Review: Firebrand

*Spoilers*

Catherine Parr was the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England. She had been married and widowed twice before marrying the King. Their wedding took place on 12 July 1543 at Hampton Court. Catherine gained two stepdaughters (and a stepson) by her marriage to Henry, but she and Mary were more friends than mother and daughter. They were fond of each other despite their religious differences.

She also corresponded with Elizabeth regularly, but Elizabeth spent less time at court after she fell out of favour with her favour for nearly a year. She was recalled to court in the summer of 1544. Catherine became the binding force between Henry’s three children, and perhaps, for the first time, they had a family life. In July 1544, Catherine was left as regent of England as Henry set off for war in France. He returned home by the end of September.

Catherine’s reformist view nearly cost her her life during her Queenship. Even though Henry had declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, he was still a conservative in many ways. Catherine published Prayers or Meditations in 1545, becoming the first Queen of England to be a published author in her own right. She must have secured Henry’s permission first, or it would never have been released so he must have read or at least approved of the contents. The following year, her more radical work – The Lamentation of a Sinner – was completed. Henry found that Catherine’s beliefs went much further than his own, and he became concerned.

In early 1546, Anne Askew was arrested and interrogated. A second arrest in May followed, and she was asked to name other heretics. The interrogators asked about specific people – members of Catherine’s household. Anne refused to incriminate the other women, and she was put on the rack. Anne held on and so no more, but her fate was sealed.

Meanwhile, Henry was becoming impatient with Catherine and her religious discussions. Catherine was criticised for attempting to change his mind, and Henry became even more suspicious. Henry gave his consent to have Catherine arrested, and while preparations were being made, Catherine continued to discuss religious matters with Henry – unaware of the danger she was in.

Firebrand is based on the novel Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle and chronicles Catherine’s time as regent and her difficult relationship with Henry after his return. Catherine is portrayed by Alicia Vikander. Catherine’s reformist views bring great danger indeed after she visits her old friend, Anne Askew (portrayed by Erin Doherty), and gives her a necklace to help her escape. Anne is captured, tortured and burned at the stake. The necklace is later retrieved and used against Catherine.

The film deviates from the historical record, and this might irk some viewers. Overall, I enjoyed the building suspense in the film, as well as the excellent portrayals of Catherine Parr and Anne Askew. Of the King’s children, the movie, unfortunately, typecasts the future Queen Mary as a dark-haired Spanish fanatic, which I thought was a shame. The future Queen Elizabeth lurks in the background as she learns how to survive at court. The sets were amazing as were the clothes.

Definitely go see this if you can.