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Wakefield Museums and Castles
Catherine Howard
By 1540 Henry VIII had already had four wives. He was desperate to have a male heir.
At the age of 49, he married his fifth wife, sixteen-year-old Catherine Howard.
Portrait of a Lady, perhaps Catherine Howard, circa 1540, by Hans Holbein the Younger. Royal Collection.
In 1541, Henry VIII and Catherine Howard visited Pontefract Castle. They were joined by Henry's courtier and friend Thomas Culpeper.
It is alleged that while staying at the castle, Thomas and Catherine began an affair.
A love letter, supposedly written by Catherine to Thomas, was found in Thomas' chambers. The King was told about their relationship.
Both Catherine and Thomas were executed for treason in 1542. She was only eighteen years old.
Catherine was the second of Henry’s wives to be executed. The first was her cousin, Anne Boleyn.
Henry would marry once more to Catherine Parr, before he died in 1547.
Find out more on a tour
If you would like to find out more, then come and visit us at Pontefract Castle!
We run two types of guided tour every weekend:
- Our Dungeon Tours explore the eerie underground dungeon. They are at 10:45am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Our Castle Explorer Tours tell stories of the castle's past around the grounds. They are at 2pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.