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The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots

Posted By Claire on February 8, 2010

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots

On this day in history, the 8th February 1587, Mary Stuart, also known as Mary Queen of Scots, was executed at Fotheringhay Castle without the knowledge of Queen Elizabeth I, although she had signed the death warrant.

Mary Stuart’s death was the result of the Catholic Mary being implicated in plots to overthrow and assassinate Elizabeth I, plots such as the Ridolfi Plot and the Babington Plot. Although the Babington plot had been uncovered in summer 1586 and Mary had been under house arrest for many years, Elizabeth I could not bring herself to sign the death warrant until February 1587 and then she she claimed that she had not wanted it acted upon.

Why the “dilly-dallying” and indecision? After all, you can imagine her father, Henry VIII, taking Mary’s head off after the first plot! Well, it was because Mary was Elizabeth’s own flesh and blood, being the granddaughter of Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister, but it was also because Mary was a monarch. Elizabeth believed, like many monarchs before her, that Kings and Queens were divinely appointed by God and it was against everything she believed in to take the life of a fellow sovereign.

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Happy Birthday Sir Thomas More

Posted By Claire on February 7, 2010

Sir Thomas More

Sir Thomas More

On this day in history, on the 7th February 1478, Sir Thomas More was born in Milk Street, London. He is famous as St Thomas More, after being beatified in 1886 and canonised in 1935, and his feast day is celebrated on the 22nd June in the Roman Catholic Church and the 6th July in the Anglican Church. He was executed on the 6th July 1535 during the reign of King Henry VIII.

As it is his birthday today, I thought I would write a factfile or bio on him.

Sir Thomas More Bio

Born: 7th February 1478 in Milk Street, London.

Died: 6th July 1535, executed at the Tower of London

Resting Place: Body buried in a common grave at St Peter ad Vincula Chapel, Tower of London, and head said to be buried in the Roper Vault at St Dunstan’s Church, Canterbury.

Family Background: Son of Sir John More (c.1451-1530), lawyer and judge on the King’s Bench, and Agnes Graunger (d.1499), daughter of Thomas Graunger, a Merchant of the Staple of Calais and an Alderman of London.

Education: Firstly St Anthony’s School, then from 1491 More joined the household of John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, then he studied at the University of Oxford. More studied Latin and logic before studying law in London.

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Lady Jane Grey Exhibition

Lady Jane Grey Exhibition

Next week Friday is the anniversary of Lady Jane Grey’s execution which took place on the 12th February 1554. Lady Jane Grey, “The Nine Day Queen”, was only around 16 or 17 when she was executed for high treason after Mary I successfully claimed the throne, bringing Jane’s reign to an end after just a
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Henry VIII and Elizabeth I - The Lion and His Cub

Henry VIII and Elizabeth I - The Lion and His Cub

The research that I have been doing into Anne Boleyn’s pregnancies and her fall really got me thinking about Elizabeth I, who was the result of Anne’s first pregnancy. Henry VIII had high hopes for his marriage to Anne Boleyn and was expecting her to produce his longed for son and heir to the throne,
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The Pregnancies of Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon

The Pregnancies of Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon

Last week, I considered the role of Anne’s final miscarriage in the fall of Anne Boleyn and the Boleyn faction. Although Retha Warnicke concludes that “her fall was almost certainly triggered by the nature of the miscarriage she was to suffer in late January, for there is no evidence that she had been in any
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Henry VIII’s Death, Will and Legacy

Henry VIII’s Death, Will and Legacy

I didn’t manage to post on the anniversary of Henry VIII’s death, due to no electricity and internet, so please forgive this late post.
On the 28th January 1547, Henry VIII, King of England and Ireland, died at the Palace of Whitehall at the age of 55. He was buried next to his “true wife”, Jane
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In Memory of Catherine of Aragon

In Memory of Catherine of Aragon

I’m rather frustrated that I couldn’t post about this commemoration service for Catherine of Aragon, but due to snow and storms I couldn’t get online between Tuesday and Friday - sorry!
Anyway, every year on the 29th January Peterborough Cathedral hold a special service to commemorate the life and death of Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine
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Was Anne Boleyn’s Miscarriage Responsible for Her Fall?

Was Anne Boleyn’s Miscarriage Responsible for Her Fall?

On this day in history, 29th January 1536 Catherine of Aragon was interred at Peterborough Cathedral and her successor Anne Boleyn suffered a miscarriage, a huge blow to both Anne and Henry VIII who were desperate for a son.
As I said in my post a couple of week’s ago, there are many possible reasons for
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A Secret Marriage

A Secret Marriage

On this day in history, 25th January 1533, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII tied the knot in a somewhat secret ceremony. Eric Ives, in “The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn”, writes of how in the autumn of 1532 (probably November) Henry finally “felt secure enough to consummate his relationship with Anne - and she,
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Anne Boleyn Files Anniversary Competition

Anne Boleyn Files Anniversary Competition

As many of you know, the Anne Boleyn Files celebrates its one year anniversary on the 17th February. I can’t quite believe that it’s nearly 1 year since I had the dream that set me on this mission to educate the world about Anne Boleyn and to form this community of like-minded Anne Boleyn and
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