Early Life and Marriage
Despite her noble family line, her father was not a wealthy man. Since he was but one of 21 children, he did not stand a chance of inheriting the family estate, which went to the firstborn son. When Catherine was young, she was sent to live with her step-grandmother, the Duchess of Norfolk. While she did learn the basics for a noblewoman, the Duchess offered little supervision and generally let Catherine do as she pleased. She reportedly had a relationship with her music teacher, Henry Mannox, when she was only 13. Afterwards, she became involved with the Duchess's secretary, Francis Dereham. The affair was ended when the Duchess was informed.
Catherine left the Duchess's estate and became a lady-in-waiting for Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry. Henry was 50 years old when he fell in love with a 15-year-old Catherine Howard. She was described as very beautiful by those who knew her. For instance, French ambassador Charles de Marillac described Catherine as, 'A young lady of extraordinary beauty.'
Many accounts revealed Henry's deep infatuation with her. Henry showered Catherine with many expensive gifts during their courtship. He affectionately referred to her as 'his rose without a thorn.' The couple married on July 28, 1540.
As Queen
Catherine's lax education had ramifications once she officially became queen. While she was only queen for 18 months, observers noted her lack of knowledge about court proceedings. She frequented parties and balls but had little to do with any real duties. She had no interest in politics or religion.
Catherine did, however, become involved in helping two unfortunate prisoners in the Tower of London. The first, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, was imprisoned for two years. In a goodwill gesture, Catherine purchased warm clothes for the woman. In another instance, Catherine asked Henry to pardon poet Thomas Wyatt, who was imprisoned for his association with Thomas Cromwell, the king's former secretary.
Execution
While married to Henry, Catherine had affairs with Henry Mannox and Francis Dereham. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, brought this to the king's attention in the hope of pushing the Catholic Catherine out of power. When confronted with the information, Catherine became hysterical. Thomas Cranmer described seeing her after her arrest '. . .in such lamentation and heaviness, as I never saw no creature, so that it would have pitied any man's heart in the world, to have looked upon her.'
She was stripped of her title as queen and imprisoned. In the meantime, her lovers were executed. In February 1542, Parliament passed a bill of attainder, which made it treason for a queen to fail to disclose her sexual past to the king within 20 days of their union. She was beheaded at the Tower of London on February 13, 1542. She was buried in an unmarked grave.
Lesson Summary
The rule of Queen Catherine Howard ended tragically a mere 18 months after it began. Her short life was marked by an unsupervised stay with her step-grandmother, the Duchess of Norfolk. While at the Duchess's estate, Catherine was left mainly unsupervised. She also began affairs with her music teacher, Henry Mannox, and the Duchess's secretary, Francis Dereham.
When she was 15, she moved to the court of King Henry VIII and became a lady-in-waiting for his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Henry quickly became infatuated with Catherine and annulled his marriage to Anne. Catherine was far less educated than Henry's other wives and seemed to have little interest in politics or religion.
Finally, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer brought her affairs to the king's attention. She was imprisoned and questioned thoroughly. In 1542, Parliament passed a bill of attainder, which made it treason for a queen not to reveal her past relationships to the king within 20 days of marriage. Catherine was beheaded at the Tower of London in 1542.
Lesson at a Glance
Queen Catherine Howard is the reason why Parliament passed a bill of attainder, which made it treason for a queen not to reveal her past relationships to the king within 20 days of marriage. Queen Catherine was married to King Henry VIII for only 18 months. Not well-educated or interested in politics and religion, Queen Catherine was less than prepared for royal duties. Catherine's affairs with two men were brought to King Henry's attention, for which he stripped Catherine of her title and executed her shortly afterward.
Learning Outcomes
Before you finish the lesson on Queen Catherine Howard, you might decide to form these goals:
- Name Queen Catherine's parents and remember her birthplace
- Evaluate her early years and marriage
- Discuss her reign as queen
- Recount the events that preceded her execution
