Anne Boleyn -- 19th May

On this day, in 1536, Anne Boleyn was executed on the scaffold on Tower Green. As she was escorted out of her rooms by eight in the morning, she probably died shortly after. Her execution took place on Tower Green and she was beheaded, infamously, by a swordsmen brought over from Calais. She was therefore spared the barbaric hacking of the English axe. Those who witnessed her execution included Cromwell, Henry VIII's illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy Duke of Richmond, the Duke of Suffolk and the Mayor of London. Chapuys and other foreign dignitaries had not been allowed to witness the execution. Anne's speech is well known to many and was recorded by an eye witness shortly after the event occurred: "Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law and by the law I am judged to die and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that whereof I am accused and condemned to die. But I pray God save the King and send him long reign over you. For a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me." After knelling and being blindfolded she exclaimed: "To Christ I commend my soul, Jesu receive my soul, to Christ -- " And whilst still praying she was executed. No one had provided a coffin for the body so she was unceremoniously placed in an arrow chest and burried. In the nineteenth century her body was exhumed and she is now laid to rest in front of the high altar next to her brother in the Chapel St. Peter ad Vincula (in the Tower). Those who have visited the chapel would have seen the plague on the floor for her. This does not mark her exact resting place; she is buried a little away from this. The video is a mixture of clips of different performances of Anne. The editing is awful; I know. I wish I could make a fitting tribute, however I am currently in the middle of exams and have little time to prefect the video. It's interesting to compare the execution scenes, particularly how some productions promote the idea that she died amongst a hostile crowd, but others depict an eerie silence. But throughout she is depicted meeting the scaffold with dignity and courage and a sympathetic tone is taken.

YouTube | May 19, 2008

Tags:. .hacking. .exact. .according. .particularly. .judged