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MARGARET POLE, COUNTESS OF SALISBURY

Portrait thought to be Margaret Pole

Date of Birth: August 14, 1473
 


Date of Death: May 27, 1541

Crime: Treason

 

Biography

Margaret Pole was part of the royal family because her uncles were Edward IV and Richard III of England. She was part of the house of York. However, after the Tudor family came to power, the York family members were dealt with through marriage, imprisonment, and/or execution.

 Henry VII arranged for Margaret to be married to Sir Richard Pole. From this marriage Margaret and Richard had five children. One of Margaret’s sons, Reginald, eventually became a cardinal and Archbishop of Canterbury. This gave Margaret ties to the Catholic Church which would turn out to be a major issue. In 1512, Margaret was granted the title of Countess of Salisbury by King Henry VIII. 

It was during the 1520’s and 30’s that Margaret began to fall from grace. This was largely due to her support of Catherine of Aragon and the princess Mary (who were Catholics). It was not a good time to be a supporter of Catholicism during this time in Henry VIII’s reign. In addition to Margaret’s support of Catherine of Aragon and Princess Mary, her son Reginald had spoken out against the Royal Supremacy which was an act of treason. However, Reginald did this from the safety of Italy while his mother, Margaret, was in England. Due to her support of Catholicism and her son’s act of treason Margaret underwent the wrath of Henry VIII.

Trial and Execution

In 1539 Margaret lost her title and her land. She was also convicted of treason though there was no trial. She was held in the tower of London for 2 ½ years. On 27 May 1541, after her long imprisonment, she was beheaded in front of about 150 people (though not the English commoners because of her noble birth). When they came to get Margaret she had said that no crime had been imputed to her but she was executed anyway. She was aged 67. Unfortunately, her beheading was not painless and quick. The first blow missed her neck and hit her shoulder. It is believed that she was struck 11 times total before she died. In 1886 she was beatified by Pope Leo XIII.

  

Historic Significance 

Margaret Pole was mainly targeted by Henry VIII because of her Catholicism and because she supported Catherine of Aragon and the Princess Mary. While Henry VIII was trying to establish himself as the head of The Church of England, it was not a good time to be openly Catholic, as Margaret Pole was. Also, her son had a lot to do with her downfall and ultimately her death. Her son, Reginald had spoken out openly against Henry VIII. While Reginald was safely in Italy, his mother was within Henry VIII's grasp. Her beheading was very symbolic of the king's power. Was a 67 year old woman really threatening to his throne/kingdom? Probably not. She was beheaded as a warning and an example to all Catholics and Catholic supporters.

The fact that she also did not have trial and she had “no crime imputed to her” is pretty clear evidence that she was being beheaded not because she was actually a threat but because her son had upset the king during a dangerous time for all Catholics. Again, her beheading was a warning to anyone thinking of disagreeing with the king.