In a shocking turn of events, a highly inappropriate marriage was orchestrated between the young John Woodville and Katherine Neville, who was not only considerably older but had also experienced multiple marriages before. At just twenty years old, John Woodville found himself betrothed to Katherine, who was around sixty-five and held the title of dowager duchess of Norfolk.

This union, seen as grotesque and demeaning, underscored the political maneuverings of the time, demonstrating how personal lives were entangled with matters of power and status. The disparity in age and Katherine's history only heightened the controversy surrounding this marriage, reflecting the harsh realities people faced during the period of the Wars of the Roses.