The last Plantagenet: The brutal execution of Margaret Pole – A dark chapter in Henry VIII’s reign

Marking 484 years this week, the Countess of Salisbury’s gruesome execution highlights Henry VIII’s ruthless paranoia and political cruelty.

In the annals of Tudor history, few executions were as appalling and politically motivated as that of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury. A noblewoman of impeccable lineage, Margaret was one of the last surviving members of the Plantagenet dynasty and a direct threat to Henry VIII’s increasingly paranoid rule. Her violent death in 1541, at the age of 67, remains one of the most disturbing episodes of the period.

Margaret was the daughter of George, Duke of Clarence—brother to both Edward IV and Richard III—making her a cousin to the Tudor monarch. Though she had lived much of her life in relative quiet, her Plantagenet blood made her a symbol of alternative legitimacy. As Henry VIII grew more autocratic, his fear of rivals, especially those with royal lineage, intensified.

Her downfall began not with her own actions, but those of her son, Reginald Pole. A staunch opponent of Henry’s break from the Catholic Church, Reginald openly criticised the king’s annulment from Catherine of Aragon and the creation of the Church of England. Henry’s response was swift and brutal: members of the Pole family were arrested, and Margaret, despite her advanced age and lack of direct involvement, was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Held without trial for over a year, Margaret was finally condemned by a bill of attainder—an act of Parliament that declared her guilty without the need for evidence or a court proceeding. On May 27, 1541, she was taken from her cell and led to the executioner’s block. What followed was horrific. According to contemporary accounts, including that of chronicler Edward Hall, the executioner was unskilled and required multiple blows—possibly as many as ten—to finish the job. Margaret, dignified and defiant, is said to have refused to kneel, declaring, “I am no traitor.”

Her execution shocked even those familiar with Tudor brutality. Margaret Pole’s death was not only a personal tragedy but a calculated political act—designed to eliminate the last vestiges of Plantagenet claim and send a chilling message to those who opposed Henry’s religious and political reforms.

Today, Margaret Pole is remembered not only as a victim of tyranny but also as a Catholic martyr. She was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. Her story remains a powerful reminder of how political paranoia can lead to the darkest abuses of power.