The beautiful abstract memorial to those executed inside the Tower of London smooths the rough edges of what happened here.
This historic marker presents the history of those beheaded here in "privileged" executions, carried out within the Tower walls away from prying eyes, unlike the more public executions on Tower Hill. Three English Queens two English lords, and two English ladies were all executed here.
The marker reads as follows:
"EXECUTIONS AT THE TOWER OF LONDON
Tower Green is famous is the spot where three Queens, two lords and two ladies were beheaded as traitors. It was very unusual to be executed within the Tower, rather than on Tower Hill. Those executed here and on Tower Hill are buried in the 16th century chapel of St. Peter Vincula in front of you.
These “privileged” executions of controversial people were easier to control within the fortress, out of the public gaze. Scaffoldings were built afresh for each execution, and not always in the same place.
Until the 19th century, the area in front of St. Peter's with the cemetery for parishioners. A chapel has existed on the site since the 12th century. The Chaplain and Doctor of the Tower live in the Georgian houses next to it.
In 1861, Queen Victoria visited the tower, and was so moved by the story of and Boleyn's death that she requested that the spot claimed to be her execution site be marked with the plaque. Today, a sculpture by artist Brian Caitling continues this Victorian tradition.
Main: Anne Boleyn on the scaffold 19 May 1536. This contemporary picture is inaccurate - and was beheaded by a hatchet, not the more usual axe.
Cameo: Queen Catherine Howard, 5th wife of Henry VIII, was executed at the tower six years after her cousin Anne Boleyn
Left: from 1866 2006, a plaque marked the spot associated with the towers famous executions
[Abridged text in several international languages follows]"
From Wikipedia, the full list of those who were executed inside the Tower of London: (
visit link)
"William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, by order of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, in 1483
Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, 19 May 1536.
Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, the last of the Plantagenet dynasty on 27 May 1541.
Queen Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, by a bill of attainder on 13 February 1542.
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, by order of Henry VIII on 13 February 1542.
Lady Jane Grey, the "Nine Days Queen", wife of Lord Guildford Dudley, by order of a special commission for High treason, on 12 February 1554.
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex for treason on 25 February 1601.
Each of these individuals was beheaded with an axe save for Anne Boleyn who was beheaded with a sword. The bodies of all seven were buried in the Chapel of St. Peter.
In addition to the seven listed above, three additional names are listed on the memorial at Tower Green:
Farquhar Shaw and the brothers Samuel Macpherson and Malcolm Macpherson. All three were soldiers in the Black Watch Regiment from the Scottish Highlands who were charged with mutiny and executed at the Tower on 19 July 1743 by a firing squad made up of their fellow soldiers."