Thomas Culpepper

[close] Thomas Culpeper (c. 1514 – December 10, 1541) was an English courtier in the Tudor royal court and close friend of Henry VIII. He is best known today for his alleged affair with Queen Catherine Howard, and his subsequent execution.

Culpeper was known to have had many private meetings with Catherine after her marriage, though these may have involved political intrigue rather than sex.
A letter to him was found, written by Queen Catherine and signed, "Yours as long as life endures." Accused of adultery with Henry's young consort, Culpeper denied it and blamed the queen for the situation, saying that he had tried to end his friendship with her, but that she was "dying of love for him."
Eventually, Culpeper admitted to intending to sleep with the queen, though he never admitted to having actually done so.
The queen had not hidden the affair with Culpeper from members of her household, and they now testified against her to protect themselves.

He was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death, to be hanged, drawn and quartered. Culpeper pleaded for mercy, and instead received a commuted sentence of simple beheading, presumably due to his former longstanding closeness to the King.

Culpeper was executed at Tyburn Square on December 10, 1541, along with Frances Dereham, who had been accused and sentenced for having an affair with the queen before she was married. Their heads were put on display on London Bridge. Culpeper was buried at St Sepulchre-without-Newgate Church in London.

A few moths later, Queen Catherine Howard was also executed, on February 13, 1542.