Six wives - six lives that we think we know everything about. But beyond their mostly doomed marriages to Henry VIII and, in most cases, tragic ends, here were six women who shaped history in their own unique ways.

In a special six part series, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb brings together the most illuminating interviews about the six wives from the Not Just the Tudors archive. She also explores some of the latest research and speaks to Dr. Charlotte Bolland - curator of the National Portrait Gallery’s current exhibition Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens - to paint an even fuller portrait of each of the six wives.

In this fifth episode, Suzannah is joined by Gareth Russell, Dr. Nicola Clark and Dr. Charlotte Bolland to recount the life of Katherine Howard, whom Henry VIII married in July 1540 and who died with her head on the block less than two years later. Of all of Henry’s queens, Katherine Howard has been the one most subject to the judgements of posterity. But those judgements have been strangely dichotomous - was she victim or vixen?

Not Just The Tudors is presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. It was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

The National Portrait Gallery in London is hosting an exhibition titled Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens until 8 September 2024, displaying the images that have shaped our perception of the six wives. Find out more, here.

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