From what I gather, Catherine was actually kind and nurturing to Henry’s children and even led by example. She, along with her siblings, was shuffled among different guardians after her stepmother, Catherine Parr died.
This case may also be due to the fact that both Elizabeth and Edward were Protestant, while Mary remained a staunch Catholic like her mother.Īlthough a princess, Elizabeth did not necessarily have a great childhood. Elizabeth, however, was closer to Edward in age and seemed to perhaps have a stronger bond with him than Mary. While Edward was alive, the young women commiserated their lot with each other, yet held tenderness toward their younger brother. Growing up, Elizabeth and Mary suffered much the same in being “de-legitimatized” in favor of their younger half-brother Edward, whose mother was Jane Seymour.
One point I’ve always found interesting was the “frenemy” relationship Elizabeth had with her half-sister, Mary, whose mother was the Spanish Catherine of Aragon. I knew a bit about Elizabeth’s upbringing before reading this book, but Starkey filled in the gaps and offered interesting information regarding the young Elizabeth’s interactions with those around her. Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey focuses on Elizabeth Tudor’s childhood and rise to power, rather than the majority of Elizabeth biographies that focus on her entire life or just her reign.
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