Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard entered the world in Lambeth around 1523, born into a family that held high rank but little money. Her father was Lord Edmund Howard, the third son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. Under the rules of primogeniture, the eldest son inherited the entire estate, leaving younger sons like Edmund to rely on charity and their own wits for survival. This financial instability defined Catherine's early years. Her father often had to beg from wealthier relatives to avoid debtors' prison. He developed a gambling addiction that led him to go into hiding multiple times. In a desperate letter written to Cardinal Wolsey in 1527, he confessed his ruin, stating he dared not return home or see his wife and children due to the threat of King's Laws regarding his debts.
The lowest point for the family occurred between 1524 and 1531, covering the period of Catherine's birth and early childhood. The image this paints is one of neglect and uncertainty. Her birth meant another mouth to feed and a future dowry to fund, which her father could not afford. She was described as barely literate and generally unlearned because education was not a priority for a spendthrift father who viewed his daughters primarily as marriage prospects. Despite these struggles, the Howard name carried weight. Catherine was the niece of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, a prominent politician at Henry VIII's court. Through her mother Joyce Culpeper, she was also related to Anne Boleyn, making her a first cousin to the King's second wife.
In 1531, when Catherine was about eight years old, her family structure collapsed completely. Following the death of her mother Joyce around 1528, Catherine and her brother Henry were sent to live with their step-grandmother, Agnes Howard, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. They resided in large households at Chesworth House in Horsham, Sussex, and later at Norfolk House in Lambeth. While sending children to aristocratic households was common practice among European nobles, supervision at both locations appears to have been lax. The Dowager Duchess spent much time at Court and had little direct involvement in raising her wards.
It was within this environment that Catherine began music lessons around 1536 with two teachers, one named Henry Mannox. Evidence suggests Mannox was likely in his early to mid-twenties during this period, not the late thirties sometimes claimed by earlier biographers. He married sometime in the late 1530s, perhaps in 1539. During these lessons, they engaged in sexual contact, though not actual coitus. Catherine later confessed under oath that she allowed him to touch her secret parts due to flattering persuasions. She stated, "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." Modern historians debate whether this relationship was abusive grooming or simply an inappropriate romance between peers of similar age. Regardless of interpretation, the interaction ended in spring 1538 when Catherine severed all contact.
Catherine's uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, secured her a position as a lady-in-waiting in the household of Anne of Cleves, the King's fourth wife. As a young and attractive woman, she quickly caught the eye of several men, including King Henry VIII himself. The King had displayed little interest in Anne from the start, creating an opportunity for Catherine to rise. Within months of arriving at court, Henry bestowed gifts of land and expensive cloth upon her. An administrative grant made on the 24th of April 1540 marked the first official evidence of his favor. He called her his 'very jewel of womanhood,' claiming he had never known the like to any other woman.
The marriage took place on the 28th of July 1540 at Oatlands Palace in Surrey, conducted by Edmund Bonner, Bishop of London. It occurred on the same day that Thomas Cromwell was executed. Catherine was a teenager while Henry was forty-nine years old. She adopted the French motto "Non autre volonté que la sienne," meaning "No other will but his." The union was made public on the 8th of August with prayers said in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace. No plans were made for a coronation, yet she traveled downriver into the City of London aboard a royal barge to receive gun salutes and acclamation. Every night Sir Thomas Heneage, Groom of the Stool, reported on the King's well-being to her chamber.
During her marriage to the King, Catherine became involved with Thomas Culpeper, a young man who had succeeded Francis Dereham in her affections. Culpeper addressed her as "my little, sweet fool" in a love letter found during the investigation. Allegations suggest they met secretly starting in spring 1541. These meetings were allegedly arranged by Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, the widow of Catherine's cousin George Boleyn. People who claimed to have witnessed Catherine's earlier sexual behavior while living at Lambeth contacted her for favors in return for silence.
John Lassells, a supporter of Cromwell, approached Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, telling him that his sister Mary refused to join Queen Catherine's household because she had witnessed the "light" ways of the Queen while they lived together at Lambeth. Cranmer interrogated Mary Lassells, who alleged that Catherine had engaged in sexual relations before her relationship with the King. Lady Rochford confessed that she watched for Catherine backstairs as Culpeper made his escapes from the Queen's room. On All Saints' Day, the 1st of November 1541, the King received a letter describing these allegations against his wife.
Catherine was stripped of her title as queen on the 23rd of November 1541 and imprisoned in Syon Abbey, Middlesex, where she remained throughout the winter of 1541. She was obliged to return the ring previously owned by Anne of Cleves, which symbolized the removal of her regal rights. Parliament introduced a bill of attainder on the 29th of January 1542, passed on the 7th of February 1542. This measure retroactively solved the matter of her supposed pre-contract and made her unequivocally guilty without a formal trial.
On Friday the 10th of February 1542, her flotilla passed under London Bridge where the heads of Culpeper and Dereham were impaled on spikes. Entering through Traitors' Gate, she was led to her prison cell. The execution was scheduled for 7:00 a.m. on Monday the 13th of February 1542. Arrangements were supervised by Sir John Gage, Constable of the Tower. The night before, Catherine practiced laying her head upon the block, which had been brought to her at her request. She died with relative composure but looked pale and terrified. She required assistance to climb the scaffold. Her final words asked for forgiveness for her sins and acknowledged that she deserved to die "a thousand deaths" for betraying the King.
Catherine has been the subject of contention in modern biographies since Lacey Baldwin Smith published A Tudor Tragedy in 1967. Earlier writers like Francis Hackett characterized her life as one of hedonism and labeled her a "juvenile delinquent." David Loades described her as a "stupid and oversexed adolescent" who behaved like a whore while dying when she was just twenty years old. Tracy Borman wrote that Catherine was "as much a sexual predator as [Francis] Dereham" and blamed her almost entirely for her fate.
The general trend has shifted toward more favorable interpretations in works by Antonia Fraser, Karen Lindsey, Joanna Denny, Conor Byrne, Josephine Wilkinson, and Gareth Russell. Lucy Worsley states that today we would call her an "abused child" rather than a good-time girl. Nicola Clark argues that historians need to nuance their understanding of women's agency, dynastic identity, and politics when considering the Howard dynasty. Modern scholars increasingly view the accusations against Catherine through the lens of men who took advantage of her in her youth, contrasting sharply with earlier judgments of her character.
There is no authenticated contemporary likeness of Catherine Howard, and no documentary evidence exists that she ever had her portrait painted. Two portrait miniatures by Hans Holbein the Younger have traditionally been considered to be depictions of the ill-fated queen. The Royal Collection version at Windsor Castle, if confirmed, would be the only surviving painting from life. Art historian David Starkey confirmed a date of roughly 1540 based on dress details and technique. She wears a pendant jewel similar to that shown in Holbein's portrait of Jane Seymour at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
However, art historian Franny Moyle argues in The King's Painter that the Royal Collection miniature is not a likeness of Catherine Howard but rather Anne of Cleves. Moyle notes the sitter's uncanny likeness to Holbein's 1539 miniature of Anne now held in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Other portraits attributed to Catherine face similar challenges. A Holbein drawing identified as her in 1909 by Sir Lionel Cust is now thought to depict Elizabeth Seymour, daughter-in-law of Thomas Cromwell. Historians Antonia Fraser and Derek Wilson believe this portrait likely depicts Elizabeth Seymour, widow of Sir Anthony Ughtred, who bears a resemblance to Jane Seymour around the nose and chin.
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Common questions
When was Catherine Howard born and where did she enter the world?
Catherine Howard entered the world in Lambeth around 1523. Her family held high rank but little money, with her father Lord Edmund Howard relying on charity due to gambling addiction.
Who were the teachers of Catherine Howard during her music lessons?
Catherine began music lessons around 1536 with two teachers including Henry Mannox. Evidence suggests Mannox was likely in his early to mid-twenties during this period rather than the late thirties sometimes claimed by earlier biographers.
On what date did Catherine Howard marry King Henry VIII at Oatlands Palace?
The marriage took place on the 28th of July 1540 at Oatlands Palace in Surrey conducted by Edmund Bonner Bishop of London. It occurred on the same day that Thomas Cromwell was executed.
What happened to Catherine Howard on the 10th of February 1542?
Her flotilla passed under London Bridge where the heads of Culpeper and Dereham were impaled on spikes before she entered through Traitors Gate. The execution was scheduled for 7:00 a.m. on Monday the 13th of February 1542.
Which portrait miniatures are traditionally considered to be depictions of Catherine Howard?
Two portrait miniatures by Hans Holbein the Younger have traditionally been considered to be depictions of the ill-fated queen. Art historian David Starkey confirmed a date of roughly 1540 based on dress details and technique.