Top 10 People Who Lost Their Heads

Who were executed or murdered by beheading? Henry VIII was forever having people beheaded, including a couple of his queen consorts. His daughters, Mary I (aka Bloody Mary) and Elizabeth I, were no slouches in the "off with her head" department either. Then there were the French.
The Top Ten
1 Marie Antoinette (1793 in the French Revolution) As the last queen of France, Marie Antoinette was executed by guillotine during the height of the French Revolution. Accused of high treason and extravagant spending, she was beheaded on October 16, 1793.

I'll choose this one because I recall the name from school!

This is an odd list but unique.

2 Anne Boleyn (1536 by Henry VIII) The second wife of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn was charged with adultery, incest, and treason. She was beheaded on May 19, 1536, with her execution marking a turning point in English history, as it led to the King's break from the Roman Catholic Church.

Anne Boleyn would have made an awesome queen. She should be one of the most famous women of all time.

3 Mary, Queen of Scots (1587 by Elizabeth I) Mary, Queen of Scots was executed on February 8, 1587, after being implicated in plots to assassinate her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. She was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle after spending 19 years in captivity.
4 Charles I of England (1649 by Oliver Cromwell) King Charles I was beheaded on January 30, 1649, after being found guilty of high treason. His execution was ordered by Oliver Cromwell and marked the end of the English monarchy until its restoration in 1660.

Well, in the end, he shared the same doomed fate as his grandmother Mary Stuart (Mary Queen of Scots). Like grandmother, like grandson!

Dethroned and executed! Democracy won!

5 Lady Jane Grey (1554 by Mary I) Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed queen of England for nine days in 1553. However, Mary I, who had a stronger claim to the throne, overthrew her, and Jane was convicted of high treason. She was beheaded on February 12, 1554.
6 Louis XVI (1793 in the French Revolution) As the last king of France, Louis XVI was convicted of high treason and crimes against the state during the French Revolution. He was executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793.
7 Catherine Howard (1542 by Henry VIII) Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII, was accused of adultery and treason. She was executed by beheading on February 13, 1542, at the Tower of London.

Prick up your ears, I'm the Catherine who lost her head!

8 Saint Sir Thomas More (1535 by Henry VIII) Sir Thomas More, a renowned statesman and philosopher, opposed King Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church. He was convicted of treason and beheaded on July 6, 1535.
9 Charlotte Corday (1793 in French Revolution) Charlotte Corday, a political activist during the French Revolution, assassinated radical journalist Jean-Paul Marat. She was arrested, tried, and executed by guillotine on July 17, 1793.
10 Sir Walter Raleigh (1618 by James I) Sir Walter Raleigh, an English explorer, writer, and politician, was executed by beheading on October 29, 1618. He had been accused of conspiring against King James I in the Main Plot, which aimed to remove the king from power.
The Contenders
11 Wat Tyler (1381 by Sir William Walworth) Wat Tyler was a leader of the Peasants' Revolt in England in 1381. He was killed by Sir William Walworth, the Lord Mayor of London, during a meeting with King Richard II. His head was subsequently displayed on a spike as a warning to other rebels.
12 Blackbeard (1718 by Lieutenant Robert Maynard) Blackbeard, the infamous pirate, was killed in a naval battle against Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the British Royal Navy on November 22, 1718. After his death, Blackbeard's head was severed from his body and hung from the bowsprit of Maynard's ship as a trophy.
13 John the Baptist (30 by Herod Antipas)
14 William Wallace (1305 by King Edward I of England) William Wallace, a Scottish knight and leader in the Wars of Scottish Independence, was captured and found guilty of treason against King Edward I. He was executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering, with his head then placed on a spike, on August 23, 1305.
15 Olympe de Gouges (1793 in French Revolution) Olympe de Gouges was a French playwright, activist, and feminist who advocated for women's rights during the French Revolution. She was arrested, tried, and executed by guillotine on November 3, 1793, for her opposition to the radical Jacobins.
16 Sophie Scholl (1943 by the Nazis) Sophie Scholl was a German student and anti-Nazi activist, part of the White Rose resistance group. She was arrested and convicted of high treason for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets. Sophie was executed by guillotine on February 22, 1943.
17 Hans Scholl (1943 by the Nazis) Hans Scholl, Sophie's brother and fellow member of the White Rose resistance group, was also arrested and convicted of high treason for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets. He was executed by guillotine on the same day as his sister, February 22, 1943.
18 Paul the Apostle (circa 64 by Emperor Nero) Paul the Apostle, one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero, who persecuted Christians. Although the exact date of his execution is uncertain, it is believed to have occurred around 64 AD.
19 Johann Friedrich Struensee (1772 by Juliane Maria of Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel)
20 Catherine of Alexandria (305 by Emperor Maxentius) Saint Catherine of Alexandria was a Christian martyr who was executed by beheading on the orders of Roman Emperor Maxentius after she refused to renounce her faith. Her execution is believed to have taken place in 305 AD.
21 Saint Valentine (269 by Emperor Claudius II) Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr, was executed by beheading on the orders of Roman Emperor Claudius II after defying the emperor's ban on Christian marriages. His execution is believed to have taken place on February 14, 269 AD.
22 Madame du Barry (1793 in the French Revolution)
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