CATHERINE HOWARD
Catherine Howard was Henry VIII's youngest wife. Despite her age, she quickly developed a scandalous reputation and would become the second of Henry's wives to face execution. Was she simply a sexually liberated woman or a product of male mistreatment?
CATHERINE HOWARD EARLY LIFE
Catherine Howard was born somewhere between 1518 to 1524 (dates, right?), to Edmund Howard and Joyce Leigh. The Howards were a powerful family, though Catherine's household was considered a junior branch of the dynasty. As a youth, Catherine quickly attracted controversy, becoming involved in a sexual liaison with her kinsman Francis Dereham at the age of 14. Even before this, at only 12, Catherine was a victim of her music teacher, Henry Manox, who took sexual advantage of her. These experiences would prove fatal in her marriage to Henry VIII.
CATHERINE MEETS HENRY VIII
After her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, secured her a position as maid-of-honour to Anne of Cleves, she travelled to Greenwich to await the new Queen's arrival. It's likely that it was here, in 1539, that Catherine Howard met Henry VIII after his awkward meeting with Anne. The Duke of Norfolk probably used the initial friction with Anne as an opportunity to push Catherine into the King's sights.
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HENRY AND CATHERINE MARRY
It quickly became apparent that Henry VIII had an interest in Catherine Howard. Anne of Cleves herself observed that the King "crept too near another lady." Shortly after his marriage to Anne was annulled in 1540, Henry VIII wed Catherine Howard. Not only was he 30 years her senior, but it's possible that Catherine was as young as 15 when they married. Her youth, however, seems to have been of great appeal to the ageing and ailing King, with the French ambassador remarking "The King is so amorous of her that he cannot treat her well enough and caresses her more than he did the others."
CATHERINE AS A STEPMOTHER
By the time of their marriage, Henry VIII was suffering ill health and was likely impotent, so the prospect of him and Catherine conceiving was non-existent. As a stepmother, Catherine was apathetic, paying little interest to her stepchildren. Of course, each of Henry's children was older than Catherine, creating a strange family dynamic. She did, however, have a positive relationship with Princess Elizabeth due to their common ancestor, Anne Boleyn.
THOMAS CULPEPER AFFAIR
Shortly before King Henry's 50th birthday, Catherine Howard began receiving indecent requests from Thomas Culpeper. Culpeper was a gentleman of the King's Privy Chamber and a sexual predator with a heinous reputation. Either for fear of what he would do if she rejected him or ignorance of his past, Catherine entered into an affair with Culpeper. To make matters worse, around this time, her ex-lover, Francis Dereham reappeared, demanding power and position. She appointed him her secretary.
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CATHERINE HOWARD ADMITS TO HER AFFAIR
In October 1541, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was informed about Catherine Howard's premarital relationships by a member of her childhood household. Cranmer was tasked with informing the King, but was met with disbelief and ordered to conduct further investigation. There was no uncertainty of her past when on 8 November, Catherine herself confessed to her premarital relationships with Francis Dereham and Henry Manox. She later admitted to her affair with Thomas Culpeper.
CATHERINE HOWARD EXECUTION
With her confession to both premarital relations and an adulterous affair, Catherine Howard was arrested and charged with treason. She was taken to the Tower of London and executed on 13 February 1542. Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham were also executed shortly after. Now, it's said that Catherine Howard's ghost roams Hampton Court Palace, trying desperately to reach the King.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW OLD WAS CATHERINE HOWARD WHEN SHE DIED?
As a result of the ambiguity surrounding her birth year, it's hard to say exactly how old Catherine Howard was when she was executed. It's possible that she was as young as 18.
WHERE IS CATHERINE HOWARD BURIED?
Catherine Howard is buried alongside her cousin Anne Boleyn at The Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula.
WHY DID HENRY KILL CATHERINE HOWARD?
Henry VIII had Catherine Howard executed as a result of her premarital relations and affair with Thomas Culpeper. Failing to disclose that she was unchaste before marriage to the King was a treasonable offence.
HOW OLD WAS CATHERINE HOWARD WHEN SHE MARRIED HENRY?
It's widely agreed that Catherine Howard was 17 when she married Henry VIII, but, as a result of her unclear birth year, it's possible that she was anywhere between 15 to 21.
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