Wolf Hall: why was King Henry VIII's fifth wife Catherine Howard beheaded? | HELLO!

Similar to the events depicted in the series, it is thought that Catherine was introduced to the King by her uncle around the same time Henry first met Anne. One observer noted that Henry "got a little too close to another woman" while he was still married to his fourth wife. After his marriage was annulled, he married Catherine on the very day that Cromwell was executed.

Despite his happiness with Catherine, who was the cousin of his second wife Anne Boleyn, their bliss was fleeting. They were married for just two years before Catherine's history was revealed. It came to light that she had been involved with her music teacher, Henry Manox, starting at the age of 12, and had also had a relationship with Francis Dereham when she was 14.

Historical accounts indicate that Catherine was involved in a romantic affair with Thomas Culpeper in 1541. A letter from her revealed her deep feelings, saying, "It breaks my heart to think I can’t be with you all the time." Today, some interpretations of Catherine's connection with Culpeper—who had a troubled past involving accusations of rape and murder, although he was later forgiven by the King—suggest that she may have been trying to keep someone dangerous content while alone with him at court.

Catherine's involvement with Culpeper was eventually uncovered, as Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, alerted Henry to her affair and her past relationships. The Queen admitted to having encounters with all three men, and in 1542, she was sentenced to death after a new law was enacted stating that any future queen who failed to reveal any sexual relations within 20 days of her marriage would be deemed guilty of treason.

She was likely just 19 when she was put to death, which prompted Henry to wed his sixth spouse, Katherine Parr. Their marriage lasted from 1543 until the King's passing in 1547.