Beheading for treason was fashionable at the time

The Last Wife is playing at Cygnet Theatre in Old Town through February 11. Who is the last wife? She is Katherine Parr the only woman to survive being married to King Henry VIII.

Parr was married to Henry in July of 1543. Henry died in January of 1547. Katherine died September 7, 1548. Katherine was Henry’s sixth wife and Henry was Katherine’s third husband. She would collect a fourth husband before all was said and done.

The show centers on Parr’s relationship with Henry, the soon to be queens Mary and Elizabeth, her future husband Thomas Seymour, and poor little Edward — Henry’s son who would be dead by the age of 15.

In fact, all these characters, save Elizabeth who ruled for 45 years, would not survive the next 10 years with Mary dying in 1458. Katherine died of complications from childbirth and Thomas Seymour was beheaded for treason. A beheading for treason was fashionable at the time.

The show is about three extraordinary women, Katherine, Mary, and Elizabeth, navigating the tyrannical patriarchy of Henry. Never mind that Mary went on to burn nearly 300 protestants at the stake, and that Elizabeth hunted down and killed hundreds of Catholics. However, this is an updated version of the story so we aren’t literally in the England of the Tudors.

In the person of Katherine Parr we have a leader who manages to influence situations with her intelligence, humor, and charm. She had no choice but to keep her wits about her because to displease King Henry after his jousting injury proved to be a fatal situation — #metoo, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard.

The historical Katherine Parr demonstrated that a leader could be effective using tactics which were other than the threat of beheadings. While Henry was losing a campaign in France, Katherine ruled England as regent and signed five royal proclamations. She also became the first Queen of England to publish a book under her own name.

In our current circumstances there is a tendency to want leaders to all lead in the same manner. In other words we have female leaders who lead with patriarchal tendencies.

In Katherine Parr we have a woman who led as if she were the first of a matriarchy and perhaps she was, considering the reigns of Mary and then Elizabeth. Lest we forget, the reign of Elizabeth is called “The Golden Age”.

The king is dead, long live the queen.