How Holbein left clever clue in portrait to identify Henry VIIIâs queen
New evidence shows miniature long held to be of Catherine Howard could depict Henryâs fourth wife, Anne of Cleves
Portrait of a Lady, perhaps Catherine Howard by Hans Holbein. Photograph: Royal Collection Trust
Portrait of a Lady, perhaps Catherine Howard by Hans Holbein. Photograph: Royal Collection Trust
Sat 1 May 2021 10.00 EDT
Created in around 1540 by Hans Holbein, court painter to Henry VIII and one of the greatest portraitists of all time, the miniature is a prized treasure in the Royal Collection. But the sitter is unknown, with the artefact long catalogued merely as âPortrait of a Lady, perhaps Catherine Howardâ, Henry VIIIâs fifth queen.