d. 1542

Hoping to revive his distressed family fortune, the Baron of Stone arranges the engagment of his twelve-year-old daughter, Eliza Rose Camperdowne, to the son of the Earl of Westmoreland.

In 1539, Kitty Tylney and her best friend Cat Howard--the audacious, self-proclaimed "Queen of Misrule"--both servants to the Duchess of Norfolk, move to the court of King Henry VIII, who fancies Cat, and when Cat becomes queen, Kitty must learn to navigate the complexities and dangers of the royal court.

In 1539, Kitty Tylney and her best friend Cat Howard--the audacious, self-proclaimed "Queen of Misrule"--both servants to the Duchess of Norfolk, move to the court of King Henry VIII. When Cat (Catharine Howard) becomes Henry's fifth wife, and Queen of England, Kitty must learn to navigate the complexities and dangers of the royal court and her best friend, now the Queen, whom she does not always recognize because her motives and personality have changed.

Catharine Howard recounts the events in her life that led to her being groomed for marriage at the age of fifteen to King Henry VIII, her failure to produce an heir to the throne, and her quick execution.