WI: Catherine Howard Produces A Son

What if Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, produced a son? Given that Henry was probably impotent at the time, the son would be Culpeper's. However, Henry doesn't know that and therefore the son, let's call him Henry, succeeds Edward VI. Would he be raised as a Catholic or a Protestant? What if?
 
What if Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, produced a son? Given that Henry was probably impotent at the time, the son would be Culpeper's. However, Henry doesn't know that and therefore the son, let's call him Henry, succeeds Edward VI. Would he be raised as a Catholic or a Protestant? What if?

First off, we would have a bastard on the throne. I wonder if he would be allowed to succeed, if the rumors are well known. Second, definitely Catholic. By that time Henry had swung back to the Catholic side. The main questions will come in 1547 and 1553. Who gets custody of Henry? Queen Dowager Catherine Howard? The Lord Protector? Princess Mary? Also who gets Elizabeth? To 1553, who gets the throne? Will Henry be disinherited by Edward VI still or no? Would the rumor of his bastardy be well known? If so would Mary try a grab for power?
 
A Catholic "son" of Henry whose bastardy is rumoured is likely going to be named and shamed by the regime of Edward VI, and probably disinherited and locked away at best. Butterflies now come to the fore: prior to his illness of 1553, Edward had always been a fairly strong and healthy boy, so there's no guarantee ITTL he'll sicken at this point, given the ramifications of a surviving Howard Queen. Indeed, Edward may well be brought up considerably more Catholic; iirc Jane Seymour was always a Catholic sympathiser.

I would imagine that this Henry is quite likely to be steered towards an ecclesiastical career, perhaps one in the revived monastic movement.
 
Catherine Howard

To my knowledge, the marriage of Henry and Catherine was never consumated, despite numerous attempts. If Catherine were to become pregnant, it would therefore confirm her infidelity, and Henry in his rage may not even allow her to give birth to the child.
 
Second, definitely Catholic. By that time Henry had swung back to the Catholic side.

But this did not stop Edward VI from being raised Protestant. I don't know if we can predict how this other child would be raised based on Henry's changes of heart. Also, Henry was never reconciled to the Roman Catholic Church; he just remained theologically conservative.
 
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