The stone castle at Sudeley was mainly built in 1441 by Ralph
Boteler, who had the castle confiscated by Edward IV. The King
gave it to his brother, who later became Richard III. When Henry
VII became king, the castle became his property, and he gave it
to his uncle, Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford. By the time Henry
VIII succeeded, the castle was a property of the crown once
again. Henry visited the castle in 1535 with his second queen,
Anne Boleyn, but the castle had been unattended for sometime at
that point. One contemporary historian said of Sudeley, "[it's]
going to ruine, more's the pittie". When Henry VIII died in
1547, his son, Edward VI gave it to Thomas Seymour, the boy-
king's uncle. Seymour was made Lord of Sudeley and married Henry
VIII's widow, Katherine Parr. During this time, a renewal of
Sudeley began. Seymour had a new suite added to the castle for
Katherine's private use, but only one room he had constructed
remains today. Seymour and his new wife moved to the castle,
bringing with them ladie