Catherine Parr was Henry VIII’s final wife—and her life both before and after her infamous husband is a wild saga in its own right.

As Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr is often treated as little more than the last chapter in his story. She’s continually framed through other people—her late husbands before Henry, the stepchildren she brought back together, and the aging king she helped see through to the end. But Catherine Parr’s life, both before and after Henry, was a romantic saga in its own right. Still, she’ll likely always be remembered as Henry VIII’s great “survivor.” Separate myth from reality with these 53 resilient facts about Catherine Parr.