In the wake of Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne of Cleves falling apart, it was obvious that the King would be seeking a fifth wife. And there amongst Anne’s retinue was a pretty young lady-in-waiting, Katheryn Howard. And young is no exaggeration – Katheryn was only 16 or 17 (the year of her birth is unclear) at the time, and although she was sexually experienced, she was unsurprisingly somewhat immature. The fact that, on the day they were married, her husband was more than thirty years her senior, would unsurprisingly be a problem in her marriage.
Katheryn Howard would not have a long reign as Queen of England, nor would she provide Henry with an heir.
