The King's Favourite

Justice or Fate

Mary knelt by the wooden cross on the wall and began to pray. She prayed for her innocence, she prayed for her son and she prayed for her King. She did the same practice every day until she heard the clinking of keys against the bars of her door.

She turned around to see two guards standing by the barred door that was now open. They were each armed with a sword and wore clothes with the English lions embroidered upon them.

"You are charged with neglect and treason against the King and his son. You will now stand before the court." They read off of a scroll before lifting Mary kicking and screaming to the court room where she stood quivering in her nightdress and robe.

Mary looked up at the box of judges and then to the jury, she was terrified.

The statement she had heard from the guards was repeated but this this time "How do you plead?" was added on the end by the magistrate.

"Not Guilty, Your Honor" She whispered timidly.

"Speak up Girl" was the scornful reply.

Mary clearly replied "Not guilty. I plead not guilty your honor."

There was then a lot of discussion between the jury and judges before the final decision came to be made. Mary stood on the floor the whole time. She had no-one to speak as a witness and was silenced whenever she tried to speak.

The Magistrate turned to the judges and spoke: "The Jury has signed the Concordat and has found the accused guilty. How does your decision compare Lords?"

The Lord sat on the end of the box replied "Guilty". This was chorused by the same word several times from other members of the box, each time the word was repeated, Mary felt a stab of pain in her chest and tears welled in her eyes.

The Magistrate spoke once again: "Mary Boleyn, you have been found guilty of the neglect and murder of King Henry the Eighth of England's illegitimate son Edward. You are hereby sentenced to death by beheading by the Royal court of England." The hammer fell upon the desk of the magistrate and Mary was taken back to her room, screaming for her sister and for her innocence.

"Your sister has chosen to move to France" the guard yelled as he threw Mary back into her cell where she continued to cry.

Mary was distraught, her child had been murdered, she was sentenced to die and her own sister wasn't even willing to comfort her. Despite their recent disagreement, if it had been Anne imprisoned Mary would have come and comforted her. It was clear now that Mary had much greater regard for her sister than Anne who hadn't just ignored her, but had moved to France!

However, Mary was powerless over her free spirited sister and her own sentence, all she could do was wait for the guards to come and walk her to the scaffold.

And she did wait for 5 long weeks, each longer than the last. Until one day the guards re-appeared. She wasn't excited nor relieved, but somehow she was thankful for their arrival. "Mary Boleyn, you are convicted of Treason and Neglect under the sovereign court of King Henry VIII. In penance for your crimes you will today be executed by beheading on tower hill."

Mary rose from her place where she still knelt in prayer and turned to face the guards "If that is what my King demands, I will do it." she said clearly and calmly as she walked to her place between the four guards. Her hands were tied behind her back with rope and a plain white cap was provided to keep her hair away from her face and neck. The guards started moving and she walked beside them, holding her head high in dignity and loyalty. She was lead down the same cold steps she climbed on arrival and out across the courtyard to tower hill.

The wooden scaffold creaked as her and the guards stepped onto it and climbed the stairs. She was lead to the middle of the wooden platform where there was only a wooden block and the executioner, his axe gleaming in the early spring sun. A crowd had gathered around the scaffold and Mary saw that the King was among the crowds on a raised throne at the rear.

A guard stepped forward and repeated her crimes and sentence for a final time before he asked "Do you have any final words?" to Mary.

Mary stood up as straight and as proudly as she could and addressed the crowd with dignity "I am an innocent woman of the sins I am convicted of, my only sins are that of the common person. I stand here today by order of the crown and plead that you grant me forgiveness and understanding. May God have mercy on my soul."

Mary was pulled back by the guards and knelt down behind the block, she started to cry as her strength weakened and her end more near. She unwillingly placed her head on the terrifying block whist panting quickly "God have mercy on me. God have mercy on my soul" through her tears. The executioner lifted his axe and swung it down on Mary's slender neck with an almighty force.

Her head fell to the ground, her motionless body laid across the scaffold. The executioner picked up her head and held it to the crowds where he received a roar of applause.

It was over.