Décapitation - a perfume inspired by Catherine Howard

Catherine Howard (c1521-1542), whose childhood home was Chesworth House, Horsham, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII.

Historians in York, where Catherine is thought to have sealed her fate by having an affair with Thomas Culpeper, devised the perfume for an exhibition at Barley Hall.

The perfume, called ‘Décapitation’ is made with scents that were popular with 16th century nobility, blended into a fragrance to make a young man lose his head.

A statement from the creators said: “The Barley Hall team worked with historic researchers and specialist European perfumiers to create the unique fragrance that they believe captures the essence of the femme fatale whose alleged affair led to the execution of both Culpeper and herself, crushing the infamous king’s spirit and perhaps bursting his bubble of self-belief as the most eligible bachelor in the land.

Sarah Maltby, director of attractions for York Archaeological Trust, which owns Barley Hall: “The Tudors were strong proponents of the idea that ‘cleanliness was next to Godliness’, so whilst the streets of 16th century York would have been unpleasantly odorous – and clothes would often be washed in water polluted with butchers’ waste and sewage – the higher social classes took great care to keep their bodies fresh smelling, with herbs and flowers sometimes added to the bath water.

“Though we don’t want to cause our visitors to embark on an illicit affair after experiencing the intoxicating bouquet, we hope that it will set the scene for those visiting York this summer to feel fully immersed in the city’s rich history on this sensual journey through time.

“The perfume will be regularly diffused into the room where we have displays of dresses from major costume dramas, and a replica of Catherine Howard’s dress from the Hever Castle collection.”

The components of the fragrance are:

Rose: Henry VIII described Catherine as his ‘rose without a thorn’, and it was the most fashionable perfume of the day

Violet: An essential flower for any true femme fatale, in Tudor England, the violet represented death and bereavement

Lemon: Lemons were more widely available in the late Tudor period, with some almanacs suggesting that the acid fruit symbolised a broken betrothal.

White musk: This is the modern counterpart of deer musk, which was a common base in Tudor perfumes, and thought to be an aphrodisiac in Tudor times

Cherry blossom: Representing star-crossed love – the perfect undertone for Catherine’s perfume.

The perfume will be available to sample for visitors to Barley Hall, in Coffee Yard, York, throughout the summer.

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