Beheaded

The time has finally come. On May 19, 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn was guided to a scaffold at the Tower of London and was the first queen in history to be publicly executed. Just two days before, her brother and 4 other men were also beheaded for adultery and treason. Anne's final words at the scaffold were "If any person will meddle of my cause, I require thee to judge the best", and s...

"The time will come -  I, Anne Boleyn". These are the words Anne Boleyn wrote in her Book of Hours, and the phrase could not be more fitting. History has become obsessed with the mysterious and foreboding figure of Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII's second wife. Her passionate love for the king of England forever changed history and the shape of Europe, making her one of the most intrig...

Guy Fawkes may just be the baddest English Catholic around. His story has been re-told throughout history as the 'guy' who was caught red-handed and ready to plow up Parliament in the year 1605. While there were at least 13 conspirators involved in the "Gunpowder Plot", Guy is one of the most memorable and seen as the main instigator behind the failed assassination. And well de...

In the early 1800s, the progression of medical discovery was thriving. However, doctors were running short on cadavers, which were necessary to dissect and research in order to further develop their scientific breakthroughs. If it weren’t for some of the more seedier characters of the time, the ‘spare parts' would have been harder to come by. William Burke and William Hare, two Scottish men w...

Maggie Dickson is a Scottish legend known not just for her trial and execution... but for what came after! This gal truly earned the nickname "Half-Hangit Maggie" after the unexpected turn of events at her public hanging. Megan and Elizabeth share the story of this resilient young woman who now has a pub named after her in Old Town Edinburgh.  Support the show

Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya may have a complicated name, but, nonetheless, upheld the Soviet spirit in the midst of World War II. At the tender age of 18 years old, she joined the 'sabotage school' to help ward off the invading Nazis. Her relentlessness and courage inspired Stalin himself to use her as the face of nationalist propaganda to help encourage others to fight for Mother Russia. List...

There have only been a few known attempted escapes from the Tower of London, but only one involved a rendezvous between a flirtatious woman and her jailer. Alice (Wolfe) Tankerville was very familiar with the Tower due to her frequent visits with her husband to finally ending up as a prisoner herself. She was a smart woman who learned how to make friends behind bars, which brought her so close to...

King Louis XVI was ill-prepared to be king of France at the tender age of 19. He was, however, fully prepared to meet his fatal end at the guillotine. Hated by the majority of France, he and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were tried for high treason amidst the French Revolution. Louis just wanted to have fun and be adored by all of his subjects, though! Too bad incompetent kings don't make it pa...

Thomas More was not only one of King Henry VIII’s closest advisors in the Tudor court, but some would even argue his best friend. Henry wasn't known for being a very forgiving friend, though, and with good reason. Especially when his friends don't show their allegiance to his policies. Sir Thomas More, named a saint by the Catholic church, stood up for his beliefs and morals even when it...

During World War I the Germans and French had at least one thing in common: Mata Hari, the exotic dancer turned double agent. Her history as a seductive dancer for the elite made it an easy disguise to cross borders and spill details for both sides. But working as a double spy can be dangerous, and the consequences fatal.  Support the show

Joan of Arc was only 17 years old when she led the French army into battle during the Middle Ages. After hearing prophetic messages from angels saying she needed to save France from the English, she convinced the dauphine to supply her with an army that would guarantee victory. Not only was she a young, teenage girl fighting amongst experienced soldiers, she was also a peasant without any educatio...

If you thought Russian pirates didn't exist, think again, matey! Stepan Razin- or Stenka to his friends - was a rebellious leader of the Cossacks who raised a political uprising against the Russian elite in the 1670s. Some may see him as a Robin Hood-type figure, others see him as a swashbuckling and violent revolutionist. Either way, his fearless movement didn't end very pleasantly. Meg...

Elizabeth Sugrue, also known as Lady Betty or, even more foreboding, the Woman From Hell, led an interesting life. She was given the job as Ireland's first and only female executioner in the 18th century. The catch? She would only do the job if her own death sentence was reduced to life in prison. “Set me free and I’ll hang them all!” were the famous words of Lady Betty. Listen to how the &ap...

Season two is finally here! Some may say she's basic (not us, of course!), but love her or hate her, Catherine Howard was next up to the chopping block as King Henry VIII's fifth wife. She played with love and after being called a "sweet little fool", her actions finally caught up with her. Season two of Behedead gets kicked off with one of our favorite queens in British histor...

In our season finale, Megan and Elizabeth finish the terrifying story of Mary Queen of Scots. Queen Mary wasn't one to have good luck, and the events that unfolded during her execution proved just that. Her death has been memorialized as one of the most disturbing and unfair botched executions in Tudor history, and perhaps even in the history of mankind.  Support the show

Mary Queen of Scots was known to attract enemies since she was a young girl. From her upbringing in France to becoming Queen of Scotland, her life was not easy. In this two-part season finale, Megan and Elizabeth dissect this doomed queen's life from one unfortunate event to the next to try and understand why it had to end with such a miserable execution.  Support the show

Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum was an unfortunate soul who robbed trains in the wild, wild west. Eventually, the law caught up with him and he was hanged in front of a public crowd. Too bad the executioners didn't know what they were doing! In this episode, Dr. John (a real-life doctor!) joins the show to give a medical perspective on what happens to a body during a botched hanging like t...

The Nun of Kent. The Holy Maid of Kent. And eventually...The Mad Maid of Kent. These were all nicknames for Elizabeth Barton, the young and spunky nun who supposedly was receiving prophetic messages from Gods and angels (all of whom had very big opinions about King Henry VIII and his bride-to-be Anne Boleyn). King Henry VIII wasn’t having this and needed to put an end to these treasonous prophecie...

Megan and Elizabeth here ready to talk about two of our favorite subjects: torture and execution. Who says history can't be fun, especially when we're chatting about the drop of the axe and swoosh of the noose. Listen, subscribe and follow along on our Instagram (@beheaded.podcast) to hear about the fascinating and dark stories of your favorite, controversial characters in history. Don&a...

World War II was a dark time in Italy's history as they were under the grips of fascist leader and dictator Benito Mussolini. On April 28th, 1945 - just two days before Hitler commits suicide - Mussolini and his mistress, Claretta Pettaci, were executed by machine guns. Despite this being a more modern execution story, key questions still remain a mystery: who ordered the execution? Who was t...

Socrates: Greek hero, world-renowned philosopher, scholar, and apparently a very bad influence. So much so, in fact, he was sentenced to death for corrupting the youth of Athens and refusing to celebrate multiple gods.  Naturally, the punishment for these heinous crimes should be poisoning yourself! Prepare your minds as Elizabeth and Megan get deep and philosophical in this episode of Beheaded. ...

We know the story. We've seen the movie. But it's time to talk about the disturbing and gory details of William Wallace's execution: death by being drawn and quartered. Freedom had a hefty price tag in 13th century Scotland, and Wallace paid in full. Beware, disembowelment is not for the faint hearted.    Support the show

" For traitors on the block should die; I am no traitor, no, not I!" Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, held onto her innocence until the very end. Not only was she one of the oldest women beheaded at the Tower of London, but she was also one of the most pious. Unfortunately, her piety did not save her from King Henry VIII's wrath... or from a "blundering youth" of an e...

Ancient Egypt was well known for its zero-tolerance policy when it came to scandal and murder; especially with the murder of Pharaoh Ramses III. Elizabeth and Megan go back to one of the most archaic execution stories in history, using the evidence found from mummies to reveal what really happened in Ramses' harem. Don't worry, at least one person gets off with just a stern warning.  Sup...

The 300-year reign of the Russian Romanov family ended one very sad night with the execution of Czar Nicholas II and his whole family, including the mysterious Anastasia. What better way to talk about this than with our very own, legit Russian (accent and all)? Megan, Elizabeth, and our VERY special guest star Elena talk about the tragic story of Anastasia and the last of the Romanov dynasty. Hate...