Catherine Howard, Countess of Suffolk

Catherine (or Katherine) Howard, Countess of Suffolk (1564–1638), was born in Charlton, Wiltshire, the oldest child of Sir Henry Knyvet and his wife Elizabeth Stumpe. Her uncle was Sir Thomas Knyvet, who foiled the gunpowder plot.

Early in her life, she married Richard Rich, son of Robert Rich, 2nd Baron Rich, and grandson of Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich. After his death in 1580 she then married Sir Thomas Howard, who twenty years later was named the Earl of Suffolk.

Howard gained a place in Queen Elizabeth's bedchamber and the title of Keeper of the Jewels in 1599. This honor went further as she was also granted authority over the lodgings where Queen Anne gave birth to the princess. In fact, she was in such a position of high esteem within the court, she would have been given the honor of godmother to Princess Sophia born of Queen Anne if the child had not perished. She danced in two of the queen's masques, one of which was written by Ben Jonson, titled The Masque of Blackness. King James wanted the actors to look African so the actors painted their faces black. In 1611, the poet Emilia Lanier chose to dedicate her poem Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum to her.

Howard strived with some success to gain rank in court but proved to be corrupt. She served as a liaison between Spain and Salisbury, and demanded bribes for doing so. Sir Thomas Howard was appointed Lord Treasurer, which allowed her more opportunity for financial gain. Howard was known to be very beautiful in her younger years, and during her time at court had many suitors and a string of alleged love affairs, using the position her husband achieved in the government to extort kickbacks from her lovers. However, in 1619, at the age of 55, she was the victim of an attack of smallpox "which spoiled that good face of hers, which had brought to other much misery and to herself greatness which ended with much unhappiness." Many of the details of her corruption came out in the Suffolk's trial in the same year, where Sir John Finet alleged "to be spared a bond of £500, a citizen gave £83 and a sable muff to the countess".

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