
Queen Catherine Howard: Vixen or Victim?
About this episode
Henry VIII’s fifth wife - was she a reckless flirt or a tragic pawn in Tudor history?
In this episode of Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things, Professor Kate Williams is joined by the brilliant historian Professor Suzannah Lipscomb to unravel one of Tudor history’s most debated figures. Was Catherine a naïve teenager caught up in deadly court politics, or a young woman who made all the wrong choices?
From her chaotic upbringing in a crowded aristocratic household to her sudden elevation as queen at just 17 or 18, this episode explores the relationships that shaped her — and the rumours that would ultimately destroy her. Along the way, we step inside the glittering, perilous world of Henry VIII’s court, where favour could turn to fatal suspicion in an instant.
With insight, wit, and a touch of dark Tudor irony, this is a gripping re-examination of an English queen.
Victim or vixen? Or something far more complicated?
Host: Professor Kate Williams
Guest: Professor Suzannah Lipscomb
Series Producer: Ben Devlin
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini
Executive Producer: Bella Soames
Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams
Series Producer: Ben Devlin
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini
Content Editor: Joseph Palmer
Executive Producer: Bella Soames
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