Catherine's cause of death was executed. [16] As a young and attractive lady-in-waiting, Catherine quickly caught Henry's eye. Henry accused Catherine of having affairs before their marriage and of adultery, which led to charges of treason; she was executed on February 13, 1542. After an extended honeymoon they settled into married life and Catherine showed every sign of becoming a good queen.. Queen Catherine Parr died of complications from childbirth. Catherine was still too young to serve Jane Seymour (who became queen in 1536), and so had to wait until Anne of Cleves married Henry before she could take her place at court. She was too young to take part in administrative matters of State. [36] No formal trial was held. She was reluctant to marry himhe had had his second and fifth wives executedbut saying no to a proposal from the king could have had serious consequences. Henry and Anne were married for just six months, making her the shortest reigning of all his queens. "[48] Debate continues about the identity of the sitter(s) for potential portraits. She did not protest her innocence, but accepted the verdict of the law. The REAL Cause Of Death Of Catherine Howard - YouTube Catherine was accused of adultery and treason. [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). But it is at least equally possible that he was impotent. 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.. On the 27th of December 2021, TVDeathRay received information about the death of Catherine Marie Howard via a Social Media post. 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. Catherine was the daughter of a poverty-stricken younger son of the 2nd duke of Norfolk. 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. While it isnt possible to pinpoint Catherines exact age, the wills of two of her relatives place her year of birth between 1523 and 1527, suggesting that she was significantly younger than 21. [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. 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 remembered Catherines earlier sexual experiences with Henry Mannock and Francis Dereham, but blamed the young girl for what had happened. She was sent to live with the dowager duchess of Norfolk, who had many young nobles in her care. Katherine Parr Katharine Basset She was a teenager and he was 49. When later questioned about it (in 1541, when Catherine was charged with treason), both denied ever having had intercourse. While living with the duchess [of Norfolk], Catherine was sexually exploited by two men of the household, she said. Catherine remained in limbo until Parliament introduced on 29 January 1542 a bill of attainder, which was passed on 7 February 1542. She also had a nurturing side for animals, particularly dogs.[9]. Lady Jane and the other deponents were simply telling the interrogators what they wanted to hear. Catherine passed away on February 13, 1542 at the age of 19 in Tower of London, London, England. Catherine Marie Howard Obituary Death, Cause of Death - TV The young and reportedly beautiful Catherine Howard was maid of honour to Henrys new queen, Anne of Cleves. Katherine Howard 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. I am justly condemned by the laws of this realm and by Parliament. Loades's and Borman's characterizations are unusually harsh, however. 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. Catherine's body was not one of those identified during restorations of the chapel during Queen Victoria's reign. She asked for the block to be brought to her room, saying that she wanted to know how she was to place her head on it. Derek Wilson observed that "In August 1537 Cromwell succeeded in marrying his son, Gregory, to Elizabeth Seymour", the queen's younger sister. Writing for BBC History Magazine in 2016, the academic historian Josephine Wilkinson claimed that Catherine Howards relationships with Mannock and Dereham had been non-consensual. [18], Catherine was young, joyous and carefree. Catherine was beheaded at the Tower of London at 9am on Monday 13 February 1542 along with Lady Jane Rochford. Mary, however, was unenthusiastic. [56] Moyle also noted that, though the portrait's subject wears jewels that were in Catherine's collection, jewellery was often passed between queens, and so could very well have been a part of Anne's as well. The King had displayed little interest in Anne from the beginning, but Thomas Cromwell failed to find a new match, and Norfolk saw an opportunity. He ordered those involved to be interrogated and so the whole story of Catherines past came out. Redemption seemingly arrived when Catherine was selected to be a maiden of honour to Henry VIIIs new queen, Anne of Cleves. According to Nicholas Sander, the religiously conservative Howard family may have seen Catherine as a figurehead for their fight by expressed determination to restore Roman Catholicism to England. Then it was noted that, during the progress, Dereham had asked Catherine for employment and she had given him a position in her household. Catherine had been married to Henry for just 18 months. Despite this, Catherine and Dereham may have parted with intentions to marry upon his return from Ireland, agreeing to a precontract of marriage. 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]. Your email address will not be published. Historical novelist Susan Higginbotham explains: "The story that Katherine Howard said the words above comes from the anonymous Chronicle of King Henry VIII, better known to us as the Spanish Chronicle, which was translated from Spanish and edited by Martin Hume. 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. Catherine had been married to Henry for just 18 months when she was executed at the Tower of London on 13 February 1542, and in that time did not bear Henry any children. According to popular folklore her last words were, "I die a Queen, but I would rather have died the wife of Culpeper", but no eyewitness accounts support this, instead reporting that she stuck to traditional final words, asking for forgiveness for her sins and acknowledging that she deserved to die "a thousand deaths" for betraying the king, who had always treated her so graciously. Catherine Howard was Queen of England from 1540 until 1541, as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. It was still dark when Catherine arose the following morning. [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. Thomas Culpeper Henry was quickly displeased with Anne but was thoroughly smitten with Catherine. The obituary for Cat appeared in local newspapers but did not disclose the cause of death, leaving many questions unanswered. She was possibly as young as 17. Neither she nor the Queen spoke much on the scaffold; they only confessed their guilt and prayed for the Kings welfare.4, The lady of Rochefort said as much in a long discourse of several faults which she had committed in her life.5. The girls stole food, wine, and gifts from the kitchens for these occasions. After her marriage to Henry, Catherine had made Dereham her secretary, and it is probablethough still unprovedthat she had committed adultery with Culpepper. Her family and loved ones were devastated by her sudden and unexpected death. Both men took advantage of their position of authority in the household and Catherine had no means of defending herself., The historian Lucy Worsley echoed Wilkinsons claims. The household has been likened by David Starkey to a slackly run boarding school. 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. He accused councillors of being "lying time-servers", and began to regret executing Cromwell. Catherine died at Kimbolton Castle, as a princess not a queen, on January 7, 1536. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. There had been no talk of a mistress for some time., But while Catherine had no children of her own, she was, however, stepmother to Mary Tudor and the future Elizabeth I. Despite these actions, her marriage to Henry was never formally annulled. Catherine steadfastly denied any pre-contract, maintaining that Dereham had raped her. Her passing reminds us to cherish every moment with our loved ones and hold them close while we can. Fit for a King (or Queen): the British Royalty Quiz, https://www.britannica.com/question/Why-did-Henry-VIII-kill-his-wives. [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. Visitors to the Chapel at the Tower of London can pay their respects to these two women at their memorial floor tiles, which lie underneath the altar table. People who claimed to have witnessed her earlier sexual behaviour while she lived at Lambeth reportedly contacted her for favours in return for their silence, and some of these blackmailers may have been appointed to her royal household. The new queens maidens were selected in late 1539, by which time assuming the Spanish Chronicle was correct Catherine was 14. That winter the King's bad moods deepened and grew more furious, caused in part by the pain from his ulcerous legs. She was just 24 years old and lived in Berkeley Lake, GA. Katherine Howard Edward Hall described the events around Katherine Howard at the end of 1541 until her death in February 1542. ||sitemap_index.xml He told Archbishop Cranmer, who set down the facts in a letter. Why not try 6 issues of BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed for 9.99 delivered straight to your door. She described her punishment as "worthy and just" and asked for mercy for her family and prayers for her soul. 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. Legacy Mary never returned to court, but her daughter, Catherine Carey, was summoned by the Everyone who had lived at the duchesss house was interrogated about Catherines past and their stories agreed. [53] The necklace and pendant may have been given to Catherine by Henry VIII on their marriage in 1540, and she is the only queen to fit the dating whose appearance is not already known. When Catherine Howard was arrested at Hampton Court Palace in November 1541, it is thought she broke free from her guards and ran, screaming, down the corridor to the private Chapel Royal, where Henry was believed to be at Mass. It is thought that when the court returned from progress, Cranmer left the letter in Henrys pew in the Chapel Royal for him to find. This was followed by more expensive gifts for Christmas at Hampton Court Palace.[20]. He was still living in Lambeth in 1541. Entering through the Traitors' Gate, she was led to her prison cell. At first Henry was incredulous, but he was obliged to investigate the claims. Files Welcome Pack of 5 goodies. It is thought that Catherines maid Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, (who had previously testified against her husband, George Boleyn, and her sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn) helped Catherine to meet Culpeper in secret while the king was away from court. WebCatherine Howard Death. And death Portrayal [ edit] Culpepper is referenced in nearly all biographies of Henry VIII and Catherine Howard. How much do you know about Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard? Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Cats death left many questions unanswered. Catherine was the youngest of Henrys wives and her reign had been one of the shortest. Henry was nearly 50 years old when he married the teenage Catherine at least 30 years older than her and he was in failing health. While he could have annulled their marriage on the grounds that Catherine had really been Derehams wife he chose not to. Catherine Parr He was therefore related by marriage to the king, "an event worth recording for posterity, by a portrait of his [Cromwell's] daughter-in-law. She asked for the block to be brought to her room, saying that she wanted to know how she was to place her head on it. Catherine Howard | Hampton Court Palace | Historic Royal Palaces They married on 28 July 1540, just three weeks after the kings brief marriage to Anne of Cleves was annulled. What was Anne Boleyn really like. The King embarked on a lavish spending spree to celebrate his marriage, with extensive refurbishments and developments at the Palace of Whitehall. 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. Cats funeral was held on September 30, 2020, at 1:00 pm in the Peachtree Corners Chapel of Crowell Brothers Funeral Homes & Crematory. 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 The king, initially incredulous, became incensed with these revelations. In her BBC miniseries Six Wives she states that today, instead of the "good-time girl" some historians accuse her of having been, we would call her an "abused child."[45]. Little changed at court, other than the arrival of many Howards. The most popular theory, first put forward in 2004 by Retha M. Warnicke, was that the relationship between them was abusive, with Mannox grooming and preying on Catherine in 153638, and this is expanded upon in detail by Conor Byrne. 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) I am Aaryush Shrestha, a talented content writer with a passion for creating engaging and informative content. When did she marry Henry VIII? I now entrust my soul to God and pray for his mercy. Not once did she refer to the specific offencesneither did she have anything but praise for Henry.6. 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. "[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. Cranmer then interrogated Mary Lassels, who alleged that Catherine had had sexual relations while under the Duchess of Norfolk's care, before her relationship with the King. In conclusion, the sudden and unexpected death of Catherine Cat Marie Howard on September 25, 2020, left her family and friends in shock and mourning. Catherine Howard (c.1524 13 February 1542), also spelt Katheryn Howard,[b] was Queen of England from 1540 until 1541 as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. 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.. 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, Save 70% on the shop price when you subscribe today - Get 13 issues for just $49.99 + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com. 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. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-Howard, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Catherine Howard, Historic Royal Palaces - Catherine Howard, History Learning Site - Biography of Catherine Howard, Catherine Howard - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Catherine Howard - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up).