Sunday, June 2, 2013

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Execution of the 4rth Duke of Norfolk

A portrait of Thomas Howard, the 4rth Duke of Norfolk from 1563. By Hans Eworth. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1572, Thomas Howard, the 4rth Duke of Norfolk was executed,, having been convicted of treason. While English law dictated that surviving family members of traitors would lose all of their land and titles in order to make an example of them, Queen Elizabeth I took pity on Norfolk's son, allowing him to retain much of his father's property, though not his title.

To learn about the 4rth Duke of Norfolk's career, and to discover what led to his grisly end, please read our article about him.