Was Anne Boleyn the first queen who was publicly executed?
[faq answer]
4 thoughts on “Was Anne Boleyn the first queen who was publicly executed?”
This could be seen as a trick question.
True, Anne was the first female English crowned head to be executed, but it wasn’t considered a “public execution”. Because of their rank, certain persons were allowed to be executed “privately”, within the confines of the Tower of London on Tower Green: Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, Margaret Plantageanet Pole, (Countess of Salisbury), Lady Jane Boleyn (Lady Rochford) and Robert Dudley,(Earl of Essex). There were plenty of people viewing the occasion, but it was still not considered “public”.
Members of the nobility and gentry were beheaded on Tower Hill, in full view of the masses: Thomas More, John Fisher, Thomas Cromwell, and a host of others.
Regular folk weren’t given the dignity of decapitation. Most “traitors” in Tudor times were hanged, drawn and quartered. In the London area it would have been at Smithfield (a place for horse- and cattle-marketing) or Tyburn Hill, hear current-day Hyde Park.
As others have pointed out her execution was not public. But if you are someone who still considers her Queen at the time at the time of execution then yes she was the fist English queen to be executed As far I know she was the fist queen in all of Europe to be executed full stop..
As others have pointed out her execution was not public and she no longer had the title of queen. But if you are someone who still considers her Queen at the time at the time of execution then yes she was the fist English queen to be executed. As far I know she was the fist queen in all of Europe to be executed full stop..
This could be seen as a trick question.
True, Anne was the first female English crowned head to be executed, but it wasn’t considered a “public execution”. Because of their rank, certain persons were allowed to be executed “privately”, within the confines of the Tower of London on Tower Green: Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, Margaret Plantageanet Pole, (Countess of Salisbury), Lady Jane Boleyn (Lady Rochford) and Robert Dudley,(Earl of Essex). There were plenty of people viewing the occasion, but it was still not considered “public”.
Members of the nobility and gentry were beheaded on Tower Hill, in full view of the masses: Thomas More, John Fisher, Thomas Cromwell, and a host of others.
Regular folk weren’t given the dignity of decapitation. Most “traitors” in Tudor times were hanged, drawn and quartered. In the London area it would have been at Smithfield (a place for horse- and cattle-marketing) or Tyburn Hill, hear current-day Hyde Park.
Alison Weir states in The Lady in the Tower that Anne was stripped of all titles, but not title of Queen.
As others have pointed out her execution was not public. But if you are someone who still considers her Queen at the time at the time of execution then yes she was the fist English queen to be executed As far I know she was the fist queen in all of Europe to be executed full stop..
As others have pointed out her execution was not public and she no longer had the title of queen. But if you are someone who still considers her Queen at the time at the time of execution then yes she was the fist English queen to be executed. As far I know she was the fist queen in all of Europe to be executed full stop..