Young and Damned and Fair

Young and Damned and Fair reconstructs Catherine Howard’s upbringing in the households of the Howard family and her brief career at Henry VIII’s court. Russell examines the social world of noble dependants, servants and young women in which Catherine’s relationships with Henry Manox and Francis Dereham developed before she became maid of honour to Anne of Cleves. Henry’s attraction to Catherine brought her the crown in 1540 while placing her inside a court still recovering from rebellion, religious change and the fall of Thomas Cromwell.

The biography follows the investigation into Catherine’s past and her later meetings with Thomas Culpeper, showing how testimony moved through servants, councillors and members of the Howard affinity. Jane Boleyn’s role, the legal expansion of treason and Henry’s personal response are considered without treating Catherine as either a simple schemer or an uncomprehending child. The US edition uses the subtitle The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII.