Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Was the execution of THOMAS CROMWELL botched? In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling I’m going to tell you why. Why was Thomas Cromwell executed why some think he met a grisly end, even by Tudor standards and why this story may or may not be true.
We’ll start with the question who was Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, then move on to why Thomas Cromwell fell from favour. In particular we’ll look at why this son of a blacksmith and self-made man, who had climbed to the top of the Tudor political hierarchy, was unpopular with many of the nobles at Henry’s court and blamed for the King’s unpopular policies. We’ll also look at the real nail in his coffin, which his support of the marriage of Henry VIII to Anne of Cleves, which turned out to be a disaster. I’ll tell you about the arrest of Thomas Cromwell, the imprisonment of Thomas Cromwell in the Tower of London and read you part of the final letter he wrote to Henry VIII in which he famously begged for ‘mercy, mercy, mercy’, only to receive none. I’ll then describe the finals hours, last words and the death of Thomas Cromwell on 28 July 1540 on Tower Hill and finish by telling you what the sources say about the manner of his death and what was done with the remains of his head and the rest of his body.
This is the story of the gruesome end of one of Henry VIII’s most cunning servants who is often credited as the man who took down Anne Boleyn and who has been made even more well known by his portrayal in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall book series and the subsequent TV adaptations (most recently The Mirror and the Light) where he is played by Mark Rylance.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
WERE THOMAS CROMWELL & OLIVER CROMWELL RELATED?
youtu.be/VvyBw6AP9Bk
DEATH, MURDER AND CORPSES PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HqKJP-pwWUcP1OtH1hRvN4
THE GIRL WHO ESCAPRED HENRY VIII: CHRISTINA OF DENMARK
youtu.be/JLgNiktAcmE
PORTRAIT OF ANNE OF CLEVES
youtu.be/AIerL1Bug-U
EXECUTION OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS
youtu.be/cAxYKkrFOAI
DEATH OF ANNE BOLEYN: HOLLYWOOD VS HISTORY
youtu.be/gBczwBsGCqM
IS KATHERINE HOWARD HAUNTING HAMPTON COURT PALACE?
youtu.be/w3bQpHxC1e8
DEATH OF KATHERINE HOWARD AND JANE BOLEYN
youtu.be/LaiU2HHTuKQ
LEARN MORE:
[BOOK] Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
amzn.to/3AIfqo5
[BOOK] Hilary Mantel, Bring up the bodies
amzn.to/4fS8y6n
[BOOK] Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and The Light
amzn.to/4hVgeXf
[FREE BLOG POST] ‘Thomas Cromwell and the ‘ungoodly’ executioner’
thehistorypress.co.uk/article/thomas-cromwell-and-the-ungoodly-executioner
BUY OR RENT:
[TV SHOW] Wolf Hall (season 1, 2015)
amzn.to/4fwGkhS
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
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
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GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small 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
#ThomasCromwell #WolfHall #TheMirrorAndTheLight
Was the execution of THOMAS CROMWELL botched? In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling I’m going to tell you why. Why was Thomas Cromwell executed why some think he met a grisly end, even by Tudor standards and why this story may or may not be true.
We’ll start with the question who was Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, then move on to why Thomas Cromwell fell from favour. In particular we’ll look at why this son of a blacksmith and self-made man, who had climbed to the top of the Tudor political hierarchy, was unpopular with many of the nobles at Henry’s court and blamed for the King’s unpopular policies. We’ll also look at the real nail in his coffin, which his support of the marriage of Henry VIII to Anne of Cleves, which turned out to be a disaster. I’ll tell you about the arrest of Thomas Cromwell, the imprisonment of Thomas Cromwell in the Tower of London and read you part of the final letter he wrote to Henry VIII in which he famously begged for ‘mercy, mercy, mercy’, only to receive none. I’ll then describe the finals hours, last words and the death of Thomas Cromwell on 28 July 1540 on Tower Hill and finish by telling you what the sources say about the manner of his death and what was done with the remains of his head and the rest of his body.
This is the story of the gruesome end of one of Henry VIII’s most cunning servants who is often credited as the man who took down Anne Boleyn and who has been made even more well known by his portrayal in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall book series and the subsequent TV adaptations (most recently The Mirror and the Light) where he is played by Mark Rylance.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
WERE THOMAS CROMWELL & OLIVER CROMWELL RELATED?
youtu.be/VvyBw6AP9Bk
DEATH, MURDER AND CORPSES PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HqKJP-pwWUcP1OtH1hRvN4
THE GIRL WHO ESCAPRED HENRY VIII: CHRISTINA OF DENMARK
youtu.be/JLgNiktAcmE
PORTRAIT OF ANNE OF CLEVES
youtu.be/AIerL1Bug-U
EXECUTION OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS
youtu.be/cAxYKkrFOAI
DEATH OF ANNE BOLEYN: HOLLYWOOD VS HISTORY
youtu.be/gBczwBsGCqM
IS KATHERINE HOWARD HAUNTING HAMPTON COURT PALACE?
youtu.be/w3bQpHxC1e8
DEATH OF KATHERINE HOWARD AND JANE BOLEYN
youtu.be/LaiU2HHTuKQ
LEARN MORE:
[BOOK] Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
amzn.to/3AIfqo5
[BOOK] Hilary Mantel, Bring up the bodies
amzn.to/4fS8y6n
[BOOK] Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and The Light
amzn.to/4hVgeXf
[FREE BLOG POST] ‘Thomas Cromwell and the ‘ungoodly’ executioner’
thehistorypress.co.uk/article/thomas-cromwell-and-the-ungoodly-executioner
BUY OR RENT:
[TV SHOW] Wolf Hall (season 1, 2015)
amzn.to/4fwGkhS
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
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
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small 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
#ThomasCromwell #WolfHall #TheMirrorAndTheLight
