Catherine Parr was the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII, King of England and Ireland. She was born in the early 16th century, possibly in London. Both of her parents were officials of the royal household, but after her father’s death, her mother raised her in rural England. At the age of 17, she was first married to Edward Burgh and became a widow at 22. She then married the much older John Neville, 3rd Baron Latimer, devoting herself to managing his estate and caring for his children. After Latimer's death, King Henry VIII proposed to her, and although she had become romantically involved with Thomas Seymour by then, she accepted the offer and married the 52-year-old king at the age of 31. Very soon, she earned the king’s trust, acting as regent when he was away. She also played a key role in uniting the royal family by reinstating Princess Mary and Princess Elizabeth in the line of succession. After the king’s death, she married Thomas Seymour and gave birth to their daughter, Mary, at the age of 36. Catherine died eight days after giving birth, likely due to childbed fever. She was an educated and religious woman who wrote two books in her later years.