Anne Herbert, Countess of Pembroke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Countess of Pembroke
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A portrait thought to be of Anne Parr drawn by Hans Holbein the Younger
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| Born | 15 June 1515 London, England |
| Died | 20 February 1552 (aged 36) Baynard's Castle, London, England |
| Buried | St Paul's Cathedral, City of London |
| Spouse(s) | William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke |
| Issue | Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke Sir Edward Herbert Lady Anne Herbert |
| Father | Sir Thomas Parr |
| Mother | Maud Green |
Anne Herbert, Countess of Pembroke (born Parr; 15 June 1515 – 20 February 1552) was a lady-in-waiting to all six of Henry VIII of England's wives. She was the younger sister of his sixth wife, Catherine Parr.
Contents
Anne's Early Life
Anne Parr was born on 15 June 1515 in London, England. Her parents were Sir Thomas Parr and Maud Green. She was the youngest of three surviving children. Her older siblings were Catherine and William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton.
In 1517, when Anne was only two years old, her father died from a serious illness. This left her mother, Maud Green, a widow at age twenty-five. Maud had the important job of protecting her children's inheritance.
Education and Learning
Maud Green was a trusted friend and lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII's first wife. Maud also ran the Royal school at court. Anne and her sister Catherine were educated there alongside other noble girls.
They were taught by a brilliant scholar named Joan Lluís Vives. Anne learned French, Latin, philosophy, and history. Her mother had already taught her and her siblings to read and write when they were very young. Anne later said that her education at home was like that of Thomas More's family, where boys and girls learned together.
Life at Court
Around 1528, when Anne was 13, her mother helped her get a job at court. Anne became a maid-of-honour to Queen Catherine of Aragon. A maid-of-honour was a young noblewoman who served the Queen.
When Anne Boleyn became Queen in 1533, Anne Parr continued to serve as her maid-of-honour. Anne quickly became a strong supporter of the new religious ideas that Queen Anne Boleyn believed in.
After Anne Boleyn was removed from power, Anne Parr stayed at court. She continued to serve the next queen, Jane Seymour. Anne Parr served all six of King Henry VIII's queens. She was one of the few women to do so. She was also present at the baptism of Prince Edward in 1537. She was also part of Queen Jane Seymour's funeral procession.
Anne continued her role as maid-of-honour for King Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. She then served Catherine Howard, the fifth queen.
Anne's Marriage
In February 1538, Anne married Sir William Herbert. He was an important member of the King's household. William was the son of Sir Richard Herbert. It is likely Anne met William at court.
The Herberts became favorites of King Henry VIII. This was because the King was very fond of Anne's sister, Catherine Parr. Over the next few years, Anne and William received many gifts of land from the King. These included the Wilton Abbey in Wiltshire and Cardiff Castle. They also used Baynard's Castle as their home in London.
Anne and William had three children:
For the birth of her second son, Anne's sister Catherine lent her a manor house in Middlesex.
Queen's Sister
Anne Parr was a witness at the wedding of her sister Catherine to King Henry VIII. This wedding took place at Hampton Court Palace on 12 July 1543. In September 1544, William Herbert was made a knight during the King's war against the French.
Anne was her sister's chief lady-in-waiting. The two sisters were very close. Anne was also part of a group of people who supported the new Protestant religion. This group surrounded the new Queen Catherine.
In 1546, a woman named Anne Askew, who was also a Protestant, was arrested. People who did not like the Queen tried to make Anne Askew say that the Queen, Anne Parr, and other women were Protestants. The Queen and her friends had shown kindness to Anne Askew before her arrest.
Some powerful men, like Stephen Gardiner and Thomas Wriothesley, questioned Anne Askew. They wanted her to say that the Queen, Anne Parr, and other ladies at court were Protestants. They even got the King's permission to question the Queen about her religious beliefs.
Queen Catherine visited the King and cleverly convinced him that her interest in the new religion was just to have interesting conversations with him. The King was satisfied. He and Catherine made up before any arrests could happen.
On 28 January 1547, King Henry VIII died. After his death, Anne and her son Edward lived with Queen Catherine. Anne's husband, William Herbert, became one of the guardians for the new king, Edward VI. Soon after, Queen Catherine married Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley. He was King Edward's uncle. In September 1548, after giving birth to a daughter, Mary Seymour, Catherine Parr died from a serious illness.
Later Years
On 10 October 1551, Anne's husband, William Herbert, was given the title of Baron Herbert of Cardiff. The next day, he was made Earl of Pembroke. He also received many lands and properties. The Herberts had been friends with Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, a powerful nobleman, until he lost the King's favor.
Anne died on 20 February 1552. At the time of her death, she was one of the ladies serving Lady Mary, who would later become Queen Mary I.
Anne was buried on 28 February 1552 in Old St Paul's Cathedral in London. She was buried next to her ancestor John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster. Her husband, William, died on 17 March 1570. He was also buried in St Paul's, as he had wished. Anne's memorial described her as "a most faithful wife, a woman of the greatest piety and discretion."
Through her sons, Anne has many descendants today. These include the current Earls of Pembroke, Montgomery, and Carnarvon.
Anne's Children
Anne Parr and William Herbert had three children:
- Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (born around 1539 – died 1601). He married three times. His third wife was Mary Sidney, and they had children. Two of their sons, William and Philip, later became Earls of Pembroke.
- Sir Edward Herbert (1547–1595). He married Mary Stanley and had children.
- Lady Anne Herbert (1550–1592). She married Francis, Lord Talbot. They did not have any known children.
Anne in TV and Film
- Anne Parr (called Lady Herbert) was played by Irish actress Suzy Lawlor in the TV show The Tudors. In the show, she is a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine Howard and chief maid-of-honour to her sister, Queen Catherine Parr.
