[16] As a young and attractive lady-in-waiting, Catherine quickly caught Henry's eye. [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. In May 1541, Chapuys reported that Catherine had countenanced with good grace her husbands decision to allow Mary to reside at court. 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.. [18] Henry "indulged her every whim" thanks to her "caprice". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Catherine's body was not one of those identified during restorations of the chapel during Queen Victoria's reign. When a young person dies suddenly, it can be tough for their loved ones to accept. 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. So how much do you know about Catherine Howard ? Catherine has been the subject of contention for modern biographies, A Tudor Tragedy by Lacey Baldwin Smith (1967), Katherine Howard: A Tudor Conspiracy by Joanna Denny (2006), Katherine Howard: Henry VIII's Slandered Queen by Conor Byrne (2019), and Young and Damned and Fair by Gareth Russell (2017). WebCatherine Howard Date of Birth c. 1523 Nationality English Date of Death February 13, 1542 (19 years old) Cause of Death Beheading Musical Portrayed by Koko Basigara (West End) Zoe Jensen (Broadway) Theme color Pink Solo All You Wanna Do Katherine Howard (or Catherine Howard) was the fifth wife of Henry VIII and one of the six queens in SIX. Establishing the existence of a pre-contract 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. Little is known about Catherines early life, but historian David Starkey describes it as a scrabbled childhood, with a dominant, providing mother, and a weak debt-ridden and hen-pecked father. Celebrities and Famous People Who Passed Away Today in History. According to historian Anna Whitelock, relations between the two were initially fraught. After her short address, Lady Rochford knelt, laying her neck on the block, and her head was taken off with one blow of the axe. 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? Then, having tried and placed her head on it by way of experiment, she made her confession. Chapuys says of Lady Rochfords execution:-, Then Lady Rochford was brought, who had shown symptoms of madness till they told her she must die. She was just [68] The original Holbein is dated to 15351540,[60] but the National Portrait Gallery dates their copy to the late 1600s. 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. Anne Boleyn and the Downfall of her Family [46] There are no other plausible likenesses of her to compare to. The King would be at Hampton Court, but she would not see him again. Knowing this, Cranmer detailed the allegations in a letter addressed to Henry. The Spanish Chronicle goes further, asserting that Catherine was born in 1525, which would have made her no more than 17 when she died.. For Catherine it was a truly spectacular rise from obscurity to the seat of power, says Josephine Wilkinson. Catherine steadfastly denied any precontract, maintaining that Dereham had raped her. When her ladies had removed her mantle and hood, she knelt in the straw and placed herself on the block that was now so familiar to her. Culpeper tried to exonerate himself by blaming Catherine and Jane Lady Rochford, her chief lady in waiting. Why not try 6 issues of BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed for 9.99 delivered straight to your door + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com. Their meetings were allegedly arranged by one of Catherine's older ladies-in-waiting, Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (Lady Rochford), the widow of Catherine's executed cousin, George Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's brother.[21]. Catherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII of England. Before this point could be debated, another factor emerged which superseded everything. Enjoying HistoryExtra.com? 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 He publicly acknowledged her as queen on August 8. WebQueen Catherine Howard and Lady Rochford were both executed on 13 February 1542, and were buried in the Church of St Peter ad Vincula, within the Tower of London. Catherine had a longer, sexual relationship with a young noble, Francis Dereham, who was a secretary in her grandmothers household, between 1537 and 1539. It was thought Catherine had intended to commit adultery with Francis Dereham and Thomas Culpeper so while she was innocent of any actual crime, the terms of the 1534 Treasons Act allowed Henry to condemn her for presumptive treason.. 1. WebThe real cause of death of Catherine Howard The obvious answer to the question, what killed Catherine Howard is that she lost her head in a meeting with the executioners axe. The community came together to offer their condolences and support for her family during this difficult time. Her downfall came when Henry learned of her premarital affairs. To find out more about Henry VIII and his six wives, click here. Catherine was cousin to Anne Boleyn, Henrys second wife, and second cousin to his third wife, Jane Seymour. Kids And Family. On February 11, 1542, Parliament passed a bill of attainder declaring it treason for an unchaste woman to marry the king. Within months of her arrival at court, Henry bestowed gifts of land and expensive cloth upon Catherine. If indeed they exchanged vows before having sexual intercourse, they would have been considered married in the eyes of the Church.[12]. "[21], Catherine may have been involved during her marriage to the King with Henry's favourite male courtier, Thomas Culpeper, a young man who "had succeeded [him] in the Queen's affections", according to Dereham's later testimony. Her passing reminds us to cherish every moment with our loved ones and hold them close while we can. Catherine Marie Howard obituary revealed her sudden and unexpected death, leaving her family and friends in shock and mourning. Catherine, meanwhile, would not face trial, but instead would be condemned to death by an Act of Attainder, signed by her own husbands hand, says Wilkinson. 10 Facts About Catherine Howard 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 You can unsubscribe at any time. Lucy Worsley also takes a kinder, modern view of the accusations against Catherine and their relation to the men who took advantage of her in her youth. A birthdate of 1525 is consistent with Catherines career as a maiden of honour. The Howards may have sought to recreate the influence gained during Anne Boleyn's reign as queen consort. Birth information. He believes Catherine was increasingly repulsed by Mannox's pressure to have sex with him and was angered by his gossiping with servants about the details of what had gone on between them. The young and reportedly beautiful Catherine Howard was maid of honour to Henrys new queen, Anne of Cleves. Her youth, prettiness and vivacity were captivating for the middle-aged sovereign, who claimed he had never known "the like to any woman". Cats funeral was held on September 30, 2020, at 1:00 pm in the Peachtree Corners Chapel of Crowell Brothers Funeral Homes & Crematory. He told Archbishop Cranmer, who set down the facts in a letter. Lady Rochford was executed immediately thereafter on Tower Green. WebKatharine came to public attention at the same time that her sister was supposedly being considered as a new wife for King Henry VIII, and was arrested and briefly imprisoned on suspicion of having made treasonable utterances. 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. 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. Despite these actions, her marriage to Henry was never formally annulled. Charles de Marillac, the French ambassador, reported to his master, Francis I, that the Queen was executed at around 9am, followed by Lady Rochford. He had his marriage to Anne annulled on July 9, 1540, and some two weeks later he married Catherine. Also read: Who Is Matt Sgambati? 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. She was executed at the Tower of London on 13 February 1542. WebOn the 13th February 1542, Catherine was executed at the Tower of London. I am Aaryush Shrestha, a talented content writer with a passion for creating engaging and informative content. In his book Tudor Queens of England, which profiles 14 consorts and sovereigns, David Loades described Catherine as a "stupid and oversexed adolescent" who "certainly behaved like a whore", and wrote that her denial of a precontract was "a measure of her stupidity"; however, he also said that she died when she was "just 20 years old, a mere child". [5][6] Soon after the death of her mother (c. 1528), Catherine was sent with some of her siblings to live in the care of her father's stepmother, Agnes Howard, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. His job granted him access to her chamber, and this was now made to look as though the two had contrived to continue their former naughty life. [60] Two copies are extant: a 16th-century version at Hever Castle is exhibited as Portrait of a Lady, thought to be Catherine Howard;[61][62] the National Portrait Gallery exhibits a similar painting, Unknown woman, formerly known as Catherine Howard (NPG 1119),[63] dating from the late 17th century. [28] There he received a letter describing the allegations against Catherine. Writing in The Telegraph, Worsley highlighted the queasy fact that the girl at the centre of [this] was quite possibly still in her early teens., She added: Its all very well to describe [Catherines] easy charm and her abundant store of good nature, but it is questionable to do so about a girl who, from the age of 11 or 12 onwards, had older men coming into her bedroom. 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. 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. Catherine was brought to court as a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves, who was Henry VIIIs fourth wife. Catherine was one of 10 children of Lord Edmund Howard (died 1539), a poverty-stricken younger son of Thomas Howard, 2nd duke of Norfolk. [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.