The Ruins of the 15th Century State Apartments, where Katherine would have spent her last few months. ©Meg McGath

Sudeley Castle

Winchcombe, England, UK

In 1486, Henry VII (father of King Henry VIII), the new monarch granted Sudeley to his uncle and staunch supporter, Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford, who held it until his death in 1495 when, as he left no children, it reverted to the Crown.

In 1535, Sudeley Crown property – Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn visited the Castle from 21st-26th July. The King met with Thomas Cromwell at Winchcombe Abbey to plan the dissolution of the monasteries.Anne Boleyn investigated the Blood of Christ at Hailes Abbey.

©Meg McGath

In 1547, after the death of King Henry, the Castle was granted to
Sir Thomas Seymour after he was created Lord Seymour of Sudeley by King Edward VI.
Sir Thomas married the Queen Dowager, Catherine Parr, as her fourth husband.

Seymour and Catherine moved to Sudeley which Seymour refurbished to accommodate his new bride. They were accompanied by Lady Jane Grey [granddaughter of Princess Mary, Duchess of Suffolk, younger sister of Henry VIII] and the cleric Miles Coverdale, with maids-of-honour and gentlewomen-in-ordinary, more than 120 gentlemen of the household and Yeoman of the Guard.

The nursery as it is today; the woman portrayed here is Queen Katherine’s sister, Lady Anne Herbert [later Countess of Pembroke] who was Katherine’s groom. ©Meg McGath

On August 30th Catherine gave birth to a daughter, Lady Mary, only to die 7 days later of puerperal fever. She was 36-years-old. She was buried in the Chapel of St Mary at Sudeley with Lady Jane Grey officiating as Chief Mourner.