What is your favourite story/anecdote about Katherine Howard?
oOK i actually answered this ages ago and saved it in my drafts where it got buried so….. here we are?
numerous, tbqh. i could (and do) talk her for hours at a time, so i’m just gonna list a load of super cool things katherine did.
she really tried to avoid henry manox’s advances, and when he tried to threaten and blackmail her, her response was to set francis dereham on him, and to break into the dowager duchess’ room to steal an incriminating letter he sent.
she got super pissy with mary for snubbing her and stripped her of two of her ladies of service. mary reconciliated with her, and the ladies were returned to her household, and we have no further evidence of katherine and mary quarrelling, but katherine proved able to stand up for herself and act independently. (it also suggests she was quite proud - which i love about her).
she potentially got pregnant once, but had an early miscarriage, in april 1541. we don’t know for definite what happened, but there was definitely a short period where people in court were preparing for a future royal birth and coronation.
she saved thomas wyatt’s sorry white ass from being executed for treason. (she saved multiple people!! katherine interceded on the behalf of at least three people. she also supported margaret pole in the tower by sending her tailor to equip margaret with warmer clothes for her winter in prison.)
SHE REALLY FUCKING LIKED FRENCH FASHION OKAY.
she was fucking besties with anne of cleves. she gave her a ring and two spaniels for christmas, and they danced together all night for yule when henry retired to bed, early.
katherine really liked elizabeth, and went out of her way to show kindness to her. when katherine was formally shown off for the first time as the new queen consort, she made a point of demanding that elizabeth be sat opposite her, because elizabeth and her were related by blood. katherine continued to demand elizabeth sit at the place of honour nearest to her for every formal, public engagement.
she also organised for her and elizabeth to meet outside of formal events, and travelled to meet elizabeth at chelsea during the 5th and 6th of may 1541.
katherine also gifted elizabeth a jewel, and a decorated rope of beads, around november 1541.
she kept her family close to her, and we have evidence that she gifted jewellery to her sister, amongst other examples.
she gave jane parker a ring as a gift. thomas culpeper stole it to keep for himself, so jane sought katherine out to complain about it.
katherine called thomas a “little sweet fool”, and bitched to jane about him troubling her.
when jane tried to leave her and thomas alone together, katherine got angry and chastised jane for being a negligent chaperone, calling her back.
katherine rejuvenated henry and made him actually try to get fit again. he got into riding every morning, and started hunting again, to try to please his younger wife. i think, had they been married longer, henry would have lived longer.
katherine represented the conservative catholic faction, and towards the end of henry’s reign, he began to question the reformation and anglicanism. katherine howard, therefore, posed a significant threat to the protestant faction, and she bears some religious significance in her role as queen during this period.
during her downfall, she showed remarkable emotional fortitute and made a tremendous effort to make the best of her situation. she was noted to be calm, cheerful, and even imperious, during her final months - though she did have lapses in confidence, and we know of a few examples of her getting very paranoid and upset and hysterical, in once instance enough to cause men to have to wrestle her into submission to get her into the boat to take her to the tower. nevertheless, katherine tried to put on a brave face, and to spend her final days in as much dignity as she could.
she asked to practise how she would be executed. this is an uncommon request, and as far as i know there are no other instances of this recorded. to me, it’s a very sobering and humbling detail in her life.
god i haven’t spoken about katherine in so long!! i’ve missed her.