1542: Kathryn Howard, the rose without a thorn

ExecutedToday.com ^ | February 13, 2009 | Lara Eakins

[CheshireTheCat]

On this date in 1542, Henry VIII’s fifth queen, Kathryn Howard, was beheaded in the Tower of London for high treason. She was the second of Henry’s queens to face this fate, the other being Kathryn’s first cousin Anne Boleyn.

Kathryn Howard* was born sometime between 1518 and 1524 to Lord Edmund Howard (a younger brother of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk) and his wife Joyce Culpepper. Joyce died while Kathryn was young and her father took a post in Calais, leaving Kathryn in the charge of her step-grandmother, Agnes Tilney the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. The Duchess oversaw Kathryn’s education, but apparently didn’t keep as close an eye on other aspects of the girl’s life.

Kathryn’s first physical relationship that we know of occurred in around 1536 with her music teacher Henry Manox. In her later confession she told of “the fair and flattering persuasions of Mannock, being but a young girl, suffered him at sundry times to handle and touch the secret parts of my body…”. In late 1538, Kathryn began a sexual relationship with Francis Dereham, which was to become part of her downfall as Queen.....

[redangus]

You have to think the QEII had dreams about how easy it was to handle wayward members of the royal entourage back in the day.

[Theophilus]

Any man that loved his daughter would have kept her far away from that hellish court.

[DeplorablePaul]

The gal who played (Tamzin Merchant) Katheryn Howard in the Tudors was quite attractive. I think she was in the best episodes as well

[BenLurkin]

The power and the money
The money and the power
Minute after minute
Hour after hour

[Paal Gulli]

Not that it was unusual among English monarchs, but Henry VIII was one disturbed individual.

Divorced
Beheaded
Died
Divorced
Beheaded
Survived

And despite undertaking all manner of murder and mayhem to perpetuate the Tudor dynasty, just 56 years after his death there was a Stuart sitting on his throne.