Katheryn Howard grows up in the loosely supervised household of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, where affection, exploitation and secrecy become dangerously entangled. Brought to court, she attracts Henry VIII and is raised with startling speed from maid of honour to queen. Her past relationships and renewed contact with Thomas Culpeper expose her to investigation, while Jane Boleyn’s involvement helps turn private misconduct into a capital charge.
Katherine’s queenship makes earlier behaviour politically dangerous because a queen’s sexual history is tied to dynastic legitimacy. The investigation is therefore not simply moral judgement but a question of whether the king has been deceived and whether any future child’s legitimacy could be doubted. Her youth and limited control over earlier relationships sharpen the imbalance between personal conduct and the punishment imposed upon her.
Philippa Gregory
32 books
Elizabeth Fremantle
7 books
C. W. Gortner
8 books
Margaret George
6 books
David Field
46 books