Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of IHeart Radio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Manky.

Listener discretion advised.

Danish Schwartz here. I am still on maternity leave, and so we're continuing the

archival series on the Six Wives of Henry the Eighth. Today's episode is focused on Catherine Howard, the teenager that King Henry

the 8th fell in love with, who ultimately, spoiler alert, lost her head. But was she actually

guilty of what the king accused her of? Enjoy. On November 8th, 1541, Queen Catherine Howard was brought to a small room

to sit opposite Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop had assured King Henry VIII a few days prior

that his interrogation would be harsh and merciless, that he would import on the king's young

bride the severity of her crimes and scare her into full honesty. But when Cranmar saw the young

girl, he felt his resolve drain away.

She was weeping already, frantic with grief and terror, her bloodshot eyes darting around

the room as if an executioner's blade could appear at any moment.

But she also looked so small, so young.

She was a 19-year-old girl, and she was in a chair that looked far too big for her.

Kranmar really had all the information already that his investigation really needed. Only two weeks ago, the allegations

had just been a rumor, a single rumor from a single source. The claim was this, that the new

queen had been less than virginal when she had married the king. Someone had informed the archbishop that in Catherine's home growing up,

she had not one but two affairs, first with her music teacher,

and then with her grandmother's secretary.

Did you or did you not, Cranmar began as soon as Catherine had caught her breath?

Have a sexual relationship with your music teacher, Henry Mannix, when you were living with

your grandmother, the Dowager Duchess in Lambeth.

...