Queen Catherine Howard: biography

Catherine Howard has a name in history - "Rose without thorns." She is known as the fifth wife of Henry the Eighth, who can safely be considered the prototype of the Bluebeard. Who was the young lady? How did her life go with the king? For what the husband ordered to imprison her in the tower and execute? All of these questions will be answered by the article.

Howard Catherine (biography: childhood and adolescence)

In history, there is no reliable information about the date of birth of the future Queen of England. Opinions vary considerably. It is believed that she was born between 1520-1525.

In the kingdom, the Howard family was one of the most notable. Her head (Sir Thomas) was the Duke of Norfolk and served as chairman of the Privy Council under the king.

Catherine's parents:

• Father - Sir Edmund Howard was considered the youngest son, so under English law he passed an insignificant share of the inheritance, and he was forced to independently seek everything;
• Mother - Lady Jocasta Culpeper was married for the second time. From the first marriage she had five children, and from the second - six, including the future queen.

After the death of her mother, the girl was given up for education to the widow of the Duke of Norfolk, Agnes. In this house she received a scant education. However, it was here, thanks to the dismissed behavior of the ladies-in-waiting of the duchess, Catherine received much knowledge in the science of love. To all this debauchery Agnes was indifferent, perceiving her as "prank".

It is assumed that in her youth Catherine Howard had two close friends among men. It was a music teacher, Henry Menox, who subsequently testified against her, and nobleman Francis Dereham.

By 1539 the family was able to find a position for the girl at the court. At that time, she could be nineteen or fifteen.

The office of the maid of honor

Duke Thomas Norfolk attached his niece to the retinue of Anna Cleves, who was the fourth wife of the king. On it, Henry the Eighth married by mistake, without seeing her live. When he was looking for his wife, he was presented with a beautiful portrait of the artist Holbein, Jr., in which he portrayed a girl with aristocratic pallor and delicate features. Marriage was concluded by representatives from the king and Anna. When Henry VIII saw his wife, he experienced not a feeling of love for her, but rather disgust and pity.

The only thing he liked about Anna Cleves was her suite, which included Catherine Howard. The Tudors at that time had the right to divorce themselves, therefore Anna soon began to live in London not as a queen, but as a "sister of the king." This made it easier for both sides to misunderstand.

The situation was taken by Thomas Norfolk, who saw the sympathy that arose between the king and his niece. Already in 1540 a modest wedding took place.

Life with Henry the Eighth

Catherine Howard (wife of Henry 8) was able to return his wife his youth. At that time he was already fifty years old, he had a bad leg. To all this in recent years, he has grown very fat. But his relationship with his young wife brought him joy to life, made him believe that he could find a family happiness.

At the court again began to pass balls and tournaments, which after the death of Anna Boleyn stopped. The king adored his wife and for her simple-hearted disposition called "a rose without thorns." She was very fond of gifts and was very happy with them.

The young queen was very careless in her actions. She brought her "friends of youth" to the court, who knew too much about her. So, her distant relative along the line of Francis Derema's mother, whom she had once wanted to marry, she appointed her secretary. This was her big mistake.

She did not suspect that she has many enemies at court, or rather opponents of her powerful uncle. They engaged in the approximate queen, who emerged from her past. In addition, the couple did not appear joint heir, which the king dreamed of. His only son was Prince Edward from an earlier marriage.

Accusation of treason

One of those who took up the investigation of the case about the behavior of the queen was Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who had his views on who should be next to the king. He had more guesses than evidence. However, this was enough for the King to give Cranmer the order to start a secret investigation.

The ill-wishers informed the king all the information about his wife, presenting evidence of her treason. Heinrich Eighth this news caused a completely unexpected reaction. Instead of anger, he began to complain about fate, which does not give him the family happiness, about which he dreams. According to him, all the women who were in his life, either changed, or died, or were simply disgusting. At that moment, he realized that the illusion of youth had dissolved.

Approximate queen was interrogated with a special predilection, and they confessed in their connection with her:

• Thomas Culpeper was a page at the court;
• Henry Menox is a friend from the past;
• Francis Dereham - personal secretary.

Catherine Howard was convicted of deception. But she could have saved herself if she had reported her youth engagement to Derek. In this case, her marriage with the king would be considered invalid, and all would end safely. But she did not recognize this fact.

Execution

The first were the alleged lovers of Catherine. Thomas Culpeper was beheaded, and Francis Dremer was hanged, and then quartered.

The Queen was placed in the Tower 11. 02. 1542, where she spent three days. Catherine Howard, whose execution took place before the eyes of a curious crowd, was beheaded. She met the death in a state of shock, she could not even walk on her own, and she had to be carried to the place of execution.

The beheaded Queen Catherine Howard was buried in an unmarked grave, near another executed queen - the second wife of Henry the Eighth, Anne Boleyn. Both women were related to each other in blood relationship, because they were cousins.

The last wife of the king

After the death of Catherine, Henry the Eighth married again. Her last choice was the thirty-one-year-old Katerina Parr. Only she managed to survive her husband, several times avoiding arrests because of unfounded slander by ill-wishers.

Interesting Facts

So severely ended the biography of Catherine Howard, who at the time of death was no more than twenty-two years.

There are many interesting facts related to her life:

• The king in love in honor of the wedding ordered to cast gold coins with the inscription "Rose without thorns". Later they were withdrawn from circulation and became a real rarity.
• After Catherine of the maid of honor of Anna Cleves became Queen of England, her friendship with Henry's fourth wife did not stop. Between them there were warm relations. So, the women spent Christmas holidays together, having dinner with the king and dancing late.
• The future first lady of England, Mary and Elizabeth, at the time of the execution of Catherine was nine years old. Each of them took this event in its own way. Maria reacted to the death of her stepmother indifferently, and Elizabeth decided at this time to never marry in her life.
• It was estimated that the King spent more on gifts for Katherine than on the previous four of his wives combined.
• Presumably the ballad "Grows the Holly Green" was dedicated to Henry the Eight precisely to Catherine.

Image in art

Catherine Howard did not live much, and the Queen managed to stay even less (only two years), but her image was so vivid that she conquered many people of art.

So, in the movies it was played by such famous actresses as Lynn Frederic, Emily Blunt, Tamzin Merchant. It was dedicated to the opera by an Italian composer of the nineteenth century, Giuseppe Lillo. Modern musician Rick Wakeman named his instrumental work in honor of Kate. She became one of the main heroines of the novels W. Holt and F. Gregory.

Catherine was too young and naive for the royal court with all its intrigues, and therefore passed away so early. But the memory of her passed through the ages precisely because of the ease and faith in her king.