Katherine howard , an apparently naïve teenage girl, became henry valll’s fifth wife. But despite being so young the new queen had ‘ a past which would soon destroy her…
in 1540 henry viii was forty-nine and unhappy. Although in his youth he has been a handsome athletic and charismatic man he could now hardly walk because of the pain on his leg. He was unnaturally fat and his mood changed between depression and moments of terrible anger.
His only comfort was the company of a young girl called Katherine howard with whom he was fast falling in love. There was some doubt about her age but she could not have been much more then fifteen. A cousin of henry’s second wife anne Boleyn Katherine was a pretty cheerful and graceful girl and the king was captivated by her. He called her his ‘jewel’, his ‘rose without a thorn’
What is certain is that Katherine was ambitious though rather navie and empty-headed and like most girls of her age mainly interested in clothes and dancing.
0n 28 july after henry had managed to get rid of queen anne he married Katherine in secret and was soon showing off his attractive young wife at court. Katherine appeared to love every moment of her new life with her crazy husband who was far