Two Queens are beheaded

Seeing as we have been round the calendar for historical dates, we've decided to have a change. This time we will pick one significant event from the month and go into much more detail. When I was looking for this months event I realised that two Queen's of England were beheaded. Even though the events are twelve years apart they happened one day apart. So I decided to do a mass blog about both events as were both major events in history. Even though Jane was executed the day before, I will start with Catherine as she was executed twelve years before. I'm also going to just focus on their downfall and execution. 

CATHERINE HOWARD 

Catherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII, she was executed at the Tower of London on the charges of committing adultery on 13th February 1542. She was a cousin of Henry's second wife Anne Boleyn, who was also beheaded on the same charges. Catherine was beheaded along side her lady in waiting Lady Jane Rochford, who was also the sister in law to Anne. 

Catherine was believed to be involved with her husbands favourite courtier Thomas Culpeper. They wrote love letters to each other and then in spring 1541 they were meeting in secret with the help of Jane Rochford. While she was married to Henry, those that knew about her past behaviour tried to blackmail her in return for silence. When John Lassels told of his sister Mary not wanting to join Catherine's household because she knew what she had done in her past, it started Thomas Cranmer on an investigation. He had Mary questioned along with Jane Rochford, who on fear of torture confessed everything. Jane told of how she had stood watch while Thomas left from Catherine's rooms. A love letter was found in Thomas's chambers, in which contained the Queen's distinctive hand writing. 

On 1st November 1541 while Henry was praying at the Chapel Royal, he received a letter that set out all the allegations against Catherine. Six days later Thomas Cranmer led councillors to Winchester Palace in Southwark to question Catherine. He found her to be frantic and making so sense. He ordered that all items be removed from the room so she didn't harm herself. When she was arrested she ran down the corridor of Hampton Court Palace, pleading to speak with her husband Henry who had gone hunting. By the end of November Catherine was stripped of her title as Queen and was imprisoned in Syon Abbey. She was also required to send back all the jewels that the King had given her, this was a symbol of removal of her legal and lawful rights. Despite everything that took place, their marriage was never formally annulled. 

She remained in limbo until Parliament stepped in at the end of January 1542. It was made an act of treason for a Queen who failed to disclose her sexual history to the King, as well as for getting someone involved to help commit adultery. Catherine also received no formal trial. When the council came to take her to the Tower on 10th Feb 1542, she was panicked and screamed as they put her into the barge. As she passed under London Bridge she saw the head of her lover Thomas Culpeper as well as a few other men that were believed to have had an affair with the Queen. Like her cousin before her, she arrived at traitors gate and was taken to her prison cell. Catherine's execution was scheduled for 7am on Monday 13th Feb, arrangements for the executions were made and were supervised by Sir John Gale, the Constable of the Tower. 

The evening before her execution she had asked for the chopping block to be placed in her room so that she could practise laying her head upon it. The morning of the execution she was pale and terrified and needed some help to get up the scaffold steps. Because there are no eyewitness reports of her last words, it's believed that she stuck with the traditional speech of asking for forgiveness. Catherine then laid her head on the block and her head was removed in a single stroke from the axe. Lady Jane Rochford was executed straight after Catherine. Not long after her death King Francis of France wrote Henry a letter regretting the Queens behaviour. 

Both Catherine and Jane were buried in unmarked graves in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower. They were laid to rest beside the remains of Anne and George Boleyn. During the reign of Queen Victoria, part of the Chapel underwent restorations. The body of Catherine was not found, but a stone was laid in her honour as well as mentioned on a plaque on the wall. 

LADY JANE GREY

Jane is often known at the nine day Queen. She was proclaimed as Queen on the death of her cousin Edward VI on 10th July 1553. She was used as a pawn by her father and father in law. They both wanted England to remain Protestant upon Edward's death, as his half sister Mary would return the country to Catholicism. Jane never wanted to be Queen and was reluctant to take the crown when it was given to her. When Mary heard, she raised troops and marched on England. Once she was proclaimed Queen on 19th July, Jane was arrested and kept in the Tower, till her execution. If Mary had had a child, or Jane's father didn't get involved in rebellions she would have let Jane go free, but sadly she didn't.

Jane, her husband, father and father in law were placed under arrest and housed within the Tower. Jane was placed in the Gentleman Gaoler's apartments, while her husband was in the Beauchamp Tower. In September 1553 Mary was declared the rightful successor and Jane was named as a usurper. During court proceedings she was named as Jane Dudley, wife of Guildford and was charged with high treason. Their trial took place on 13th November 1553 at Guildhall in London. As to be expected all accused were found guilty and sentenced to death. The court used a letter signed by Jane as the Queen as evidence against her for assuming the title and power of the monarch as a usurper. Jane's sentence of either being burnt at the stake or beheaded, was to be decided by her cousin Queen Mary.

The January 1554 rebellion that took place again the Queen's marriage to Philip of Spain sealed Jane's fate. Her father and uncle's joined the rebellion, this caused the council to carry out their sentence on Jane and her husband. Originally scheduled for the 9th February, it was pushed back in the hope of getting Jane to convert to the Catholic faith. Mary sent her chaplain to see Jane, but she didn't give in despite him trying to save her soul. They became friends and he would accompany her to the scaffold. Jane's husband, Guildford was taken from his cell on the morning of the 12th February 1554. He was given a public execution on Tower Hill, outside the Tower walls. His remains were then brought back inside the Tower passing by Jane's rooms. 

Jane was taken to Tower Green, where she climbed the steps and made a speech:

'Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same. The fact, indeed, against the Queen's highness was unlawful, and the consenting thereunto by me: but touching the procurement and desire thereof by me or on my behalf, I do wash my hands thereof in innocency, before God, and the face of you, good Christian people, this day. I do wash my hands thereof in innocence'. 

She then recited Psalm 51, 'Have mercy upon me, O God'. She then handed her gloves and handkerchief to her maid. The executioner then asked for her forgiveness, which she granted, while pleading 'I pray you dispatch me quickly'. Jane then asked, 'Will you take it off before I lay me down?', the axeman answered 'No, madam'. She then blindfolded herself, this led her to not being able to find the block with her hands and cried out, 'What shall I do? Where is it?'. It's not know who helped her but it was probably Sir Thomas Brydges, the Deputy Lieutenant of the Tower. Once her head was on the block, Jane spoke the last words of Jesus as recounted by Luke 'Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit'. Jane's head was taken off in one clean stroke. 

Both Jane and Guildford were buried in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, along with those that had been executed before them. At the time no memorial stone was erected at their grave. Jane's father, was executed 11 days after Jane. When the Chapel underwent restoration during the Victorian age a proper stone and memorial was put in place. Jane for me is an unsung monarch, she may not have received a coronation, but she was proclaimed Queen. She is often left off and forgotten about, but in a way she was in fact the first Queen of England.