The Death of Katherine Parr

 

A portrait of Queen Katherine Parr, circa 1545. Picture acquired through Flickr courtesy of Inor19. Image public domain.

 On this day in 1548, the Dowager Queen Katherine Parr died from “childbed fever”, or puerperal sepsis, at her home of Sudeley Castle. She is buried in the private chapel of her home, St. Mary's.

In tribute to the final wife of King Henry VIII, please read our article about her life, with a special focus on her influence on the young Princess Elizabeth, as well as her tumultuous and ultimately disappointing marriage to Thomas Seymour.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester dies.

A close-up photograph of the Earl of Leicester's tomb effigy at Warwick Church. Picture by Peternilleon and shared for public use via Wikimedia Commons.

 

 "A personage so dear unto us."

-Queen Elizabeth describing the Earl of Leicester in a letter to the Earl of Shrewsbury, 1588.

 

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1588, Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester died. While the Earl of Leicester had been unwell for quite some time, nobody expected his illness to be fatal, least of all Queen Elizabeth I (ODNB). 

To learn about the Earl's last months with Queen Elizabeth, his final illness, and "His Last Letter", treasured by Queen Elizabeth until her own death in 1603, please view our feature-length article HERE.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of Lord Burghley

A portrait of William Cecil, Lord Burghley from the 1560's. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1598, William Cecil, Lord Burghley died. It was recorded that in Lord Burghley's final illness, Queen Elizabeth I would visit her head statesman periodically and hand feed him soup in his sick bed. Learn more about William Cecil, Lord Burghley in the following posts:

Learn about William Cecil's extraordinary career.

Learn about William Cecil's marriages and family life.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Robert Cecil is sworn in as Privy Councillor

A portrait of Robert Cecil after he was created Earl of Salisbury. Painted in 1608, by John de Critz. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in 1591, William Cecil, Lord Burghley experienced a proud moment when his son Robert Cecil was sworn in as a Privy Councillor. Robert had been made Secretary of State just a year before upon the death of Sir Francis Walsingham. Robert had been groomed as a statesman by his father and soon took his place in government during the last years of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, as well as during the reign of her successor, James I.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of the Queen's Cousin

A portrait of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon by Marcus Gheeraerts. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history, Queen Elizabeth I's maternal first cousin Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon and Lord Chamberlain of England, died in 1596 at the royal residence of Somerset House.

To learn about this powerful Elizabethan's personal life and career at court, please read our article about him here.

To learn more about the strong bond Queen Elizabeth I forged with her Carey cousins, please see our article "Death Could Not Separate Them: How Elizabeth I Connected to Her Deceased Mother".