8 November 1541 – Archbishop Cranmer Interrogates Queen Catherine Howard

On this day in history, 8th November 1541, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer visited Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife, in the apartments she was confined to in Hampton Court Palace. His aim in visiting her was to interrogate her about the claims that had been made about her sexual history while she had been living in the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk’s household.

You can read all about Cranmer’s interrogation, and the results of it, in my article 8 November 1541 – Catherine Howard Confesses to Archbishop Cranmer.

If you’re interested in reading more on Catherine, her life and her fall, then I would recommend the following books:

• Katherine Howard: A New History by Conor Byrne
• Catherine Howard by Lacey Baldwin Smith
• Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey