Curated playlist
People executed by Tudor England by decapitation
- Anne BoleynAnne Boleyn laughed on the scaffold, joking that she had a little neck.
- Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of NorthumberlandThomas Percy refused to renounce Catholicism to save his life on a York scaffold in 1572.
- George Boleyn, Viscount RochfordGeorge Boleyn's execution crowd fell almost completely silent to hear his scaffold speech.
- John Dudley, 1st Duke of NorthumberlandJohn Dudley's "wicked Duke" label was largely built because Queen Mary needed a villain.
- Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of SomersetA king's marriage to his sister made Edward Seymour ruler of England. He governed for a nine-year-old king.
- Catherine HowardCatherine Howard was queen of England for barely sixteen months. Henry VIII's fifth wife was beheaded in 1542.
- Francis WestonFrancis Weston was beheaded at 25 for treason, still protesting his innocence. He had beaten King Henry VIII at games.
- Mary, Queen of ScotsWhen Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded, her auburn hair turned out to be a wig. Underneath she had short grey hair.
- Lady Jane GreyLady Jane Grey was queen of England for only nine days in July 1553. Her own Privy Council then turned on her.
- Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexOne account says the Earl of Essex walked in on Queen Elizabeth not yet properly wigged or gowned.
- Thomas Wyatt the YoungerIn 1554, Thomas Wyatt the Younger marched on London to stop Queen Mary I's marriage.
- Henry Norris (courtier)The charges against Henry Norris put Anne Boleyn in Westminster on dates when she was in Greenwich.
- Thomas MoreThomas More taught his daughters Greek when almost no one did. He also approved burning heretics.
- Nicholas Carew (Henry VIII courtier)Sir Nicholas Carew grew up inside the royal household, placed there at the age of six to share the education of the future King Henry VIII. For three decades he would remain one of the most recognizable figures at the Tudor court, a knight…
- Thomas CromwellHenry VIII beheaded Thomas Cromwell, then called him his most faithful servant.
- William Brereton (courtier)William Brereton was beheaded in 1536 beside Anne Boleyn's brother, yet had almost no known tie to her.
- Edmund DudleyEdmund Dudley wrote a guide to good kingship while waiting in the Tower of London to be executed.
- Richard EmpsonWithin months of Henry VIII taking the throne in 1509, Richard Empson was in prison. He had raised money for Henry VII.
- Mark SmeatonMark Smeaton was the only man executed with Anne Boleyn who did not claim innocence. Five men died that day in 1536.
- John FisherBishop John Fisher kept a human skull beside his plate at every meal. Henry VIII later had him beheaded in 1535.