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The Queen's Mistake: In the Court of Henry VIII (Henry VIII's Court)

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Catherine Howard is probably the hardest of Henry VIII's six wives around whom to build an entire novel, despite the poignancy and tragedy that surrounds her. Beheaded while she was still a teenager, in all probability, she was little more than a bit player in the power politics of the era, whose role was to entertain and amuse the king on behalf of the Catholic faction at court. The contrast to her cousin, Anne Boleyn, could not have been stronger, despite their identical fate; while Anne wielded power directly and indirectly, Catherine seemed to have little interest in anything beyond the frivolities of life.

Kudos to Diane Haeger for undertaking this project, but as I turned the pages, I found myself increasingly unconvinced by the picture she paints of the characters and their lives. Ultimately, the story was unconvincing, from the first pages where Catherine concludes that her fate was determined by her religion -- she was "too great a risk to leave as queen" because of her Catholicism. It was simply inconceivable to me that the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk (no spoilers here, this is in the very first pages of the book) was actually conniving at Catherine's early sexual exploits with the goal of ensuring she was experienced enough to attract and hold a man; that is nonsensical in light of the mores of the times. In Haeger's novel, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey is a "pompous lout" (in fact, he was a noted poet and known for his elegance), Thomas Culpepper is a confidant and even advisor to the king (rather than just a gentleman of the bedchamber, who danced, jousted and changed the dressings on the king's leg), while Jane Boleyn (who had denounced her husband's alleged incest with his sister, Anne, leading to both their deaths) is an amiable and attractive young woman whom Catherine sees as "about her own age". (In fact, Jane was nearly 20 years older, by most estimates.) Catherine was raised in her grandmother's household, but that was at Lambeth, across the river from Westminster, not a day's ride away in Sussex as Haeger portrays.

Some of this would have been less irritating had the story itself been better told. In Philippa Gregory's treatment of the same time period, The Boleyn Inheritance, the narrative switches between Catherine, Jane and Anne of Cleves, with tremendous effect (and far more verisimilitude.) Alas, Haeger's writing is at best pedestrian and at times just silly, as when Jane discusses with Catherine the chance that Anne of Cleves may lose her head if she objects to a divorce. "And we Boleyns do know a little something about that," Jane remarks coyly. The most intriguing element of this book, for me, was the backstory involving the actions and motivations Mary Lassells and her brother, former members of the household of Catherine's grandmother, whose knowledge of her indiscretions would lead directly to her downfall. At times, I felt that the story might have been far more intriguing had it been told through the eyes of the envious Mary.

This is a more sympathetic portrayal of Catherine than in Gregory's novel, but it's also inconsistent - Haeger's Catherine is at once sexually sophisticated and politically naïve, even after many months at the heart of the court. It's inconceivable to me that Catherine couldn't or didn't recognize the risks she was running, however, unless she was as silly as Gregory portrays her. Ultimately, this is a romance novel dressed up as historical fiction, with all the conventions attached to that, such as the hero, Culpepper, gallantly saving the young Catherine from embarassment when someone throws ink on her dress just before she accompanies Anne of Cleves to dinner with the king. Only the fact that it involved Henry VIII and didn't end happily ever after saves it from banality. At the outset, Catherine wonders aloud "why would anyone care about the indiscretions of a country girl from Sussex?" Even after finishing the book - and after that "country girl" had become a queen - I was forced to agree with Catherine; I just didn't care that much.

This isn't a bad book, simply nowhere nearly as good as it could have or should have been. It may appeal to some dedicated HF fans, especially those who can't get enough of the Tudors, or to those who haven't read much about the era. But there are other and better books about the hapless Catherine Howard, particularly Philippa Gregory's recent offering. For a more literary spin on Catherine's life, take a look at Ford Madox Ford, The fifth queen, and then there's Jean Plaidy's Murder Most Royal. Catherine's story also forms a part of My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes, which has just been re-released. I'd suggest reading any of those first, and then borrowing this from the library only if you've still got an overwhelming interest in Catherine.

In one sentence the fate of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII is cast: "She shall do as she is told and be proud of it." Niece of the powerful Duke of Norfolk, Lord High Treasurer of England, and cousin to Anne Boleyn, Catherine's future has been decided long before she is sent to the court of Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. An unacceptable match for such a monarch, Anne of Cleves is lucky to escape her union with the king with her head attached, only to be replaced by a flawed Catherine Howard. Young and passionate, Catherine rises from insignificance to unfortunate bride of an insatiable king long past his prime, Henry's hubris growing apace with is physical infirmities. Indeed, Haeger is a master of this historical terrain, using her intimate knowledge of Tudor history to create a tapestry of love and betrayal, the hopeless narrative of Henry's quest for happiness and the ambitions of those who would secure their family's power and position.

This is a sympathetic portrait of a girl caught up in youthful indiscretions and a serious love affair that hinders her ability to protect herself from a hostile environment. Considered foolish and careless by many writers of historical fiction, Haeger shows considerable compassion for her protagonist and an understanding of the psyche of a young romantic with a limited world view and a lack of artifice in a dangerous court. From youth exuberance to fallen queen, without friends, Catherine turns to Jane Rochford, widow of George Boleyn, a woman struggling to assuage her own demons. Certainly, the scheming Duke of Norfolk and the Dowager Duchess, Agnes Howard, are governed by family ambitions, Catherine expected to do as other young women of the 16th century, pawns to history and the greed of their families.

The enmity between the Seymour's and the Howard's continues unabated, as does the struggle between the forces of the Reformation and those who would restore the True Church. Ironically, each faction justifies their actions in God's name, implacable in their surety of the righteous path. As a pawn of her powerful uncle, Catherine has no options, sacrificed on the altar of power. Complicit in her own demise, Haeger's Catherine is a bright young woman easily distracted by romance, realizing too late the stakes of the game she plays. All is passion in Catherine's world, especially her love for one of Henry's trusted courtier's blinding her to the dangers of court intrigue. The reality is politics, Norfolk determined to unseat Thomas Cromwell, placing the Howard's once again in ascendancy.

Catherine is surrounded by the agendas of others: Lady Jane Rochford's confused loyalty; Mary Lassells, privy to Catherine's dalliances before she arrives in court; Francis Dereham, trothplighted to Catherine in her youthful enthusiasm; Thomas Culpepper, hopelessly in love with the girl his king wants to marry; and Henry, a bloated, ageing king desperate to recapture his youth and avoid life's inevitable decay. Haeger's tale comes alive with the intrigue, passion and human failings that attend Henry's court, one of the most vital eras in English history, a king who breaks from the church, greedy for power and heirs, the women who suffer his love and his wrath, Catherine yet another mistake. Luan Gaines/2009.

Catherine Howard has grown up in the country, a relatively insignificant member of an incredibly powerful family. After the death of her cousin Anne Boleyn, the Howard family fortunes fell to some extent, but in 1540, things are about to change. Catherine's uncle, the duke of Norfolk, brings her to court at age seventeen, when she is at her most beautiful, white-washing her reputation and placing her before the king. Catherine is no innocent but King Henry VIII falls in love with her, convinced that she is his rose without a thorn. When the members of her past come to court intent on blackmail, Catherine's road to tragedy is assured.

This story is a familiar one for many Tudor enthusiasts, and clearly I'm no exception. I was looking forward to reading Haeger's portrayal of this young queen. Considering Catherine probably slept with a variety of men, I would think it would be difficult for her to be a sympathetic character, but Haeger makes it look easy. She creates a Catherine that readers will wish had a different ending. Despite her sexual experience, Catherine does seem innocent and naive at times, completely a pawn for her powerful uncle and the Howard family strategy to gain favor. Once she's gained the eye of the king, there is no looking back for this girl. Her downfall is indeed tragic because Haeger's Catherine wishes in every instance for something different. When she finally settles into her role as queen and begins to hope she can be good for Henry and for the country, that hope is snatched away from her by her past.

While most of the third person narrative is focused on Catherine, we do occasionally get glimpses into the other characters' heads, particularly that of Thomas Culpeper. The other characters are not quite so well-defined, but each of them feel intriguing and real, and this is a Tudor world that feels largely authentic and familiar. I enjoyed the rich descriptions, especially of Catherine's dresses, and felt I could picture all of the players moving about the court, ambitions intact. The plot unfolds in a sensible way; virtually everyone who is interested in Tudor history will know that Catherine was beheaded by Henry VIII, so the book opens on the night before the execution. It then returns to the time when everything began to change for Catherine and the author can explain how she got to that point in her own way. It's very well done and the book is a pleasure to read. Perhaps my only qualm with it is that Catherine never seems bothered by the fact that she sleeps with every man who looks at her twice. She does it out of boredom, but surely she must worry about pregnancy at the very least. No one seems to lament the loss of her virginity except as it pertains to the king, which did seem strange to me since surely any other nobleman would like his wife to be a virgin, but it's only a minor part of the story.

Overall, I would recommend The Queen's Mistake to Tudor enthusiasts and other fans of historical fiction. It's a well-written peek into the past, with sympathetic characters and an engaging sense of history.

Anne Boleyn has been the subject of many books and movies, while her young cousin, Catherine Howard's story is not as well known but is also rife with tragedy and drama. Mrs. Haeger's novel, The Queen's Mistake, chronicles the life of Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard. The book was an easy read, but very entertaining. To my knowledge, while no new historical facts were presented, I found the story of Catherine Howard was told with a fresh perspective in this novel. I especially liked the romanticized development of the relationship between Catherine and Thomas Culpeper, so reminiscent of young love. Although I knew the outcome of the story, I still found myself rooting for Catherine and Culpeper to be together.

Mrs. Haegar has a great talent for making you feel like you're amongst the court of Henry VIII. Her descriptions of the surroundings, clothing, food, etc. are very vivid. I also enjoyed the back story involving Mary Lassells and how her envy of Catherine helped bring down the young queen's downfall.

I felt very sorry for Catherine. She was so young and naive and never had the opportunity to reach her potential and come into her own.

I look forward to reading more of Mrs. Haegar's books!

We all know the story of Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn, but far fewer people know the story of poor Catherine Howard, the fifth {and ultimately doomed} wife of the English king. The author does a very good job recreating life in the court of Henry VIII, where allegiances may not really be what they seem. No one can really feel safe in Henry's court, least of all his new, young, and pretty wife Catherine, whose powerful uncle {the Duke of Norfolk} has brought her this far. If you're looking for further reading about Queen Catherine and weren't satisfied with Philippa Gregory's portrayal of her in The Boleyn Inheritance, pick this up.

As she waits in the Tower for her death, Queen Catherine Howard wonders how her life could go from a euphoric high with her love for obese King Henry VIII to where he will not receive her plea for mercy or her innocence. She reflects back on her past; thinking of her older cousin Anne Boleyn, second wife of the monarch; as her fate will prove the same. Still young, she wanted a love of a lifetime, but her naive misunderstanding of backstabbing and her youthful flirting that the King used to cherish has led her to affairs of the heart as she was betrayed by those the inexperienced female trusted; they made known to her spouse and in late 1542, she and her lovers were executed.

Although the wives of Henry VIII have starred in many books and movies, THE QUEEN'S MISTAKE is a fascinating biographical fiction that portrays Catherine Howard as foolishly naive with her lovers especially of those of her age. By taking her peers as her lovers, she inadvertently insults the aging monarch who seeks to regain his lost youth with his young queen. Although not much new is provided in this look at one of the Tudor queens, fans will enjoy Diane Haeger's take on sixteenth century aristocratic permissiveness.

Harriet Klausner

I know I'm not alone when I say that I don't know if I can ever get enough of historical fiction books about King Henry VIII. I just find him completely and utterly fascinating, and it seems like everyone who surrounded him was very interesting as well. The latest book that I enjoyed is THE QUEEN'S MISTAKE: IN THE COURT OF HENRY VIII by Diane Haeger. This novel takes a different perspective of King Henry's court because it is about Catherine Howard, the King's fifth wife.

What I most enjoyed about this book was the development of Catherine's character. When the book begins, she is just a teenage girl living with her grandmother. She already realizes that her beauty gives her a certain power over boys/men; and she's not afraid to use it. I have to admit that I didn't really like Catherine for a major portion of the book, but I still found her interesting. I thought she was selfish and kind of immoral (she did like her men!); however, I could almost understand why she was the way she was. She never really had much say in her life, and she really was a pawn for her family members to use to gain power. Her story was almost pitiful in that she never had a chance to be her own person.

And even though Catherine wasn't my favorite character, I still came to appreciate her. Her life definitely made for an interesting story; and I eventually came to almost like her (or at least feel sorry for her.) I really did want things to work out for her (of course, I knew how they ended); and I just hoped she could find some happiness in an otherwise pretty bleak existence. Just think, she was a young girl when she had to marry the 50 year old king (by this time, he was obese and rather stinky.) She also had many enemies at court so she didn't even know who she could really trust. It was a lot for a young woman to have to handle; and although she was constantly surrounded by people, she was really quite lonely. She didn't even have any friends to commiserate with.

I loved learning Catherine's story, and I always enjoy reading about the antics at King Henry VIII's court. I thought Ms. Haeger did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life, and I appreciate all of her descriptions of the court, clothes, and locales. It's obvious to me that the author did a tremendous amount of research while writing this story. However, I felt that what made THE QUEEN'S MISTAKE special was the love story between Catherine and Thomas. The love scenes were both touching and at the same time filled with passion. I think that Catherine found her soul mate in Thomas, and he was one of the only people in her life that she felt close to. While her relationship with Thomas eventually proved to be her perhaps her biggest (and most fatal) mistake, I'm not sure that Catherine would look at it that way.

THE QUEEN'S MISTAKE would make a very good book club pick especially if your group enjoys reading and talking about historical fiction. I found Catherine's character to be very interesting and definitely discussion worthy. There are discussion questions in the back of the book which will also help facilitate your meeting. Some of the topics for discussion include Catherine's various choices as well as the role of religion in this book.

The Queen's Mistake: In the Court of Henry VIII

When young and beautiful Catherine Howard becomes the fifth wife of fifty year old king Henry VIII, she seems to be on top of the world. Yet her reign is destined to be brief and heartbreaking, as she is forced to do battle with enemies far more powerful and calculating than she could have ever anticipated in a court where one wrong move could mean her destruction. Wanting only love, Catherine is compelled to deny her heart's desire in favor of her family's ambition. But in so doing, she unwittingly gives those who seek to bring her down a most effective weapon, her own romantic past.

The Queen's Mistake is the tragic tale of one passionate and idealistic woman who struggles to negotiate the intrigues of the court and the yearnings of her own heart.
excerpt taken from Diane Haeger's website.


When I started reading this book, The Queen's Mistake, I was not sure if I was going to like it or not. I enjoy the Tudor era but my reading has been mostly focused on Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon. I had not read many books about the other wives of Henry VIII. But as I was reading I found that even though this was another wife that " lost her head" I really sympathized with her. As with her cousin Anne, her future was pretty much all planned out for her by her greedy uncle Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk for his political aspirations. She also had a grandmother Agnes Howard, the Dowager Duchess, who aspired to the same goals as Thomas, that of seeing that there was another Howard on the throne and . Catherine is sent to be a lady-in-waiting to the court of Queen Anne of Cleves . In the meantime Henry is trying to get his marriage annulled due to the fact that their marriage was never consummated and he could not stand being married to her. Queen Anne of Cleves is portrayed as a very pleasant woman who has her language barrier and her looks going against her as far as the King is concerned.

I think Catherine's biggest downfall was the fact that she was too free with her 'charms' with the men in the town she came from and she did not realize that her 'little lie" would be found out. She was not a virgin when she came to the marriage bed with Henry and he was too 'in love" to notice this little lie. I really think that she didn't really realize until too late that her past was coming back to haunt her marriage to Henry and she was torn between doing the right thing, according to her uncle and grandmother or go with her heart and the love she has for another man , Thomas Culpepper, who was a trusted person in Henry's mind.

Catherine did what was expected of her and tried to make the marriage work and she stayed faithful to Henry and also suffered a couple of miscarriages. Then when she tried to save an old woman in the tower and argued with Henry about this he had the woman put to death anyway.This showed her what kind of a man Henry really was.

The plot to discredit Catherine came from a vindictive woman, Mary Lassells one of her maids, who was actually forced on Catherine by her grandmother. Mary was a vindictive, jealous,woman who would do anything, along with her brother, to further her own ambitions and she had knowledge of Catherine's past indescretions and will use it against Catherine. Mary also became real close to Francis Dereham who claimed that he and Catherine were still trothplighted and he used that to further his ambitions and Henry used this detail to have his marriage to Catherine annuled.

Even though I knew what the outcome was going to be, I really liked Catherine and hoped all would be well in the end, that she could be with the love of her life, but that would have been a happy ending but it appears that there were no happy endings for Henry or anyone associated with him . Catherine really had no choice but agree to marry Henry, a bloated, ageing king desperate to recapture his youth and avoid life's inevitable decay and also to father a son for the throne. I think that in the short marriage that Catherine really came to care for Henry and genuinely wanted to make him happy.

I did have trouble trying to figure out Jane Boleyns role in this whole thing. I got the impression at first that she did not like Catherine, but turns out that she became Catherine's confidant and assisted in her liason's with Thomas. I am sure that Jane thought that befriending Catherine would obsolve her in her participation in the downfall of her husband George and of Anne with her accusations that were untrue.

I am not a historian, so I won't presume to say that this novel was based on facts as it is just that, a novel, a work of fiction. I felt that this story was well written and I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Tudor era...I look forward to reading more of Diane Haegers books.

In the Queen's Mistake Haeger puts a new *spin* on Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's doomed fifth wife. A poorer member of the powerful Howard family, Catherine is relegated to the country home of the Dowager Duchess of Suffolk where supervision over the young girls of the household is lax and sexual escapades are common. The Duke of Norfolk has great plans for Catherine and he wants her sexually educated before she's brought to court so he can land another Howard woman on the throne of England. I'm not quite sure I'm buying this rationalization - I would have thought a pure maid would better suit the old King but oh well.....

After dallying with her music teacher and plight trothing herself to the Duchess' secretary Catherine is sent to court to serve Henry's new queen, Anne of Cleves and she soon captures the roving eye of the unhappy groom. She also meets younger courtier Thomas Culpepper and soon begins making whoopee with him anytime they can be alone, and it's a lot more frequent than you'd expect in such an overcrowded castle - but that's what Haeger's would have us believe.

And the rest, as they say is history. If you are a long-time reader of all things Tudor you know what Catherine's fate is and if you don't I don't think you want me spoiling it for you. Over and above the ludicrous notion that the Howards would encourage lose sexual behavior so she could entrap a king, my biggest problem is just generally bad writing. I've seen other reviewers refer to it as "pedantic" and "juvenile" and I couldn't agree more. I grew very tired of hearing about things dribbling down Henry's beard, his sweaty hands, distasteful breath and all around grossness. I got it the first few times and I did not need to be clubbed over the head with it.

Unfortunately, when the writing and storyline are not enough to engage my attention I start to nit-pick and that's what happened here. First there was Thomas Culpepper, gentleman of the bedchamber and The King of England is confiding all aspects of his love life with him. How Thomas and Catherine were able to meet so often with no one noticing (how did a maid of honor get a private room???) was a bit of a stretch as well as the time she brought him his own satisfaction in the garden (wonder if there was a fountain handy to wash her hand off?). You don't even want to know about the dalliance with Cromwell's son.

I didn't find Cranmer's persecution of her just because she was Catholic believable, nor could I swallow the big *true love* between Catherine and Thomas (no chemistry there), and in the end she became so darn Mary Sue-ish it took a lot of will power not to hurl the book at the wall. I probably would have gone for three stars but the ending ticked me off so bad (what a let down) that I'm knocking it down to two. This is the third book I've tried by this author and the third time is not the charm for me. I'm done. Get it from the library if you must, I'm glad I did.

Lastly, someone want to tell me if it's physically possible to ride horse from York to Hampton Court in a full day? I'm guessing not...

In this offering, author Diane Haeger gives us a new look at Henry VIII's doomed fifth wife Catherine Howard. This book, while covering a queen that there's really not a lot to write about, had potential but this reader felt it fell short. While its not a bad novel, it seems poorly written in some places and the spins on history the author takes just don't work.

**May contain spoilers**

The basic story presented here - Catherine grows up at her grandmother's, leads a promiscuous lifestyle while there, gets sent to court as bait for Henry VIII, becomes his queen, and finally meets a bad end - is correct. The way Haeger stitched it all together did not sit well with me. It seemed almost like a young adult romance dressed up as historical fiction. Most of the characters simply were not believable to me. I felt the author really went out of her way to try to paint Catherine Howard as an innocent who was just used as a pawn and had no idea what she was doing. While she was not as politically savvy and ambitious as her cousin Anne Boleyn, I do not believe that she was in any way innocent or really that unaware of what was going on around her; she just didn't care about what was going on. Haeger goes to great pains to show that Catherine was not technically unfaithful to Henry once they were married, though historical record (I'm fairly certain) shows otherwise. I really felt nothing for Catherine at any point in the novel; I just didn't care what happened to her. None of the other characters were interesting either and some were portrayed in a very unbelievable way. I can't see Henry VIII really asking advice from a groom of the bedchamber (Thomas Culpepper). Jane Rochford comes across as kind and nurturing, only wanting to help Catherine, though everything else you read about Jane paints her as a very jealous, insecure, and selfish woman. At one point we find out that Catherine's uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, wanted her to gain experience on how to please a man while living with her grandmother so that she would be ready to be thrown under the king's nose. Considering the drama over whether Henry's first two wives were virgins or not when they married, I find it hard to believe that Norfolk would risk his neck by trying to pawn off another niece as a virgin. Norfolk was highly ambitious and power hungry but stupid? I don't think so. One character I was intrigued by was Mary Lassells, one of the girls that was with Catherine in her grandmother's home. The little bit we see of Mary's feelings and motivations for her actions towards Catherine are quite interesting. Her story really had some potential and I think the novel would have been much better and more convincing if it had been told through Mary's point of view. We certainly would have gotten a much different look at what happened.

Besides the uninteresting and (sometimes) unbelievable characters, the story itself just wasn't that interesting. It just didn't reach out and pull me in to the lives of the people between the pages. Some of the historical inaccuracies really jumped out at me as well: I'm certain it is recorded in history that Catherine accompanied Henry on his trip to the North (and had some private meetings with Culpepper along the way) and I honestly don't think anyone could ride, on horseback, from York to London in a day. I know that authors are going to take some liberties with history to fit their stories but when an author completely changes or ignores what is in recorded history, that really bugs me. Besides changing known history, another of my big pet peeves with novels is when the author feels the need to repeat something over and over and over; Haeger does this in an abundance that reminds me of Philippa Gregory. I really didn't need to read on every other page how gross the king appeared or how Catherine really didn't think anyone would care what she had done in her early years.

This was a very fast read and as I said at the beginning it is not bad, just not interesting enough for this reader. I would only recommend it for those that aren't that familiar with the time period and want an easy introduction, those that are complete Tudor fanatics and can't get enough of anything that deals with the period, and readers that just want some easy reading. Those that are a bit more particular about their historical fiction may have issues with this one. If you are interested in reading more about Catherine Howard, Philippa Gregory has a book covering this same time period, "The Boleyn Inheritance," that is a more interesting take on the story.