Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury
Person Female Born 14/8/1473 Died 27/5/1541
Born Bath, of royal blood, she survived the Wars of the Roses and was trusted by Henry VIII enough to be a governess to Mary, his daughter by Catherine of Aragon. However when the king wanted a divorce from Catherine, Cardinal Pole, Margaret's son, from the safety of Italy, wrote denouncing the king who then turned against the whole Pole family. This meant execution for Margaret, even at age 68. There are stories that she ran from the block and the executioner chased her around Tower Green before he could complete the job.
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