HOWARD, CATHERINE (d. 1542), the fifth queen of Henry VIII., was a daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and a granddaughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd duke of Norfolk (d. 1524). Her father was very poor, and Catherine lived mainly with Agnes, widow of the 2nd duke of Norfolk, meeting the king at the house of Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester. After the divorce of Anne of Cleves Henry was privately married to Catherine at Oatlands in July 154o. Soon afterwards she was publicly ac knowledged as queen. Before her marriage Catherine had had several lovers, among them being a musician, Henry Mannock, or Manox; her cousin, Thomas Culpepper; and Francis Dereham, to whom she had certainly been betrothed. After becoming queen she occasionally met Dereham and Culpepper, and in November 1541 Archbishop Cranmer informed Henry that his queen's past life had not been stainless. Cranmer had obtained his knowledge indirectly from an old servant of the duchess of Norfolk. Dere ham confessed to his relations with Catherine, and after some denials the queen herself admitted that this was true ; but denied betrothal to Dereham, or misconduct since her marriage. Dere ham and Culpepper were executed in December 1541 and their accomplices were punished, but Catherine was released from prison. On fresh evidence of alleged infidelity after marriage a bill of attainder was passed through parliament, and on Feb. 13, 1542, the queen was beheaded.
See A. Strickland, Lives of the Queens of England (vol. iii. 1877) .