Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
HACKED TO DEATH by an incompetent axeman, this is the story of the brutal execution of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury who supposedly required 11 blows of the axe to finish her off.
The daughter of George, Duke of Clarence and Isabel Neville, Margaret was one of the last Plantagenets still alive in Tudor England in the early 1540s and had been in high favour with her cousin’s son, Henry VIII, for many years even being made godmother to the future Mary I, his eldest daughter for instance. So why was Margaret Countess of Salisbury killed? The answer had to do with her son, Cardinal Reginald Pole, who had not supported Henry VIII’s break from the Catholic church in Rome. Unable to get to Reginald, who was in exile, Henry had the old woman locked up in the Tower of London instead. After years of imprisonment, Margaret was suddenly told she would be executed, a sentence which was swiftly carried out on 27 May 1541.
In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling we look at what happened next, at an execution so horrific and unwarranted, it shocked even Tudor England. I’ll tell you why there wasn’t even a scaffold erected for the execution, just a block, about the last words of Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, about how she supposedly tried to dodge the axeman’s blade, about why the executioner was so bad at his job and about where Margaret, Countess of Salisbury is buried, in the Chapel of St Peter Ad Vincula. You’ll also learn what was found when the remains of Margaret, Countess of Salisbury were dug up by the Victorians, along with those of Anne Boleyn.
I’ll use primary sources which provide conflicting accounts of her death, including a letter written by Eustace Chapuys, who was the imperial ambassador to the Tudor court and another by Charles de Marillac, the French Ambassador. I’ll also examine the claims that she wouldn’t lay her head on the block and ask how likely it is that they are true.
If you're fascinated by the dark side of Tudor history, royal executions, and the tyrannical reign of Henry VIII, this is a story you won't want to miss.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe for more deep dives into the untold stories of British royalty and Tudor history.
#MargaretPole #CountessOfSalisbury #RoyalExecution #TudorHistory
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Bizarre execution of George, Duke of Clarence
youtube.com/watch?v=QjveCvqxiRo&list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0EVv2DJZOZT5ZyQwSJ4o7oZ&index=10
Life and death of Isabel Neville, Duchess of Clarence
youtu.be/cMZNzng4CL4
Execution of Anne Boleyn: Hollywood vs History
youtu.be/gBczwBsGCqM
Executions of Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
youtu.be/LaiU2HHTuKQ
Execution of Thomas Cromwell
youtu.be/qT5OZYvS77A
Digging up Anne Boleyn and others
youtu.be/EjCxVN7V6FA
What happened to Katherine Howard’s body?
youtu.be/RF1GYu2njC8
Death, murder and corpses playlist
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HqKJP-pwWUcP1OtH1hRvN4
LEARN MORE:
Hazel Pierce, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury 1473-1541: Loyalty, Lineage and Leadership (2003). Available at amzn.to/3Kdr2DW
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
BUY OR RENT:
[TV SHOW] Wolf Hall (season 1, 2015)
amzn.to/4fwGkhS
[TV SHOW] Wolf Hall: the Mirror and the Light (season 2, 2025)
amzn.to/4njaGbj
The Tudors, season 1
amzn.to/2VCwQ0j
The Tudors, season 2
amzn.to/2VMPnHw
The Tudors, season 3
amzn.to/3BijsPB
The Tudors, season 4
amzn.to/3z16S58
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
HACKED TO DEATH by an incompetent axeman, this is the story of the brutal execution of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury who supposedly required 11 blows of the axe to finish her off.
The daughter of George, Duke of Clarence and Isabel Neville, Margaret was one of the last Plantagenets still alive in Tudor England in the early 1540s and had been in high favour with her cousin’s son, Henry VIII, for many years even being made godmother to the future Mary I, his eldest daughter for instance. So why was Margaret Countess of Salisbury killed? The answer had to do with her son, Cardinal Reginald Pole, who had not supported Henry VIII’s break from the Catholic church in Rome. Unable to get to Reginald, who was in exile, Henry had the old woman locked up in the Tower of London instead. After years of imprisonment, Margaret was suddenly told she would be executed, a sentence which was swiftly carried out on 27 May 1541.
In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling we look at what happened next, at an execution so horrific and unwarranted, it shocked even Tudor England. I’ll tell you why there wasn’t even a scaffold erected for the execution, just a block, about the last words of Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, about how she supposedly tried to dodge the axeman’s blade, about why the executioner was so bad at his job and about where Margaret, Countess of Salisbury is buried, in the Chapel of St Peter Ad Vincula. You’ll also learn what was found when the remains of Margaret, Countess of Salisbury were dug up by the Victorians, along with those of Anne Boleyn.
I’ll use primary sources which provide conflicting accounts of her death, including a letter written by Eustace Chapuys, who was the imperial ambassador to the Tudor court and another by Charles de Marillac, the French Ambassador. I’ll also examine the claims that she wouldn’t lay her head on the block and ask how likely it is that they are true.
If you're fascinated by the dark side of Tudor history, royal executions, and the tyrannical reign of Henry VIII, this is a story you won't want to miss.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe for more deep dives into the untold stories of British royalty and Tudor history.
#MargaretPole #CountessOfSalisbury #RoyalExecution #TudorHistory
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Bizarre execution of George, Duke of Clarence
youtube.com/watch?v=QjveCvqxiRo&list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0EVv2DJZOZT5ZyQwSJ4o7oZ&index=10
Life and death of Isabel Neville, Duchess of Clarence
youtu.be/cMZNzng4CL4
Execution of Anne Boleyn: Hollywood vs History
youtu.be/gBczwBsGCqM
Executions of Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
youtu.be/LaiU2HHTuKQ
Execution of Thomas Cromwell
youtu.be/qT5OZYvS77A
Digging up Anne Boleyn and others
youtu.be/EjCxVN7V6FA
What happened to Katherine Howard’s body?
youtu.be/RF1GYu2njC8
Death, murder and corpses playlist
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HqKJP-pwWUcP1OtH1hRvN4
LEARN MORE:
Hazel Pierce, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury 1473-1541: Loyalty, Lineage and Leadership (2003). Available at amzn.to/3Kdr2DW
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
BUY OR RENT:
[TV SHOW] Wolf Hall (season 1, 2015)
amzn.to/4fwGkhS
[TV SHOW] Wolf Hall: the Mirror and the Light (season 2, 2025)
amzn.to/4njaGbj
The Tudors, season 1
amzn.to/2VCwQ0j
The Tudors, season 2
amzn.to/2VMPnHw
The Tudors, season 3
amzn.to/3BijsPB
The Tudors, season 4
amzn.to/3z16S58
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
