Is it true that Catherine Howard was a cousin of Anne Boleyn?

Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn were indeed cousins, both prominent figures in the tumultuous reign of King Henry VIII. To understand this connection, you have to picture the complex family trees of the English aristocracy. Anne Boleyn was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire. Catherine Howard's father, Lord Edmund Howard, was the brother of Anne Boleyn's mother, Elizabeth Howard. This makes Anne and Catherine first cousins. Both women became wives of Henry VIII, and tragically, both were executed on charges of treason and adultery. Anne was beheaded in 1536, and Catherine met the same fate in 1542. Their shared family connection and similar, unfortunate ends make their story a particularly poignant one in Tudor history. It's easy to get confused with all the wives of Henry VIII, but remembering this family link helps keep their stories straight.