Catherine Howard: Victim of the patriarchy
In this six-part series exclusively available to HistoryExtra subscribers, leading Tudor historians delve into the fascinating lives of each of Henry VIII’s iconic queens. In this episode, Kate McCaffrey discusses Catherine Howard...
Best remembered for her tragic fate, Henry VIII’s fifth wife was perhaps as young as 18 when she met her end on the executioner’s block. Rhiannon Davies speaks to historian Kate McCaffrey to discover the events that led to Catherine’s tragic end – and considers whether there was any way the young queen could have avoided the axe.
Related content
- Profile | 11 facts about Catherine Howard
- Explainer | Henry VIII’s six wives: your guide to the Tudor king's queen consorts
- Quiz | Henry VIII’s wives: how well do you know the six women he married?
Kate McCaffrey is the Assistant Curator at Hever Castle
Explore the full video series
In our accompanying six-part video series, leading Tudor historians delve into the fascinating lives of each of Henry VIII’s iconic queens. Could Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard have avoided the executioner’s block? Why can Anne of Cleves be seen as the true survivor? And who was the queen whom Henry loved most?
Find out in this video series exclusively available to HistoryExtra subscribers. All episodes are available to watch now:
- Episode 1 | Catherine of Aragon: A woman born to rule
- Episode 2 | Anne Boleyn: From trailblazer to traitor
- Episode 3 | Jane Seymour: The queen Henry loved most?
- Episode 4 | Anne of Cleves: The ultimate survivor
- Episode 6 | Katherine Parr: Political powerhouse
On the podcast | Explore the full Six Wives audio series
The story of King Henry VIII’s six wives is a tale of political crisis and personal tragedy, sacrifice and survival, sex and death, scandal, love and betrayal. But, after centuries of myth have built up around this story, has it clouded our view of the real women involved? In our accompanying six-part podcast series, we’ll be peeling back the layers of mythmaking to take another look at these fascinating women, who shaped the course of Henry’s reign – and the history of England.
- Episode 1 | Catherine of Aragon
- Episode 2 | Anne Boleyn
- Episode 3 | Jane Seymour
- Episode 4 | Anne of Cleves
- Episode 5 | Catherine Howard
- Episode 6 | Katherine Parr
Want to learn more about the queens?
- Explore the full podcast and video series plus a range of companion content from across HistoryExtra on our Six Wives hub
Authors
A former BBC History Magazine section editor, Rhiannon has long been fascinated by history and continues to write for HistoryExtra.com. She has appeared on the award-winning HistoryExtra podcast, interviewing experts on a variety of subjects, from Lucy Worsley discussing Agatha Christie to Sir Ranulph Fiennes on the perils of polar exploration
Get exclusive access to Ruth Goodman’s six-week Academy course on Victorian Life, featuring two live Q&As + a book of your choice when you subscribe to BBC History Magazine
