Another thing I thought of after reading both your posts is that Henry is (I believe?) the middle child. I've always been interested in birth order, and middle children supposedly develop a talent for diplomacy and peace-making by virtue of their position in the family. This is a fine quality, but sometimes even a diplomat has to take an unpopular stand and stick with it. I agree, it seems as if not only Catherine, but Henry as well, develops and changes for the better by the end of the novel. :-)