Catherine Howard

Guilty or Innocent~The 'Crimes' of Catherine Howard

.

Catherine Howard’s short marriage to Henry VIII was perhaps the most tragic and scandalous.

Just a child at the time of their marriage, Catherine has since been demonised, s3xualised and made the villain of a story that played out around her.

Ex3cuted for treason on 13th February 1542, how could such a young girl have committed atrocities against the crown, that led to her ex3cution?

Catherine was believed to have been born between 1518 and 1524 in Lambeth.

Little is known about her childhood except that it was one of hardship and struggle.

Despite being the first cousin of Anne Boleyn, Catherine had few prospects for her future, as a child.

Catherine was the tenth child born to her mother, Joyce Culpepper and her father, Lord Edmund Howard, was a second son and, as such, not set to inherit a great fortune.

When Catherine's mother died in 1528, Catherine and several of her siblings were sent to live in the care of Edmund’s stepmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.

The Duchess was responsible for girls from aristocratic families, who had little money and no prospects.

Unfortunately the Duchess took and little interest in their care.

The girls were often left unsupervised and given a very limited education.

Some of the older girls would steal food and wine from the kitchens, and let men into the girls sleeping areas.

This was where Catherine got her first taste of what effect her s3xuality could have on men.

Catherine’s uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, found her a place in the Tudor court, as one of the ladies in waiting for Henry’s fourth wife, Anna of Cleves.

Often described as vivacious, giggly, and brisk, Catherine hadn’t been prepared for life in court.

Within months of her arrival at court, King Henry was showering Catherine with gifts, and Catherine received them with much appreciation.

While we are uncertain of the exact date of Catherine's birth, most historians agree that she was probably around nineteen at the time of her marriage to the 49-year-old Henry VIII.

Catherine pleaded guilty to her crimes against the crown.

Her child-like behaviour and lack of social graces, and Catherine’s dedication to her husband, were all taken into account.

Stories of Catherine’s past s3xual encounters during her time with the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk were recounted to the King’s advisors, and eyewitness accounts of improper behaviour from Catherine’s childhood, began to surface from various members of the court.

Stories of s3xual encounters between Catherine and one of the King’s friends, Thomas Culpepper, made their way back to the King. Rumours of infidelity led to a search of Culpepper’s chambers, where a letter written in Catherine’s hand was found expressing her love and affection for Culpepper.

In the letter, she affirmed:

'It makes my heart die to think I cannot be always in your company.'

She signed the letter: 'Yours as long as life endures.'

A trial into Catherine was launched, and old relationships were scrutinised.

Her previous lovers were questioned, and recounted their versions of past events with the young queen.

The first relationship attributed to Catherine was that between her and Henry Manox, her middle-aged music teacher.

Caught in a compromising position by the Dowager Duchess, Catherine and Manox both confessed to having engaged in a relationship that was s3xual but stressed that they did not sleep together.

Catherine was no more than thirteen at the time.

The following relationship queried was that between Catherine and Francis Dereham, the Dowager Duchess’ secretary.

According to the later testimony of one of Catherine’s roommates, there was much ‘panting and puffing’ in the communal bedchamber, and they were forever 'hanging together by the belly like sparrows'.

When the pair were caught in another compromising position, the Duchess had sent him away to work in Ireland.

When interviewed, Dereham claimed that they had been pre-contracted to marry.

Pre-contracts were common in Tudor times and, when consummated, were considered married in the eyes of the church. If Catherine and Dereham had, as he claimed, been pre-contracted, then Catherine’s marriage to King Henry would have been considered illegitimate.

If this were the case, then Henry could have annulled their marriage and banished Catherine, instead of having her ex3cuted, saving both her and Dereham from the ex3cutioner.

Catherine, who had been fourteen at the time of her relationship with Dereham, denied any pre-existing contract between the pair, and staunchly claimed throughout her trial that he had rAped her.

However, witnesses would recall that they even addressed each other as ‘husband’ and ‘wife’.

Catherine herself later admitted that she knew how to ‘meddle’ with a man without conceiving a child, which suggests she was sexually experienced.

Catherine was stripped of her title on 23rd November 1541 and imprisoned.

Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham were hung, drawn and quartered for high treason on 10th December.

The Royal Assent by Commission Act 1541, made it treason for a queen consort to fail to disclose her sexual history to her husband, or to incite someone to commit adultery with her.

Catherine was charged with treason, and sentenced to death.

While villainised by the Tudor court as a scheming and s3xually promiscuous woman, in today’s legal understanding, Catherine would be considered a victim.

S3xually exploited as a child, manipulated by powerful men, and demonised for her s3xuality.

The one thing she was guilty of, however, and one she readily confessed to, was the affair with Culpeper, that cost her life.

She knew herself, she was committing treason with Culpeper, but it would seem the excitement and passion she shared with him, was worth it.

As for Henry, he was devastated at the charges against his pretty little wife.

Confronted with the truth about Catherine's past, Henry was plunged into a deep depression from which he never fully recovered.

He had adored his young wife and had had no notion of her infidelity.

Henry could never forgive her for not disclosing her past to him.

.

https://www.history.co.uk/.../guilty-or-innocent-the...

.

https://ko-fi.com/thetudorintruders

.

A woman engraved as Catherine Howard, by Francesco Bartolozzi, published by John Chamberlaine, after Hans Holbein the Younger. © National Portrait Gallery, London