Katheryn Howard
A cousin of Anne Boleyn, Katheryn Howard attracted the attentions of Henry VIII during his fiasco of a marriage to Anne of Cleves. Eager to oust Thomas Cromwell who arranged the German alliance, and to promote their own politics, the Bishop of Winchester and Katheryn's uncle, the Duke of Norfolk encouraged Katheryn into marriage with the King.
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The young Queen's downfall came when rumours of sexual misconduct before and after her marriage reached the King's ears. She was sent to Syon House for an investigation which confirmed the sordid details. The inevitable end came on the scaffold in the Tower of London on a cold February morning in 1542. |
Pictured: Katheryn Howard (Lynne Frederick) from the film Henry VIII and His Six Wives.
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