A role model and woman with a mission

I’d like to thank all the women who have come before me. As women started to enter the workforce they had to function in a male dominated world. There were established guidelines on what women could or could not do. It is much easier today in the Western world for women to fully express their talents in the workplace. It was not that way for the last several thousands of years. Even today, in certain cultures, women are not allowed to pursue an education.

Catherine Parr was one of the fortunate women of Tudor times who came from a privileged background. Her mother believed in women’s education and Catherine was highly learned for her time. She spoke several languages, learned literature, philosophy, history and arts.

She is best known as the last and 6th wife of Henry VIII. She was in love with someone else when Henry proposed to her in marriage. She was in a terrible bind. Saying no to Henry the VIII was no easy matter. She knew not to offend the King. It was also a very dangerous proposition to be his wife for obvious reasons.

Within one year of marriage, she was given the responsibility of Regency while Henry went to war with France. He respected her intellectual capacity, trusted her and let her rule in his absence. During her marriage to Henry, she worked to reunite his estranged daughters to him. It is partly because of her influence that Henry VIII included Mary and Elizabeth in the Succession. She ensured that they had the proper education and worked to build their trust.  She encouraged creativity and independent thought. While Queen, she herself wrote several books, including “Prayers Stirring the Mind unto Heavenly Meditations”. These were very popular during a time when most women did not have an education or were allowed to read the Bible. I believe that Catherine was a great role model for both Mary and Elizabeth.

Catherine’s biggest challenge was to manage Henry, a very difficult, unpredictable and dangerous husband. At one point in their marriage, Catherine dealt with the biggest test in her life, a warrant for her arrest and execution. Even though Henry broke away from the Catholic Church, he was still aligned with the values of the Old Religion. Catherine on the other hand had embraced the Protestant faith and the conservative factions conspired against her. The King had already written a warrant for her arrest. She gracefully maneuvered her way out of this one with deference which saved her life. She lost her independence for a short while until Henry’s passing away soon after. After his death, she was able to live her life on her own terms again.

Your Thoughts and Insights

• Do you know a woman from recent times who’s pushing the envelope, is a role model and inspiration for others?

Tagged as: Cultural Diversity, Success