Her downfall came when Henry learned of her premarital affairs. At first Henry was incredulous, but he was obliged to investigate the claims. Catherine Marie Howard obituary revealed her sudden and unexpected death, leaving her family and friends in shock and mourning. She did not protest her innocence, but accepted the verdict of the law. The young Catherine had few prospects, says historian Josephine Wilkinson. Save 70% on the shop price when you subscribe today - Get 13 issues for just $49.99 + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com, Enjoying HistoryExtra.com? "[29] He ordered the guards to remove any objects she might use to commit suicide. Also read: Laci Peterson Husband: Where Is Scott Lee Peterson? Thomas Howard was a prominent politician at Henry's court, and he secured her a place in the household of Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, where she caught the King's interest. Then the constable of the Tower of London came and escorted her across the short distance from the queens lodgings to the scaffold. Sadly, by the time Catherine was old enough to serve at court, Anne was dead. Catherine passed away on February 13, 1542 at the age of 19 in Tower of London, London, England. In her 2010 book Mary Tudor: England's First Queen, Whitelock details how, on 5 December 1540, Eustace Chapuys [Spanish ambassador to Henry VIIIs court from 1529 to 1545] told the emperor Charles Vs sister that the young queen Catherine had tried to remove two of Marys attendants because she believed that the princess was showing less respect to her than to her predecessors.. She concluded that Catherine was light both in living and conditions. [17] The French ambassador, Charles de Marillac, thought her "delightful". Her maternal grandfather and step-grandmother, Parks and Ann Chewning, and maternal grandmother, Marlene Chewning, preceded her in death. He claimed Lady Rochford had provoked him much to love the queen, adding that she said also to him how much the queen loved him by which means he was tricked and brought into the snare which blind youth hath no grace to foresee. [56], A Holbein drawing (below) is also traditionally identified as being of Catherine Howard, but this appears to be without foundation. According to Jane Boleyns biographer, Julia Fox, she began by declaring her complete faith and trust in God. Portrayal [ In February 1542, Parliament passed a bill of attainder declaring it treason for an unchaste woman to marry the king, and she was imprisoned and killed soon after. There are several spellings of "Katherine". [51] In it, she wears a pendant jewel that is similar to that shown in Holbein's portrait of Jane Seymour at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, and identical to that shown in the portrait of Henry VIII's third queen, in the Mauritshuis, The Hague. The age requirement for the position of maiden was at least 12 years but, if she was born in 1525, Catherine would only have been eight in 1533. And because she had not consented, she thought that any contract or marriage between them was invalid. It has been speculated that Henry, who was nearly 50 years old when he married Catherine, was impotent. Historical novelist Philippa The queen later gave Mary a gold pomander bejewelled with rubies and pearls as a gift. Catherine knelt at the block and the executioner cut off her head with his axe. Yet this new position was to prove a poisoned chalice, for, while living with the duchess, Catherine was sexually exploited by two men of the household. They allegedly became lovers, addressing each other as "husband" and "wife". The heads of both men were displayed on pikes on London Bridge. Catherine's cause of death was executed. While living with the duchess [of Norfolk], Catherine was sexually exploited by two men of the household, she said. Entering through the Traitors' Gate, she was led to her prison cell. This was followed by more expensive gifts for Christmas at Hampton Court Palace.[20]. Meanwhile, the King sank further into morbidity and indulged his appetite for food and women.[32]. Shortly afterwards Culpeper and Dereham were tried and, their guilt being predicated on the presumption of Catherines, they were condemned to death for treason. Both bodies were buried in an unmarked grave in the nearby chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, where the bodies of Catherine's cousins, Anne and George Boleyn, also lay. Historical novelist Philippa Gregory describes the Dowager Duchesss household as being full of her young wards and companions and says they received little supervision. Catherines parents Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper were part of the extended family of the Duke of Norfolk. The Dowager Duchess was often at Court and seems to have had little direct involvement in the upbringing of her wards and young female attendants. The next day the bill of attainder received Royal Assent and her execution was scheduled for 7.00 am on Monday 13 February 1542. Josephine Wilkinson is an academic historian who specialises in a wide range of periods, including 16th-century England, This article was first published in the April 2016 issue of BBC History Magazine, Enjoying HistoryExtra.com? The pair almost certainly became lovers, addressing each other as husband and wife; Francis even entrusted her with his money whilst he was travelling, says Philippa Gregory. Meanwhile, Catherine found herself a fan in her younger stepdaughter, the Princess Elizabeth, who is thought to have been seven years old when Catherine married Henry VIII. He had his marriage to Anne annulled on July 9, and on July 28 Henry and Catherine were privately married. When the court returned from progress, Cranmer left the letter in Henrys pew for him to find. For female sitters, duplicate versions of miniatures only exist for queens at this period. An alliance with Cleves would provide a major boost to the Reformation in England, and it was for this reason that Henrys chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, championed it so enthusiastically., After the collapse of the relationship, Henry was adamant he would choose his next bride for himself. [54][55] She also discovered that Holbein, who was noted for his subtle symbolism, mounted the miniature on a playing card depicting the four of diamonds and speculated that this could refer to Anne as Henry's fourth queen. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Received opinion inspired by the guesswork of the French ambassador Charles de Marillac has it that she was born in 1521, and so was 21 when she went to the block. But she also asserted that Catherine and Culpeper had talked so secretly that she heard not their conversations and that she was never the privier about what went on between them. She had once worked for Duchess Agnes, and Lascelles suggested she apply for a place on Catherines staff. [47], Art historian Franny Moyle, in The King's Painter: The Life and Times of Hans Holbein (2021), argues that the Royal Collection miniature is not a likeness of Catherine Howard, but instead depicts Henry VIII's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, whom the king married in the same year. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [54] The miniature has been linked to Catherine because it dates from 1540, the year in which she married the king, and because the sitter is "adorned with jewels that are comparable to items in her inventory. Henry and Anne were married for just six months, making her the shortest reigning of all his queens. She also was the second cousin of Jane Seymour, as her grandmother Elizabeth Tilney was the sister of Seymour's grandmother, Anne Say.[1]. She remembered Catherines earlier sexual experiences with Henry Mannock and Francis Dereham, but blamed the young girl for what had happened. [60][63][64][65], Portrait of a Lady, probably a Member of the Cromwell Family c. 15351540(Toledo Museum of Art)[65][64], Portrait of a Lady, thought to be Catherine Howard, 16th century, follower of Hans Holbein the Younger (Hever Castle)[62], Unknown woman, formerly known as Catherine Howard, late 17th century, after Hans Holbein the Younger[65][64], Unknown woman, formerly known as Catherine Howard, 1902, after Hans Holbein the Younger[65][64], In 1967 art historian Sir Roy Strong noted that both the Toledo portrait and the National Portrait Gallery version appear in the context of a series of portraits of members of the family of the Protector's uncle, Sir Oliver Cromwell (c.15621655), and have provenances linking them with the Cromwell family. Catherine was the third of Henry VIII's wives to have been a member of the English nobility or gentry; Catherine of Aragon[3] and Anne of Cleves[4] were royalty from continental Europe. In the end, it did not matter the queens fate was already sealed. Her family and loved ones were devastated by her sudden and unexpected death. So how much do you know about Catherine Howard ? She was born into a very well connected family. In other words, though she was innocent of any actual crime, the terms of the 1534 Treasons Act allowed Henry to condemn her for presumptive treason. Knowing this, Cranmer detailed the allegations in a letter addressed to Henry. In her book Elizabeth's Women, profiling the rise of Queen Elizabeth I (Catherine's stepdaughter), Tracy Borman wrote that Catherine was "as much a sexual predator as [Francis] Dereham" and blamed Catherine almost entirely for her own fate. days of their marriage, or to incite someone to commit adultery with her. Mary died on July 19, 1543; her specific cause of death is unknown. When later questioned about it (in 1541, when Catherine was charged with treason), both denied ever having had intercourse. [57][58], An unidentified woman c.153243, Hans Holbein the Younger[57], Unknown woman engraved as Catherine Howard, 1797, Francesco Bartolozzi after Hans Holbein[57], A contemporary portrait of a lady in black, by Hans Holbein the Younger, was identified by art historian, Sir Lionel Cust, in 1909, as Catherine Howard. On the evening of Sunday 12 February 1542, Catherine Howard, queen of England, was told to prepare her soul, for she was to be put to death the following morning. However, Catherine was never to become Mrs Culpeper, for when King Henrys marriage to Anne of Cleves broke down, he fell head over heels with her new maiden of honour. Preparations were in place for any signs of a royal pregnancy, reported by Marillac on 15 April as "if it be found true, to have her crowned at Whitsuntide. Here, we bring you the facts Catherine Howard was the fifth wife of Henry VIII. Loades's and Borman's characterizations are unusually harsh, however. [24], During the investigation a love letter written in the Queen's distinctive handwriting was found in Culpeper's chambers. When he became king he had been a trim 32 inches around the waist; by the time he met Anne of Cleves it was closer to 52 inches., But, Wilkinson explains, Catherine restored to [Henry] the youth and vitality he thought hed lost. And death What was Anne Boleyn really like. After an extended honeymoon they settled into married life and Catherine showed every sign of becoming a good queen.. Catherine was stripped of her title as queen in November 1541 and beheaded three months later on the grounds of treason for committing adultery with her distant cousin, Thomas Culpeper. Under intense interrogation, and possibly torture, Dereham blurted out that he and Catherine had not continued their relationship because he had been replaced in her affections by Thomas Culpeper. [46][52], Her necklace of pearls and rubies set in gold closely resembles those seen in portraits of Henry VIII's other wives, including Jane Seymour (Kunsthistorisches Museum) and is identical to that of Catherine Parr in the Hastings portrait. "[12][13], Catherine severed contact with Mannox in 1538, most likely in the spring. Within a matter of weeks in what was a truly spectacular rise from obscurity to the seat of power Catherine Howard had become his fifth queen.". On 7 November 1541, Archbishop Cranmer led a delegation of councillors to Winchester Palace in Southwark, to question her. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a cousin to Anne Boleyn (the second wife of Henry VIII), and the niece of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. Evidence exists that Mannox was not yet married, and it would have been highly unusual for someone from his background at the time to not be married by his mid-thirties. Establishing the existence of a precontract between Catherine and Dereham would have had the effect of terminating Catherine's marriage to Henry, but it would also have allowed Henry to annul their marriage and banish her from court to live in poverty and disgrace instead of executing her, although there is no indication that Henry would have chosen that alternative. Catherine Parr's death was initially the subject of speculation, with some people wondering if Thomas Seymour had poisoned her because he actually wanted to Her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, distanced himself from the scandal by retreating to Kenninghall to write a letter of apology, laying all the blame on his niece and stepmother. [42] Other cousins were also in the crowd, including the Earl of Surrey. ", King Henry and Catherine were married by Bishop Bonner of London at Oatlands Palace on 28 July 1540, the same day Cromwell was executed. She described her punishment as "worthy and just" and asked for mercy for her family and prayers for her soul. When the Lords of the Council came for her, she allegedly panicked and screamed as they manhandled her into the barge that would escort her to the Tower on Friday 10 February 1542, her flotilla passing under London Bridge where the heads of Culpeper and Dereham were impaled (and where they remained until 1546). She was forbidden to use the title on 23 November 1541. [31] His son Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, a poet, remained a favourite of the King. In May 1541, Chapuys reported that Catherine had countenanced with good grace her husbands decision to allow Mary to reside at court. You can find out more about the falls of Catherine Howard and Lady Rochford in the following articles:-, Categories: Jane Boleyn, Six Wives, The Boleyns, The Tudors, Tudor Characters, Tudor EventsTags: Catherine Howard, Jane Boleyn, Katherine Howard, Lady Rochford, Copyright 2023 The Anne Boleyn Files 1. [2] He was dismissed from his post in 1539, and died in March 1539. [39], Francis I, when told by Sir William Paget how the queen had "wonderfully abused the king", laid his hand on his heart and announced by his faith as a gentleman that "She hath done wonderous naughtly". [63] This would seem to indicate a sitter who was still a connection to be commemorated over a century later (unlike Catherine). You can unsubscribe at any time. Next of kin and family origins. Cause of death. As a young teen, Catherine was romantically involved with her music teacher and also with Francis Dereham, who called her his wife. However, her memory lives on through the love and support of those who knew and loved her. But it was Henry who secured Catherines hand: having fallen in love with Catherine and sent her gifts and love letters, on 28 July 1540 just three weeks after the kings marriage to Anne of Cleves was annulled he married Catherine at Oatlands Palace in Surrey, making her his fifth queen. She was too young to take part in administrative matters of State. Catherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII of England. Henrys grief that Catherine had not been pure when she came to him was made worse when he discovered that she might never really have been his wife. [37], The night before her execution, Catherine is believed to have spent many hours practising how to lay her head upon the block, which had been brought to her at her request. Many of Catherine's relatives were also detained in the Tower, tried, found guilty of concealing treason and sentenced to life imprisonment and forfeiture of goods. Regardless of the cause of Cats death, her loved ones were left with a deep sense of loss. Catherines relationship with Francis Dereham, whom she had supposedly called husband and had sex with, would have invalidated her marriage to the king, because Catherine and Francis would technically have been married according to the canon law enforced by the church. [63] Inscribed ETATIS SV 21, indicating that the lady was depicted at the age of twenty-one, the portrait has long been associated with Henry VIII's young queen, but she is now thought to be a member of the Cromwell family. [11], Mannox and Catherine both confessed during her adultery inquisitions as the wife of King Henry that they had engaged in sexual contact, but not actual coitus. She was a teenager and he was 49. After her marriage to Henry, Catherine had made Dereham her secretary, and it is probablethough still unprovedthat she had committed adultery with Culpepper. Holbein's portrait showed a young auburn-haired girl with a characteristically hooked Howard nose; Catherine was said to have a "gentle, earnest face. Catherine was accused of adultery and treason. Two days later Catherine was beheaded in the Tower of London. Omissions? Her life has also been described in the five collective studies of Henry's queens that have appeared since the publication of Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1991)such as David Starkey's The Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII (2003). Catherine Howards death is made all the more tragic by the fact that she was younger than most historians have traditionally had us believe. When Dereham seduced her, he asked her to call him husband, while he called her wife. I have, she said, committed many sins against God from my youth upwards and have offended the kings royal Majesty very dangerously, so my punishment is just and deserved. Henry VIII first became attracted to the young girl in 1540, when he was seeking to end his politically motivated marriage to Anne of Cleves, to whom Catherine was a maid of honour. The Dowager Duchess managed large households at Chesworth House in Horsham, Sussex, and at Norfolk House in Lambeth where dozens of attendants, along with her many wards usually the children of aristocratic but poor relatives resided. 13 February 1542 Lady Rochford and Queen Catherine Howard died repentant, 10 February 1542 Queen Catherine Howard is escorted to the Tower, 12 February 1542 Catherine Howard prepares for her execution, 10 February 1542 Catherine Howard is taken to the Tower of London, 30 June 1541 Henry VIII and Catherine Howard Set off on Progress, The Executions of Catherine Howard, Jane Boleyn, Francis Dereham and Thomas Culpeper, The Marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine Howard, Katherine Howard: Smeared Blood on an Angels Face, The arrests of Queen Anne Boleyn and her brother, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford 2 May 1536, #fridayfun Quiz: Anne Boleyns siblings, #WednesdayFact Anne Boleyn said yes with a jewel, #portraittuesday The John Hoskins miniature of Anne Boleyn. On the 27th of December 2021, TVDeathRay received information about the death of Catherine Marie Howard via a Social Media post. Catherine persistently denied it had ever existed because, as she explained, all that Dereham did unto her, was importunate [persistent] forcement, and, in a manner, violence, rather than of her free consent and will. Her family received guests at the funeral home on September 29, 2020, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, and on September 30, 2020, from noon until the service. Contrary to legend and The Tudors, Catherine did not utter the words I die a Queen, but I would rather die the wife of Culpeper, although I so wish she had! Catherine would not face trial, but instead would be condemned to death by an Act of Attainder, signed by her own husbands hand. Henry was quickly displeased with Anne but was thoroughly smitten with Catherine. #portraittuesday The Hever Castle Rose portrait of Anne Boleyn, Anne Boleyn is a pivotal character in the novel, I am Henry, #fridayfun Anne Boleyns Early Life Quiz, #portraittuesday The NPG portrait of Anne Boleyn, Maundy Thursday Anne Boleyn, King Charles III and the Royal Maundy, 3 April 1538 Anne Boleyns mother, Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire, dies, Replay of my livestream The Making of a King: Henry VIIIs Education and Upbringing, The Making of a King: Henry VIIIs Education and Upbringing Livestream on YouTube 18 March. Catherine Howard was Queen of England from 1540 until 1541, as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. Whose souls be with God, for they made the most godly and Christian end [Catherine] uttered [her] lively faith in the blood of Christ only [she] desired all Christian people to take regard unto [her] worthy and just punishment.. While at court she got to know a cousin, Thomas Culpeper, a gentleman of the kings privy chamber. With my experience, I have developed a talent for crafting articles, blog posts, and website copy that captures the attention of readers and drives engagement. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [23] It has been alleged that in Spring 1541 the pair were meeting secretly. [40] Upon hearing news of Catherine's execution, King Francis wrote a letter to Henry regretting the "lewd and naughty [evil] behaviour of the Queen" and advising him that "the lightness of women cannot bend the honour of men". When did she marry Henry VIII? The Lamentation of a Sinner was not published until after Henry's death in January 1547 and until then Katherine had to be very circumspect about her theology. The royal couple's entourage travelled on honeymoon through Reading and Buckingham. Enjoying HistoryExtra.com? Chapuys says of Lady Rochfords execution:-, Then Lady Rochford was brought, who had shown symptoms of madness till they told her she must die. Many of Catherine's roommates among the Dowager Duchess's maids of honour and attendants knew of the relationship, which apparently ended in 1539, when the Dowager Duchess found out. He was nearly twice his young brides age and had become increasingly immobile in recent years. On the evening of Sunday 12 February 1542, Catherine Howard, queen of England, was told to prepare her soul, for she was to be put to death the following [59][60][61] The portrait (below), dated circa 15351540, is exhibited at the Toledo Museum of Art as Portrait of a Lady, probably a Member of the Cromwell Family (1926.57). WebKatheryn Howard Tenure 28 July 1540 23 November 1541 Dates 1523 13 February 1542 (aged 18-19) Cause of Death Execution by beheading Family Edmund Howard (father) Joyce Culpeper (mother) Henry Howard (brother) Charles Howard (brother) George Howard (brother) Margaret Howard (sister) Mary Howard (sister) John Leigh (maternal half-brother)
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