Young and Damned and Fair : The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII

On the morning of July 28, 1540, as King Henry VIII's former confidant Thomas Cromwell was being led to his execution, a teenager named Catherine Howard began her reign as queen of a country simmering with rebellion and terrifying uncertainty. Nineteen months later, she was on the; scaffold, accused of adultery and high treason. Until now, Catherine's story has been incomplete. Written, with narrative flair and historical authority, this biography breaks new ground by reexamining Catherine's motives and social milieu, including both fellow aristocrats and the servants who conspired against her. By illuminating Catherine's entwined upstairs/downstairs worlds and societal tensions beyond the palace walls, Gareth Russell offers a fascinating portrait of court life and the forces that led to her execution-from diplomatic pressure to the long-festering resentments against the queen's household at court. Book jacket.