Socyberty » Jane Grey http://socyberty.com Sat, 02 Jun 2012 18:00:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Off with Their Heads: Five Famous Beheaded Queens http://socyberty.com/history/off-with-their-heads-five-famous-beheaded-queens/ http://socyberty.com/history/off-with-their-heads-five-famous-beheaded-queens/#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:41:13 +0000 Lost in Arizona http://socyberty.com/history/off-with-their-heads-five-famous-beheaded-queens/ It’s a good thing we have necks. You know, to keep our head about our shoulders. But it some cases, darned if you don’t lose your head. Sometimes it’s not always good to be the king, or queen for that matter. Here are some leading ladies, who unfortunately met their fate by losing their heads.

Marie Antoinette (1755-1793)

Oh how the French loved to hate her. At the tender age of 14, she was plucked from her home of Austria and given into marriage with Louis Aguste (not yet king of France). In the beginning, opinions were mixed about the soon to be queen. The people at large adored her, but the people at court would often refer to her as the “ostrich bitch.” It was a good seven years before her marriage to King Louis XVI would be consummated, and not only did the French people desire a male heir, but her mother was adamant about it, and often criticized the girl for being “inadequate.” Never mind that King Louis XVI had issues downstairs that required surgery for the problem to be fixed.

Marie resorted to spending on lavish gifts for herself, and a reputation for her opulence soon spread throughout the court. As Marie matured in age, hatred towards her grew. Rumors about infidelities and illegitimacy of her children spread throughout the country. Although they were probably untrue, the rumors quickly began to damage her reputation. The “Affair of the Diamond Necklace” only made matters worse, even though Marie never wished to purchase the necklace. As hostilities grew towards the French royalties, their removal from the throne became inevitable. She would be tried and committed to the guillotine only two days after her trial. She was not yet 38.

Mary I, Queen of Scots (1542-1587)

Many of her years were spent in hiding due to the turbulence caused by wars. Her father died while she was only a week old, and her mother safe-guarded the young child for her protection. By 5, she was sent to France, to become the future wife of Francis. Mary would eventually vie for the succession for the English throne. Many believed Elizabeth I to be illegitimate, and even though Henry VIII excluded the Stuart line to not be included in the succession of the throne, many still wanted Mary to be on the English throne. After Francis died, Mary returned to her native Scotland. Religious tensions began to mount when Mary began to claim her rights to the English throne. This did not please Elizabeth I. With the marriage to Henry Stuart, Mary and Henry became claimants to the throne, being direct descendents of Margaret Tudor. Her second husband subsequently died, and she was forced into marriage with James Hepburn.

However, the people of Scotland disliked the union and revolted. She managed to escape imprisonment, which was a mistake, as she fled to England seeking sanctuary. She was confined in England for 18 years, before finally being found guilty of attempting an assassination plot against Elizabeth I. She was executed by axe, where it purportedly took 2-3 blows before her head was removed. Whereupon the executioner lifted her head and all were appalled as her head rolled to the ground, and the executioner was only clutching a wig. Legend claims that her dog had followed his master to her death, and after her execution, the dog went to lay between her shoulders and head. Her lips still trembled a good quarter an hour after death.

Anne Boleyn (1507?-1536)

She was the second wife of Henry VIII, and historians still argue as to whether they were legally married. She became pregnant before their marriage, which hastened their union. Henry VIII fought heaven and earth to make Anne his wife, but he became tired of her shortly after they were married. Since she couldn’t produce a male heir, her popularity with Henry VIII began to falter. Rumors of adultery and the legitimacy of Elizabeth began to spread. Henry VIII, being a man who could be easily swayed, began to believe in the rumors.

“Evidence” of adultery, treason, and incest with her brother began to mount against Anne. Despite her pleas and protests, she was found guilty, and was to be put to death either by burning or beheading; whichever the king found most suitable. Plagued by his conscience, Henry VIII decided to have a swordsman from Calais do the deed. It took one stroke to remove her head. She had not yet been dead 2 weeks before Henry VIII was onto his 3rd wife, Jane Seymour.

Catherine Howard (1520?-1542)

She was fairly promiscuous as a young girl, which would end up haunting her in marriage to Henry VIII. She had two involvements with men before her marriage, and a possible intent to marry to Francis Dereham. She wasn’t particularly bright, but she had a beauty about her that caught Henry VIII eyes. He was never interested in Anne of Cleves, his 4th wife. Eventually, Henry VIII would annul his marriage to Anne, and marry Catherine.

Henry VIII was nearly 50, and she, a mere 20. Catherine was repulsed by the obese king, and she began to have an affair with Thomas Culpeper. Catherine was not discreet about her affair, and many people began to ask favors of the queen. She mistakenly appointed her past lovers into her household. Evidence was found against the young woman, and she was found guilty of treason. She too, was committed to die by beheading.

Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554)

The sad pawn of financial power, Jane was thrust onto the throne for a mere 9 days. Even though she had no right to the throne, Edward VI put Jane as a successor upon his death; even though Mary was still heiress presumptive to the throne. It is probable, that Northumberland, whom Jane was recently married to his son, persuaded the young king to include Jane as successor. Jane was a Protestant, and many did not want a Catholic ruling the kingdom; which Mary was.

When Edward died, Jane was proclaimed queen. Despite Jane’s ascension to the thrown, Mary found support against Jane and was declared the rightful Queen of England. Initially Jane was spared, but as Mary realized that she could be a potential threat to her throne, she eventually signed the death warrant for Jane’s demise. Queen Mary allowed for Jane to be executed in private, and the young girl died before she would turn 17.

]]> http://socyberty.com/history/off-with-their-heads-five-famous-beheaded-queens/feed/ 7 Famous Teen Deaths http://socyberty.com/history/famous-teen-deaths/ http://socyberty.com/history/famous-teen-deaths/#comments Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:45:11 +0000 eddiego65 http://socyberty.com/history/famous-teen-deaths/

  • Samantha Smith

    Known as “America’s Youngest Ambassador” during her lifetime. This schoolgirl became famous at age 10 for writing a letter to the Soviet leader Yuri Andropov during the Cold War and subsequently receiving a reply including an invitation to visit the Soviet Union. She died in an airplane crash in 1985 at only 13 years of age.

  • Alexei Romanov

    The only son and heir of Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra of Hesse, officially known by the title “Grand Duke and Tsarevich of Russia.” He, along with his parents and sisters, was executed on July 17, 1918, a month shy of his 14th birthday, by the Bolshevik secret police.

  • Edward VI

    King of England (1547-1553), the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England’s first Protestant ruler. Though sickly, this son of King Henry VIII by his wife, Jane Seymour was a very bright child who was able to fluently speak Latin, French and Greek by age 13. The cause of his death at the age of 15 is indefinite but is thought to be due to tuberculosis or arsenic poisoning.

  • Mattie Stepanek

    An American poet, who wrote five books that included “Heartsongs,” and “Journey Through Heartsongs,” three of which made the New York Time’s Best Seller list. He began writing at age 3 to cope with the loss of his older brother, who suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He would eventually die at age 13 from the same disease that also took his sister and one other brother.

  • Anne Frank

    German-born Jewish girl, best known of her diary that chronicled her experiences while hiding with her family in Amsterdam during the German occupation in World War II and her confinement in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, providing a very intimate examination of daily life under Nazi era. She died of typhus at age 15 in the aforementioned camp in 1945.

  • Ritchie Valens

    A pioneer of rock and roll. This very first Mexican-American rock and roll star’s hits included “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Framed” and “La Bamba.” His death in a plane crash at age 17 on February 3, 1959 inspired singer Don McLean’s 1971 hit “American Pie” that immortalized February 3 as “The Day the Music Died.”

  • Tutankhamun

    The best known of all Egyptian pharaohs, since his image and associated artifacts are among the world’s most exhibited. The discovery of this 18 or 19-year-old ruler’s well-preserved tomb in 1922 by British archeologist Howard Carter (employed by Lord Carnarvon) in the Valley of the Kings launched an era of modern Egyptology.

  • Ryan White

    An HIV-infected boy, who drew national and worldwide attention because he was a heterosexual white middle class boy as opposed to homosexual men and intravenous drug users who are normally associated with the disease. He died in 1990 at age 18 after being infected with HIV from a blood product that was part of his treatment for hemophilia.

  • Joan of Arc

    The national heroine of France and a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. She led the French army in an astounding series of victories that reversed the tide of the Hundred Year’s War after years of humiliating defeat against the English. She was burnt at the stake at age 19 in 1431 for heresy but was declared innocent in 1456.

  • Jane Grey

    Henry VII’s devout Protestant great granddaughter who succeeded Edward VI as Queen of England in 1553. She would rule England for only nine days before being put to trial for treason that led to her execution in 1554 at age 17 or 18 by her cousin Queen Mary, and thus became known as “Nine Days’ Queen.”

    • Click on the following for more interesting history articles:

    ]]>     http://socyberty.com/history/famous-teen-deaths/feed/ 11