She was the fifth wife of Henry VIII but this was no marriage made in heaven.
The union between king and queen ended in tragedy. We look at the story of a young girl one which
was merry and vivacious yet one that suffered cruelly at the expense of others. Relationships
came and went until one would seal her fate. We now look at the harrowing story of Catherine Howard
Catherine was one of the daughters of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpepper
her father's sister Elizabeth Howard was the mother of Anne Boleyn therefore Catherine Howard
was the first cousin of Anne Boleyn and the first cousin once removed of Lady Elizabeth later queen
Elizabeth the first. Catherine had an aristocratic pedigree her father was not wealthy, being the
third son among 21 children, and he suffered under the custom of the firstborn legitimate child
to inherit the parents entire or main estate in preference to it being a shared inheritance by all
or some other children. When Catherine's parents married her mother already had five children from
her first husband Ralph Leigh but she went on to have another six with Catherine's father
Catherine being about her mother's tenth child. With little to sustain the family
her father was often reduced to begging for handouts from his more affluent relatives.
Soon after the death of her mother in about 1528, Catherine was sent with some of her siblings to
live in the care of her father's stepmother the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. The Duchess presided
over large households at Chesworth House in Horsham Sussex and at Norfolk House in Lambeth
by dozens of attendants along with her many wards usually the children of aristocratic but poor
relatives resided. The Duchess however was often at court and seems to have had little direct
involvement in the upbringing of her wards and young female attendants. As a result there was
certainly a lack of discipline. Catherine became influenced by some older girls who allowed men
into the sleeping areas at night for entertainment. The girls were entertained with food wine and
gifts stolen from the kitchens. Catherine was not as well educated as some of Henry's other wives
although on its own her ability to read and write was impressive enough at the time .
Her character has often been described as vivacious giggly and brisk but never scholarly or devout.
She displayed great interest in her dance lessons but would often be distracted during them,
and make jokes. Around 1536, Catherine began music lessons with two teachers one of whom was Henry
Mannox. Evidence exists that Mannox was not married which would be highly unusual for someone from his
background. But subsequently a relationship of sorts began between Catherine and Mannox,
and although the relationship was abusive with Mannox grooming and praying on Catherine.
Catherine became increasingly repulsed by Mannox's pressure to lose her virginity to him,
and was angered by his gossiping with servants about the details and what had gone between them.
When Catherine was questioned during her adultery inquisition, she was quoted as saying, "at the
flattering and fair persuasions of Mannox being but a young girl I suffered him at sundry times
to handle and touch the secret parts of my body which neither became me with honesty to permit
nor him to require." Catherine's attention soon turned elsewhere Francis Dereham was a Tudor
courtier who had started a relationship with Catherine in late 1538. She was 15 at the time.
Dereham believed that he loved her when their affair began. However, Dereham's relationship
with Catherine came to an end when her music master Henry Mannox sent an anonymous letter
to the Dowager Duchess. Mannox who had started a sexual relationship with Catherine and molested
her when she was only 13, suggested that the Duchess should visit Catherine's bedroom
half an hour after going to bed. Adding that you shall see that which shall displease you.
As a result Dereham was sent away, and Catherine was told off for her banqueting by night .
Because the Duchess feared it would hurt her beauty. Unfortunately for Dereham, Catherine's
heart didn't grow fonder while he was away and the relationship ended. For now a new man
was on the horizon and one for Catherine that indeed changed her life once again.
Catherine's uncle the Duke of Norfolk found her a place at court in the household of the king's
fourth wife Anne of Cleves. As a young and attractive lady in waiting Catherine quickly
caught Henry's eye the king had displayed little interest in Anne from the beginning,
but on Thomas Cromwell's failure to find a new match for Henry, Norfolk saw an opportunity. The
Howards may have sought to recreate the influence gained during Anne Boleyns reign as queen consort.
According to Nicholas Sander, the religiously conservative Howard family may have seen Catherine
as a figurehead for their fight by express determination to restore roman catholicism
to England. As the king's interest in Catherine grew so did the house of Norfolk's influence
her youth prettiness and vivacity were captivating for the middle-aged sovereign who claimed he had
never known the like to any woman. Within months of her arrival at court Henry bestowed gifts
of land and expensive cloth upon Catherine. Henry called her his very jewel of womanhood.
king Henry and Catherine were married by Bishop Bonner of London at Oakland's Palace on 28th of
July 1540. The same day Cromwell was executed. She was a teenager and he was 49. The marriage was
made public on the 8th of August, and prayers were said in the chapel royal and Hampton court palace.
Henry indulged her every whim thanks to her impulsiveness.
Catherine was young, joyous, and carefree. She always loved music, and when she knew Mannox
he had taught her to play the virginals this was a keyboard instrument of the harpsichord family.
Although still very young at the time of her marriage, Henry would not allow Catherine to become
involved in matters of the state. It was as though she was at court as a distraction, and someone that
Henry could escape to at times of need. There were never any plans made for her coronation,
yet she still travelled down the river in the royal barge into the city of London to a gun salute, and
some acclimation. However, little changed at court other than the arrival of many Howards. In 1540, the
queen escaped plague-ridden London and went on a progress or tour as we'd call it today. The royal
couple's entourage travelled on honeymoon through Reading and Buckingham. The king embarked on a
lavish spending spree to celebrate his marriage, with extensive refurbishments and developments
at the Palace of Whitehall. This was followed by more expensive gifts for Christmas at Hampton
court palace. That winter though the king's bad moods deepened, and grew more furious undoubtedly
the pain from his ulcerous legs was agony, but this did not make relations any easier at court.
He accused councillors of being lying time servers, and began to regret losing Cromwell. After a dark
depressing March his mood lifted at Easter, and his preparations were in place for any signs
of a royal pregnancy. If it was found to be true, and Catherine would be crowned at Whitsuntide.
Catherine may have been involved during her marriage to the king with Henry's favourite
male courtier. A Thomas Culpepper, a young man who had succeeded him in the queen's affections
according to Dereham's later testimony. She had considered marrying Culpepper during her time as
a maid of honour to Anne of Cleves. Culpepper called Catherine "my little sweet fool" in a love letter
and it's been alleged that in the spring of 1541 the pair were meeting secretly. Their meetings
had been arranged by one of Catherine's older ladies in waiting Jane Boleyn or Lady Rochford.
A crisis over Catherine's conduct now began to loom. People who had claimed to have witnessed
her earlier sexual behaviour while she was still a ward at Lambeth, reportedly contacted
her for favours in return for their silence, and some of these blackmailers may have been
appointed to a royal household. John Lassells the brother of Mary Lassells claimed that he
had tried to persuade his sister to find a place within the queen's royal chamber.
However, Mary had refused stating that she had witnessed the light ways of queen Catherine while
they were living together at Lambeth. Supposedly after hearing this John Lassells reported such
news to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer who then interrogated Lassells sister.
Under the Archbishop's interrogation, Mary alleged that Catherine had had sexual relations
while under the Duchess's care, before her relationship with the king. Cranmer
immediately took up the case to be made to topple his rivals the roman catholic Norfolk family. Lady
Rochford was interrogated, and from fear of being tortured agreed to talk. She told how she had
watched for Catherine backstairs as Culpepper had made his escapes from the queen's room.
During the investigational a love letter written in the queen's distinctive handwriting was found in
Culpepper's chambers. This is the only letter of hers that survived. Her final words would
not just seal her fate but also be used as her death warrant. "trusting to see you shortly again
and i would you was with me now that you might see what pain i take in writing to you yours as long
as life endures Catherine." On all Saints day the 1st of November 1541, the king was found praying
in the chapel royal. There he received a letter describing the allegations against Catherine.
At first he did not believe any of the information but it would be later that things started to become
more clear in Henry's head. On the 7th of November 1541, Archbishop Cranmer headed a delegation of
councillors to Winchester palace in Southwark to question her, and even the staunch Cranmer
found the teenage Catherine's frantic incoherent state pitiable. "I found her in such lamentation,
and heaviness, as i never saw no creature. So that it would have pitied any man's heart to
have looked upon her." Establishing the existence of a pre-contract between Catherine and Dereham
would have had the effect of terminating Catherine's royal union. But it would have also allowed Henry
to annul their marriage and banish her from court in poverty, and disgrace instead of executing her.
Though there is no indication that Henry would have chosen that alternative. Yet
Catherine steadfastly denied any pre-contract, maintaining that Dereham had in fact raped her.
Catherine was stripped of her title as queen on the 23rd of November 1541, and imprisoned
in the new Sion abbey in Middlesex. Formerly a convent, where she remained throughout the winter.
She was forced by a privy councillor to return Anne of Cleves ring that the king had given her.
It was a symbol of her regal and lawful rites. The king would be at Hampton court
but she would never see him again. Despite these actions taken against her, her marriage to Henry
was never formally annulled. Culpepper and Dereham were brought to court at Guildhall on the 1st
of December 1541, for high treason. They were executed at Tyburn on the 10th of December 1541.
Culpepper being beheaded, and Dereham being hanged drawn and quartered.
according to custom, their heads were placed on spikes atop London bridge.
The Duke of Norfolk's son Henry Howard Earl of Surrey, a poet, remained a favourite of the king.
The Duke knowing his family had fallen from grace, wrote an apology on the 14th of December
to the king excusing himself and laying all of the blame on his niece and stepmother.
All of the Howard prisoners were tried found guilty of concealing treason and sentenced
to life imprisonment and forfeiture of goods. In time they were released with their goods restored.
The king who by now had what you might call washed his hands of the whole affair,
sank further into morbidity and indulged his appetite for more food and women. Catherine herself
remained in limbo until Parliament introduced on the 29th of January 1542, a bill of attainder
which was passed on the 7th of February. The royal assent by commission act of 1541, made it treason and
punishable by death for the queen consort to fail to disclose a sexual history to the king.
within 20 days of their marriage or to incite someone to commit adultery with her. This measure
had solved the matter of Catherine's supposed pre-contract and made her unequivocally guilty.
When the lords of the council came for her she allegedly panicked and screamed as their man
handled her into the barge that would escort her to the tower on Friday the 10th of February 1542.
Her flotilla passing under London bridge where the heads of Culpepper and Dereham were impaled
and remained there until 1546. She passed through traitor's gate and then was led to her prison cell.
The next day the bill of attainder received royal assent and Catherine's execution was
scheduled for 7 am on Monday the 13th of February 1542. Arrangements for the execution were supervised
by Sir John Gage in his role as constable of the tower. The night before her execution Catherine
is believed to have spent many hours practicing how to lay her head upon the block. Which had been
brought to her, at her request. She died with relative composure but looked pale and terrified
and required assistance to climb the scaffold. it was now she would say her final words and describe
her punishment. "i ask for forgiveness for my sins and i know i deserve to die a thousand deaths for
betraying the king who had always treated me so graciously." Catherine was beheaded with a single
stroke of the executioner's axe. Lady Rochford was executed immediately afterwards on Tower Green.
Both bodies were buried in an unmarked grave in the nearby chapel of Saint Peter.
king Henry did not attend. Upon hearing news of Catherine's execution Francis the first of France
wrote a letter to Henry regretting the lewd and naughty behaviour of the queen,
and advising him that the likeness of women cannot bend the honour of men. This is a truly sad ending
Catherine had little to no impact on the history of England. Her parents gave her to
another home and again there was little in the way of education and helping these youngsters
attain any sort of manners or common decency or even how to live a respectable lifestyle. It would
all add up to be her eventual downfall. She was a joyous and happy lady for much of her young years,
and it's also acceptable to believe that she was abused in some ways, tortured just to make some
of her acquaintances feel justified in their actions. But at what cost? She left the kingdom
of Henry after only 18 short months, and had no children in her time. The cruelty of Henry and
his self-preservation leaves a sour taste in the mouth. He was simply a control freak who only had
time for the person who succumbed completely to his mindset. A 30-year age gap and no true love or
emotion left her completely stranded in a vicious world of lies and deceit, and ultimately death.
Thank you so much for watching, I really appreciate it
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