Royal Executions


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Madame Royale

Heir Apparent
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I'm rather perplexed.

Having recently watched the 'newly' released Anne Boleyn, I was surprised by the portrayl of her death. Not how she died, by beheading, but the way in which her head was displaced from her body.

She nealed, maintained her posture, her hands unbound if I recall correctly and the executioner standing behind having taken leverage of a sword, proceeded to strike her with such vigour just above her neckline.

Mary, Queen of Scots too was beheaded, but with her hands bound, nealed and bent at the waist with her head placed upon the despatch block. Needless to say, it was the force of an axe which eneded her life.

I knew that a royal death by way of execution was beheading, but I'm not aware if having been born a royal dictated differently to marrying into the position, ie: Axe for royals of the blood and a sword for commoners come royals.

But Anne's brother too was beheaded, but by the swing of an axe so I'm rather confused. Are there any accounts of how infact Anne Boleyn's head was removed? Or that of her brother?

Is anyone able to shed some light?
 
I remember reading in biographies that Anne was allowed a sword and a expert swordsman from France by the personal 'favor' of Henry VIII. I don't believe there was any legal or custom for different types of royals. Anne was just an exception.
 
Anne was granted permission to pay for the services of a swordsman to come from France and do the honors. Beheading by axe was not always a quick method of death. Sometimes it took more than one swing. A sword was generally considered a quicker, neater and more reliable method of doing the job with the first blow.
 
Thank you both for your replies.

How fascinating, yet terribly horrible. To acquire the services of your own executioner...what a chilling and gut wrenching thing to have done. I confess though, that as barbaric as it is, I think Anne's choice to have been the more "appealing" of the two.

Those executioners must have been terribly depraved men!! Or if not before, certainly would end up so.
 
Not only that MadameR if you read about the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots it is blood curdling as the executioner bungled it and had to repeat his blows numerous times. I don´t know if they were depraved, but they were certainly unfeeling but it was the custom for them to ask forgiveness on the scaffold and to be given it, and then some gift and a request to be quick. Horrible, but I imagine they just considered it a job....whether their consciences bothered them especially in later life we can just imagine.....
Even much later in the days of Samuel Pepys we find that a public execution was a good way to spend an afternoon, I think that royals and nobility were given private executions, which in a way was a concession to their high rank.
 
Execution of Prince Bayezid (other son of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificient) and his four sons - 18-year-old Prince Orhan, 16-year-old Prince Osman, 13-year-old Prince Abdullah and 9-year-old Prince Mahmud:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9EqlE4EU9o
 
Execution of King Charles I:


And that of his grandmother and Anne Boleyn:


Execution of Marie-Antoinette:


Execution of Lady Jane Grey:


Execution of the Romanov family:

 
Largely forgotten is Maria of Brabant, Duchess of Bavaria who was executed by her husband Louis II, Duke of Bavaria in 1256 who supposed adultery (which was never proven).

Poprava_Marie_Brabantsk%C3%A9.jpg
 
Some story of her writing a love letter to earl of Kylburg, which was sent to her husband instead by accident :whistling: Unfortunately not the only royal woman to fall victim to accusations of adultery when a husband wanted to be rid of a wife. And many of them, the validity of accusations were questionable.

Her husband built an abbey to expediate his part in it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fürstenfeld_Abbey
 
Execution of Kosem - Büyük Valide Sultan:


Execution of Sultan Osman II:


Execution of Sultan Ibrahim II the Mad (son of Kosem) with the consent of his mother:

 
Some story of her writing a love letter to earl of Kylburg, which was sent to her husband instead by accident :whistling: Unfortunately not the only royal woman to fall victim to accusations of adultery when a husband wanted to be rid of a wife. And many of them, the validity of accusations were questionable.

Her husband built an abbey to expediate his part in it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fürstenfeld_Abbey

What a Delightful Duke he also stabbed the unfortunate messenger and then killed his wife's maid by throwing her from the Castle battlements :ohmy:
 
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