, as queen also attracted those courtiers sympathizers for the new Protestant faith - the creed of the German monaco Luther which opposed the abuses of the clergy was gaining more and more acclaim in England too - and her rooms became a meeting place for real theological debates; in Katherine King Henry had found for the first time a woman with whom having an intellectual understanding, but not only that, when he left for France for another military campaign in the month of July 1544, Katherine



- picture 18 - The Melton Constable or Hastings portrait of Queen Catherine



- the 'most dear and most beloved wife of all' - was appointed regent of England - the only other wife in whom such a privilege had been granted by the king was Catherine of Aragon - and when he was back in the month of October he found all his affairs in good order.
With the passage of time, Henry VIII became more and more frequently irritable,



- picture 19



was severely overweight, suffered from gout, they said he also suffered from syphilis, and the ulcerative wound in his leg, which was obtained in the course of an accident that occurred in his young age to a jousting tournament, gave him more and more serious pain and complications; the decline of his health began beyond regain in the Spring of 1546 with sporadic short-lived recoveries: even the 'plasters' that only his Katherine knew and lovingly every day applied on his sore after removing the parts of necrotic tissue were no longer able and enough to stem the rot that was progressing.

With the Winter the King's illness worsened dramatically, they were increasingly shorter the periods during which he regained consciousness and increasingly acute was his pain and despite Katherine was constantly at his side to take care of him, she was sent away from him and taken to Greenwich Palace with Mary and Elizabeth for Christmas celebrations.
She returned to London on January 10th, but will never see her King again, who was more and more enthralled by his illness, haunted by headaches and less conscious more and more, who passed away in the early morning hours of January 28th,1547.

Thus began a new course for Katherine's life, now a mature woman ... and free to finally marry the man she loved, Thomas Seymour,



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meanwhile become Ist Baron of Sudeley and Lord Admiral.

The marriage was celebrated in secret, supposedly in May of 1547, in part because it seemed indecorous that she does not stay in mourning for the loss of her royal consort at least one year, and in part to prevent the hostility of Tom's brother Edward Seymour, next to whom she lived at Sudeley Castle, who has become, at the death of the sovereign, Lord Protector and effective ruler of the kingdom, but Katherine's happiness won't last long.



- picture 21 - View of part of the gardens of Sudeley Castle



In addition to being born a rivalry between her and Edward's, the imperious Anne Stanhope, Thomas was accused of having granted himself liberalities with Princess Elizabeth, who was then living under their roof, and of having even planned to marry her.
In order to protect her reputation, Katherine was forced to alienate Elizabeth and unexpectedly became pregnant at the age of about 35 years. She died of puerperal fever on September 5th,1548 at Sudeley Castle, where she was buried, and where still are her remains, after giving birth to her only daughter Mary, born on August 30th.

One last curiosity: after Thomas Seymour was executed in 1549, the castle fell into a state of disrepair and when in 1782, 234 years after Katherine's death, her grave was found among the ruins of Sudeley Castle, John Locust, who had found her body  wrapped in a cloth, reported that it was in an excellent condition. Ten years after it was badly damaged, and at the third reopening, 25 years later (in 1817), there remained only a skeleton.

Katherine's remains were moved to Lord Chandos's tomb, whose family was then owner of the castle, and later the chapel was rebuilt and an altar dedicated to her was erected by Sir John Scott.



- picture 22



Katherine Parr is still remembered as an example of rectitude and wisdom, and especially for having changed the course of English History, since she sustained struggle tirelessly for the restoration of the Act of Succession of 1544 that allowed women, if it were not alive a male heir, to sit on the English throne, granted already to Mary and then to Elizabeth, to become queens after the death of their brother Edward .... and after them Victoria and finally HM Elizabeth II, who still makes her people proud of her, have become sovereigns thanks to this enactment.



- picture 23 - Katherine Parr's signature






~ THE INTERIORS OF SUDELEY CASTLE ~

Even today the walls of the breathe of the history they have witnessed and much of the interior appearance of the original manor has been preserved.



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Beautiful rooms were maintained and recreated with care by the current owners who are aware of the heritage that the castle hold, carrying on the memory of the most lively and impassioned period of the whole English History, the Tudor's one.

Hoping to have pleasantly entertained you with this step back into a past full of charm and intrigue of the Court, I take my leave of you, wishing you all the best and thanking you sincerely, as always,

see you soon 💕










BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Arthur D. (Arthur Donald) Innes, England under the Tudors, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014; 

Carolly Erickson, L'ultima moglie di Enrico VIII, Mondadori, Milano, 2010; 

Jane Bingham, The Tudors: The Kings and Queens of England's Golden Age, Metro Books, 2012;

Leanda de Lisle, Tudor: Passion. Manipulation. Murder. The Story of England's Most Notorious Royal Family, PublicAffairs, 2015.




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48 commenti:

  1. Ciao Daniela!Buon settembre!Che delizia queste immagini che unite alla melodia del tuo blog donano un senso di pace!Un abbraccio!Rosetta

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Rosetta
      sono felicissima di averti ritrovata dopo la pausa estiva e di riaverti qui con tutta la tua dolcezza, grazie di cuore !

      Che la tua settimana sia prodiga di letizia e di gioia, carissima, ti abbraccio forte forte ಌ•❤•ಌ

      Elimina
  2. Hello, Dany! Wonderful post. The castle is beautiful. I would love to visit there someday. Have a happy day!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ eileeninmd
      I'm wishing you too a most wonderful day ever, dear, darling friend of mine !

      Thanking you with all my heart for visting and for your good and sensitive temper, I'm sending my dearest love to you ✿⊱╮

      Elimina
  3. Daniela, what a wonderful post! I love the furniture, the costumes and the built-in bookshelves in your photos!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Linda
      I'm so grateful to you for gracing my Blog today, precious friend of mine, you always bring the sunshine here, God bless !

      May the remainder of your week be as beautiful as you, dearie ❥

      Elimina
  4. A splendid manor both inside and outside. I don't remember ever heard of Katherine Parr, of the other wives of Henri VIII yes. She had an awful fate and died young - as many did at that time. A remarkable and educated lady.

    Thank you dear Dany & best regards & wishing you lovely September days.

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ riitta
      my wonderful lady, what a delight to have you here !

      Katherine Parr was probably the most intriguing wife of Henry VIII, the most intelligent and learned - to have a culture was not common for women at that age - she was truly emancipate for her century and probably she was the first woman with whom the king was able to have a conversation even on clerical and religious topics; as for the young age at which she died, just think what meant labour till the last century: princess Charlotte of Wales, the only daughter of King IV of the United Kingdom, died after 50 hours of labour of a post-partum bleeding which led also her baby to death and it was this tragedy, furthermore, to allow to Alexandrina Victoria to become queen ... to give birth to a baby was very dangerous till not much time ago, alas !

      Thanking you most sincerely for visiting, you're always so heartily wecome, dearest friend, I'm sending hugs and ever much love to you ♡❤♡

      Elimina
  5. Dany, this is such an incredible story about Queen Kathryn Parr. The castle looks beautiful, and I just love the photographs of the grounds especially the "knot" garden. . .Thank you for sharing the history of this most interesting woman. And, I have to tell you that I always love the music when I come to visit your blog. . .it induces one to linger a bit longer while enjoying the lovely writings and images that you share.

    RispondiElimina
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    1. Thanks most sincerely, your so beautiful words of appreciation and amusement bless my heart and fill it with the deepest joy ever !

      May your day be blessed with gladness and the remainder of your week be filled with joy and wonder, cheers ❀≼♥≽❀

      Elimina
  6. Sudely Castle and of course also the gardens, such a romantic place especially accompanied with your beautiful music. Thank you for the remarkable story of the last wife of Henri VIII, Catherine Parr.
    The way you tell us your knowledge and enthousiasm for history is great Dany!

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Janneke
      YOU're great, darling, at least as much as you're adorable, thank you for your enjoyment and your appreciation, they brighten my afternoon !

      With utmost thankfulness I'm thinking of you with much love, enjoy your week, sweetest friend of mine •♥•♥•♥•

      Elimina
  7. A beautiful place but what a dangerous time to live in for anyone married to Henry VIII!
    As always I learned a lot.
    Sending you love.

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ annie
      you said it, Katherine Parr herself was very worried to end her life with a tragedy, but I think that also if she wouldn't survived his death, she wouldn't be executed like all the previous five, he had so much esteem for her, as for nobody else before ...anyway, it was difficult to trust Henry VIII, he was such a moody man !

      I wholeheartedly thank you, dearie, for gracing my Blog today, you're always a ray of sun in my day, sending blessings of joy on your week ღ❀ღ

      Elimina
  8. I so enjoy learning about royal families. Your post was so delightful and informative. The pictures are just grand.

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Decore to Adore
      thus, here's another thing which we have in common, my dearest Laura, my heart is overflowing with joy for your amusement, thank you wonderful friend of mine !

      Sending blessings on your days to come,... and hugs, my dearest hugs to you across the Ocean ♡ஐ♡

      Elimina
  9. Ahhhh....se non ci fossi bisognerebbe inventarti!!
    Che nostalgia rivedere questi magnifici luoghi, ci
    sono stata, è uno dei primi castelli che ho visitato in Inghilterra e uno dei più belli. Vicini alle rovine ricordo ho camminato scalza,tanto era invitante il prato inglese.
    Grazie per questo bel salto nel passato, corredato di bellissime foto e storia del castello, mi ci voleva essendo in astinenza!
    Un abbraccio mia cara Dany e buon fine settimana che a quanto pare
    sarà molto più fresco.
    Love Susy ♥

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Susy
      dolcissima, adorabile amica mia, quanto mi gratifica il tuo entusiasmo !
      Credo che Sudeley Castle sia uno dei castelli inglesi più antichi, ricchi di storia e prodighi di fascino, forse proprio per il tempo che hanno segnato, io ne sono letteralmente infatuata !

      Ti abbraccio con tutto il cuore augurandoti una serata colma di serenità, un bacio a te e a Renzo, a presto dolcezza e grazie,... sempre ⊰✽*✽⊱

      Elimina
  10. sei sempre così squisitamente informata sul affascinante mondo della regalità inglese di un tempo...
    mi hai deliziato con questo post sulla regina k. parr..
    è sempre un piacere leggerti..
    buona giornata cara dany
    daniela

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ daniela
      le tue parole mi confondono tanto sono belle, e fanno sussultare il mio cuore, non so come ringraziarti ... !

      Ti invio un abbraccio forte forte, carissima, augurandoti un piacevole e sereno prosieguo di settimana, con sincera gratitudine ed ammirazione ♥♡♥

      Elimina
  11. Che incredibili storie questi personaggi hanno da raccontarci!!! Oggi, con tutta la tecnologia a disposizione quasi quasi non riusciamo a fare quello che loro facevano! Matrimoni, reggenze, amori segreti, ragion di stato, vite vissute tra un castello e l'altro, etc...! :)
    Bello questo post!
    A presto:)

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Valeria
      è sempre un immenso piacere averti qui, mia cara ... e leggere le tue parole di plauso, per me non ha prezzo, te ne sono davvero grata !

      Che la tua settimana sia prodiga di tante piccole cose per cui gioire, te lo auguro di vero cuore ಌ•❤•ಌ

      Elimina
  12. MI hai fatto passeggiare tra questi splendidi giardini. Ho girovagato in questo meraviglioso castello grazie ate ed ai tuoi bellissimi racconti.
    Bacioni Alessandra

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Alessandra
      il tuo romanticismo ti ha sicuramente fatto da guida, mia cara, ed è complice del diletto che questo post ha donato al tuo cuore, ne sono certa !

      Contraccambio i tuoi baci, dolcissima amica mia, colmi di affetto e di riconoscenza, che ti accompagnino per il resto di questa settimana di fine estate,
      grazie ancora ✿⊱╮

      Elimina
  13. Hi Dany,
    Another of your simply fabulous posts has been reeling with the beauty of Sudeley and the fantastic events that have happened there over the centuries.
    Sorry I didn't get to visit you for Mosaic Monday, the travelling and internet access defeated me but I'm so happy that you joined us this week.
    a bientot
    Maggie

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Maggie
      please don't worry for having less time than you'd love to, it's usual for me too spending here just a little of my days, even if I want to be here more and more, indeed, I'm always so overjoyed by having you here, dera friend, your beautiful words brighten my morning and make my day, thank you !

      Enjoy your day and the start of the new season,
      may it bring much joy to you ❥

      Elimina
  14. This may be my favorite of all your posts, Dany. (Although that really is a tough call!). Katharine Parr was the Queen of which I knew the least (I have a very large volume on all six wives sitting on my to-read stack!) and she sounds like the one I would like the most. Quite an amazing woman, especially for that era. Thanks for sharing this. Your posts are always so detailed and I know they take a lot of work. I truly appreciate them.

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Jeanie
      even if I have to admit that I so love the Victorian age and feel to belong to it, the Tudor's historical period is truly so fascinating, so intriguing and so passionate ... Queen Katherine Parr has always caught me with her uniqueness and if you like reading and would love to know her a little more, I suggest you the book by Carolly Erickson, that's an historical novel which I'm sure you'll read all in one breath !

      Having you here always delight my heart, dearie, thank you for your words of appreciation and of amusement, I'm sending my dearest love for wishing you a most wonderful Fall ever, I cherish you ಌ❀ಌ

      Elimina
  15. I so enjoyed the beautiful pictures and the post of this time in History as it is my favorite! It is amazing what these people lived through and what they did for family and status. It would be so fun to be able to stay in one of these castles for a week and simply explore!! It is so good to know that these magnificent castles are being restored and kept alive, and the lives that were lead in them continue on!

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Conniecrafter
      your enjoyement is my gladness, precious friend of mine, your words mean so much to me !
      You're right, it's great that the actual owners have care to keep the ancient history of such manors alive, we've to be grateful to them ... sincerely !

      Hope you're having a beautiful week, I'm sending blessings of joy on your days to come, Happy Fall to you dearie ♡❤♡

      Elimina
  16. Dany, I especially love this post. Years ago I made quite a study of all things related to Henry VIII, and I've forgotten most of it! :D Thank you for this delightful refresher course.

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Jean
      dearest friend of mine, you're always so generous with me, I'm sincerely glad for your opinion and estimation, your culture honour me !

      Wishing you a beautiful day, today, I'm sending hugs and ever much love to you, enjoy your Fall ༺❀༻

      Elimina
  17. The castle is lovely, and such an interesting history of the people who graced those beautiful rooms. Catherine Parr certainly led an intriguing life with many tragedies, including her own untimely death. She was ahead of her time, helping women with the Act of Succession. I always learn so much when I visit your beautiful blog, my Dear Dany. Hugs and wishes for a beautiful weekend. xx Karen

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Karen
      you said it, she was really so very ahead of her time, for she lived in aperiod when women still were given no importance at all, they only could be wives and mothers !
      I heartily thank you for gracing my blog today, sweetie, you always bring the sunshine here !

      May your Fall be as beautiful as you,
      sending my dearest hugs across the many miles •♥•♥•♥•

      Elimina
  18. What tumultuous times! I was familiar with Katherine's name from a humorous song about King Henry called "With her head tucked underneath her arm."

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Linda
      actually I don't know the song you quort, alas, but probably it refers to one of the other two Katherine who were Henry VIII's wives and were beheaded under accusation of betrayal, the first, Catherine of Aragon and the fifth, Catherine Howard; Katherine Parr survived him, even for a little, but she was the only one amongs his wives who had safe her life from the intrigues of the Court.

      Thanking you so much for visiting and for your interest, my loving friend, I'm sending my dearest love to you ✿*✿

      Elimina
  19. Liebe Daniela,
    bei dir tauche ich in eine andere Welt ein. Ich liebe diese alten Gemäuer und bin fasziniert von den Menschen die in ihnen gelebt haben. Einfach wunderschön von dir zusammengestellt. Hab Dank!
    Alles Liebe,
    Manuela

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Manuela
      it is I who want to thank you, your appreciation, your amusement and your delight fill my heart to overflowing, I'm sincerely grateful to you for this, dearest friend !

      May you have a most wondeful day ever, I'm wishing you all my best for the remainder of your week ღ*ஜ*ღ

      Elimina
  20. Grazie a te, cara amica,
    per queste immagini da sogno e per questa affascinante storia, sulla vita di questa straordinaria sovrana, scritta con tanta eleganza e rispetto che mi ha cullato e fatto sussultare il cuore.
    Baci e un abbraccio carissimo dalla tua amica Luci@

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Luci@
      come sempre sono io ad essere grata a te per tutto quanto sempre mi doni in stima, affetto e riconoscenza, non immagini quanto tutto ciò significhi per me, carissima !

      Ti abbraccio con il cuore gonfio di gioia e che questa nuova stagione sia prodiga di serenità per te e per i tuoi cari ❀≼♥≽❀

      Elimina
  21. As always a great post, Dany !
    Years ago my husband and I visited the Cotswolds ... an area beyond beautiful, we had a wonderful time there and so enjoyed the small villages and gorgeous landscapes ...
    Have a lovely weekend, my friend, hope you're enjoying the last summer days !
    Hugs,
    Sylvia

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Sylvia
      the Cotswolds Hills are one of the most fascinating part of the whole England, indeed, perhaps the most charming in absolute !

      Thanks most sincerely for being here, darling, I'm always in good spirits when I welcome you ಌ•❤•ಌ

      Elimina
  22. Che bellissimo post, ancora una volta magnifiche pagine di Storia,come tu sai raccontarci! Un Castello che racchiude un grande passato custodito dallo splendore dei giardini .
    Carissima Dany , buona settimana
    Franca

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Franca
      carissima, le tue parole riconfortano il mio cuore in questa mattinata d'inizio autunno, grazie per la dolcezza di cui sempre mi fai dono !

      Che la tua giornata sia prodiga di serenità, te lo auguro con un fortissimo e sincero abbraccio ⊰♥⊱

      Elimina
  23. Hello Dear Dany! What an incredibly interesting post! I had no idea about this last wife of the king, and how she died, so very sad! You always share the most interesting stories! Thank you again for this amazing peek into history! I pray that you are doing well, and that you are enjoying a lovely Sunday :) Hugs to you my friend!

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ SpicingUpIdaho
      thank you for gracing my Blog today both with your so sweet and precious presence and with your always so beautiful words, you mean so so much to me, dearest Marilyn !

      Hope you too are having a beautiful day, I'm sending blessings on the remainder of your week and on your Fall ahead ✿⊱╮

      Elimina
  24. It is so hard to imagine being married at 14, isn't it?
    Katherine was surely an interesting woman who lived an interesting life.
    Thank you so much for sharing her story here, dear Dany.
    Wishing you a beautiful week ahead, sweet friend. xo.

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Lisa
      ohh, for us it's almost thrilling and frightening, at that time it was ordinary ... so much things have changed, haven't they ?

      Always so very grateful for your wonderful and far precious friendship and for visiting me here always with enthusiasm and enjoyment, I'm sending hugs and ever much love to you ❥

      Elimina

I THANK YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND WORDS, SO PRECIOUS TO ME.