Best remembered for her tragic fate, Henry VIII’s fifth wife was perhaps as young as 18 when she met her end on the executioner’s block. Rhiannon Davies speaks to historian Kate McCaffrey to discover the events that led to Catherine’s tragic end – and considers whether there was any way the young queen could have avoided the axe.

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Kate McCaffrey is the Assistant Curator at Hever Castle


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In our accompanying six-part video series, leading Tudor historians delve into the fascinating lives of each of Henry VIII’s iconic queens. Could Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard have avoided the executioner’s block? Why can Anne of Cleves be seen as the true survivor? And who was the queen whom Henry loved most?

Find out in this video series exclusively available to HistoryExtra subscribers. All episodes are available to watch now:


On the podcast | Explore the full Six Wives audio series

The story of King Henry VIII’s six wives is a tale of political crisis and personal tragedy, sacrifice and survival, sex and death, scandal, love and betrayal. But, after centuries of myth have built up around this story, has it clouded our view of the real women involved? In our accompanying six-part podcast series, we’ll be peeling back the layers of mythmaking to take another look at these fascinating women, who shaped the course of Henry’s reign – and the history of England.

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Want to learn more about the queens?

  • Explore the full podcast and video series plus a range of companion content from across HistoryExtra on our Six Wives hub

Authors

Rhiannon DaviesSection editor, BBC History Magazine

Rhiannon Davies is section editor for BBC History Magazine and our Tudor ambassador, writing a fortnightly newsletter in which she shares the latest Tudor news, anniversaries and content with her audience. She also regularly appears on the award-winning HistoryExtra podcast.

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