Mary Stuart - Version 3

Better known as simply Mary, Queen of Scots, Mary was crowned queen before she was even a year old in 1542. At an extremely young age she was betrothed to Edward, Henry VIII's only son, but by the time she reached five years of age the Scots had decided to avoid such an arrangement with England and sent Mary to France with the intent of having her marry Francis, the four-year-old Dauphin who was heir to the French throne.

In 1558 she married Francis and was considered to be the most beautiful princess in Europe. During that year, Queen Mary I of England passed away and Henry II of France encouraged his daughter-in-law to assume the royal arms of England. It was widely believed that Mary Stuart was the next in line for the English throne. This did not sit well with Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who was crowned Queen of England after her half-sister's death.

The following year, Mary and her husband were crowned King and Queen of France upon the death of Henry II, although their royal happiness was short-lived. Mary's mother and husband both died shortly afterwards, and Mary returned to rule over Scotland. A fair queen, Mary was loved by the common people but loathed by the nobles.

In 1565 she married Henry Stuart, a royal cousin, whom she wed in matrimony but did not name as King. He would later become jealous of her power and attempt to kill her. They did produce an heir, James VI of Scotland. This was also unsettling to Elizabeth I, who was unwed and without an heir.

In 1586 the final showdown between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I would take place as Mary was brought to trial for plotting to kill the Queen of England and assume the throne. The trial was simply a formality, the verdict having been decided well before the proceedings, and Mary was found guilty and sentenced to death. She was beheaded on February 8, 1587. Her small dog was found hidden in the fabric of the deceased Queen's gown immediately after her execution.

ABOUT THE DOLL

Mary Stuart is a vinyl doll that stands approx. 10" tall. She wears an underskirt of cream silk with a rose-patterned black lace overlay. Golden cream silk is also used for her sleeves and bodice front. Her overdress is a deep purple jacquard with lavender trim and hand-sewn faux pearls. Her dress has large draping sleeves are made of brown faux fur. There is a gold and rhinestone ornament at her waist, and a strand of faux pearls with a sterling silver cross around her neck.

Jane's severed head has striking hand-painted green eyes and she wears her chestnut brown hair gathered beneath a matching headdress with a black lace veil. Her neck has an additional gash from the first blow of the axe.

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Mary Stuart - Version 2

Better known as simply Mary, Queen of Scots, Mary was crowned queen before she was even a year old in 1542. At an extremely young age she was betrothed to Edward, Henry VIII's only son, but by the time she reached five years of age the Scots had decided to avoid such an arrangement with England and sent Mary to France with the intent of having her marry Francis, the four-year-old Dauphin who was heir to the French throne.

In 1558 she married Francis and was considered to be the most beautiful princess in Europe. During that year, Queen Mary I of England passed away and Henry II of France encouraged his daughter-in-law to assume the royal arms of England. It was widely believed that Mary Stuart was the next in line for the English throne. This did not sit well with Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who was crowned Queen of England after her half-sister's death.

The following year, Mary and her husband were crowned King and Queen of France upon the death of Henry II, although their royal happiness was short-lived. Mary's mother and husband both died shortly afterwards, and Mary returned to rule over Scotland. A fair queen, Mary was loved by the common people but loathed by the nobles.

In 1565 she married Henry Stuart, a royal cousin, whom she wed in matrimony but did not name as King. He would later become jealous of her power and attempt to kill her. They did produce an heir, James VI of Scotland. This was also unsettling to Elizabeth I, who was unwed and without an heir.

In 1586 the final showdown between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I would take place as Mary was brought to trial for plotting to kill the Queen of England and assume the throne. The trial was simply a formality, the verdict having been decided well before the proceedings, and Mary was found guilty and sentenced to death. She was beheaded on February 8, 1587. Her small dog was found hidden in the fabric of the deceased Queen's gown immediately after her execution.

ABOUT THE DOLL

This commemorative mannequin of Mary of Scots stands approx. 30" tall with stand and weighs about 20 pounds. The mannequin is 30" wide from elbow to elbow. Mary is dressed in a simple red silk gown similar to the one she has been described as wearing for her execution. The neckline and sleeves are trimmed with narrow red lace. In her right hand she holds a strand of white beads and metal discs that ends with a small cross composed of ruby gemstones.

She holds her battered severed head in her left arm, bits of straw and grit still remain on her face and hair where her head struck the scaffold floor after the executioner's bungle. Her hair is grey and is cut short, and her glassy eyes are fringed with blood-matted lashes. The severed areas reveal both spinal bone and esophagus with slight displacement to reflect on the two blows of the axe needed to decapitate her.

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Mary Stuart - Version 1

Better known as simply Mary, Queen of Scots, Mary was crowned queen before she was even a year old in 1542. At an extremely young age she was betrothed to Edward, Henry VIII's only son, but by the time she reached five years of age the Scots had decided to avoid such an arrangement with England and sent Mary to France with the intent of having her marry Francis, the four-year-old Dauphin who was heir to the French throne.

In 1558 she married Francis and was considered to be the most beautiful princess in Europe. During that year, Queen Mary I of England passed away and Henry II of France encouraged his daughter-in-law to assume the royal arms of England. It was widely believed that Mary Stuart was the next in line for the English throne. This did not sit well with Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who was crowned Queen of England after her half-sister's death.

The following year, Mary and her husband were crowned King and Queen of France upon the death of Henry II, although their royal happiness was short-lived. Mary's mother and husband both died shortly afterwards, and Mary returned to rule over Scotland. A fair queen, Mary was loved by the common people but loathed by the nobles.

In 1565 she married Henry Stuart, a royal cousin, whom she wed in matrimony but did not name as King. He would later become jealous of her power and attempt to kill her. They did produce an heir, James VI of Scotland. This was also unsettling to Elizabeth I, who was unwed and without an heir.

In 1586 the final showdown between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I would take place as Mary was brought to trial for plotting to kill the Queen of England and assume the throne. The trial was simply a formality, the verdict having been decided well before the proceedings, and Mary was found guilty and sentenced to death. She was beheaded on February 8, 1587. Her small dog was found hidden in the fabric of the deceased Queen's gown immediately after her execution.

ABOUT THE DOLL

Mary Stuart is a reworked vinyl doll that stands 18" tall and carries her severed head in her right hand. History has provided us with a well-detailed account of Mary's execution and the doll is dressed according to the description of her final outfit.

Mary wears a bright silk blouse made of dupioni silk and a red velvet petticoat beneath a long gown of plush black velvet adorned with lace at the neckline. A long string of acrylic pearls with an ornate sterling silver cross dangles from her waist. Her hair is graying and cut short, and a cream silk cloth with lace trim sits on her head as was used to blind her from the executioner's axe.

The neck stump and beneath the chin both reveal the terribly crushed spinal column and awkward cut of the two axe blows needed to decapitate her. Blood, bone, and muscle tissue is visible from both wounds. Her eyes are clouded over in a death-stare.

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Margaret Pole - Version 2

Born in 1473, Margaret Pole was the 8th Countess of Salisbury and married to Sir Richard Pole. Part of the Royal family, her uncles were Edward IV and Richard III. Her son, Reginald Pole became cardinal and Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry the VIII considered her to be the saintliest woman in England and appointed her as godmother and governess to his daughter, Princess Mary (later Queen Mary I).

When her son spoke out against the king's divorce from Katherine of Aragon and then married Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII removed Margaret from her post . In 1538 she was arrested following her son's public denunciation of the King's policies and questioned in great detail about her knowledge and involvement in her son's treasonous activities. All examinations proved inconclusive at best.

After nearly two years imprisonment in the Tower of London, another revolt took place in Yorkshire and Henry VIII ordered her execution without a trial using the Act of Attainder. Margaret was informed of her fate just one hour before she was to be beheaded. The execution would be held inside the tower itself and not be a public event.

Margaret refused to identify herself as a traitor and therefore refused to lay her head on the block when commanded to do so. After struggling free from the headsman's assistant, the executioner had to pursue her as she ran around the chamber, striking at her head and shoulders with the heavy axe. It took eleven blows before she finally succumbed.

In 1886 she was declared to be an English Martyr by Pope Leo XIII.

ABOUT THE DOLL

Margaret is a very large reworked vinyl doll that stands approx. 23" high and is very heavy. (She works best when propped up against a wall - it took two doll stands to hold her up for a photograph.) She is dressed in a gold velvet suede gown with gold and brown trimming over a cream-colored silky underskirt and blouse. She wears a beaded pearl ornament on her front bodice. Her mutilated head wears a brocade-trimmed matching headdress with tattered black veil..

Margaret's injuries are very gruesome. Her neck and shoulders have multiple axe cuts of various degrees. The exposed spinal bones are crushed and jagged in the neck stump. Her severed head has clouded eyes and also sports some very nasty gashes on her face. Muscle tissue and splintered bone can be seen in some of the deeper gashes in her body.

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Margaret Pole - Version 1

Born in 1473, Margaret Pole was the 8th Countess of Salisbury and married to Sir Richard Pole. Part of the Royal family, her uncles were Edward IV and Richard III. Her son, Reginald Pole became cardinal and Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry the VIII considered her to be the saintliest woman in England and appointed her as godmother and governess to his daughter, Princess Mary (later Queen Mary I).

When her son spoke out against the king's divorce from Katherine of Aragon and then married Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII removed Margaret from her post . In 1538 she was arrested following her son's public denunciation of the King's policies and questioned in great detail about her knowledge and involvement in her son's treasonous activities. All examinations proved inconclusive at best.

After nearly two years imprisonment in the Tower of London, another revolt took place in Yorkshire and Henry VIII ordered her execution without a trial using the Act of Attainder. Margaret was informed of her fate just one hour before she was to be beheaded. The execution would be held inside the tower itself and not be a public event.

Margaret refused to identify herself as a traitor and therefore refused to lay her head on the block when commanded to do so. After struggling free from the headsman's assistant, the executioner had to pursue her as she ran around the chamber, striking at her head and shoulders with the heavy axe. It took eleven blows before she finally succumbed.

In 1886 she was declared to be an English Martyr by Pope Leo XIII.

ABOUT THE DOLL

Margaret is a reworked vinyl doll that stands approx. 16" high and is dressed simply in a heavy burgundy chenille gown with white lace trimming over a yellow satin underskirt and blouse. She wears an amber bead and pearl rosary around what is left of her neck and carries her mutilated head in her left hand.

Margaret's outfit is a bit disheveled in order to expose the ghastly injuries sustained during her terrible final moments. Her neck and shoulders have multiple axe cuts of various degrees. The exposed spinal bones are crushed and jagged in both the neck stumps. Her severed head has clouded eyes and also sports some very nasty gashes. One wound in her cheek reveals bits of splintered bone and tattered skin. She also has many patches of blood clotted within her graying hair.

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Thomas More

Also known as Saint Thomas More, he started out on the path of the monastery until 1504 when he entered politics where one of his first acts was to urge a decrease in the king’s power. For this, King Henry VII had More’s father imprisoned until Thomas removed himself from the public view. More complied until the death of Henry VII, after which he returned to his political activities in 1509.

Over the next several years More would attract the attention of Henry VIII by working as an undersheriff of London, as well as masterfully delegating various disputes. Most notable being to quell the 1517 uprising against foreigners. Favored by the king, More quickly rose through the ranks and became Lord Chancellor in 1529.

In 1532 he resigned, being opposed to the king’s position towards the church and refusing to attend the coronation of Anne Boleyn. Two years later he refused to swear to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy, after which he was arrested for treason. Found guilty, he was beheaded by the axe on July 6, 1535. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935.

ABOUT THE DOLL

Thomas is a reworked vinyl doll that stands approx. 12" tall. Based on a famous painting of him, he wears a long black velvet robe with rich burgundy silk velvet sleeves. His extra-wide collar is made with real fur and he wears a large metal medallion ornament on a fancy golden trim chain.

He wears a large black velvet hat on his hand-painted severed head. The neck stump and beneath the chin both reveal the terribly crushed spinal column and awkward cut of the axe blows needed to decapitate him. Blood, bone, and muscle tissue is visible from both wounds.

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Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc)

JEANNE D'ARC

Jeanne d’Arc, better known as “Joan of Arc” was born around 1412 in the small town of Domremy in France. By the time she was twelve, she began to experience visions in which various saints would appear to her and instruct her to drive out the English from her country and restore the French Dauphin to the throne of France. At age sixteen she petitioned Count Robert de Baudricourt for an audience before the French court, to which she was denied. Persistently, she returned months later for a second time before Baudricourt and made a prediction about the military situation in Orléans. Once this was confirmed, she was granted permission to visit the royal court.

After making the journey disguised as a man, She left a great impression on Charles VII, who agreed to allow her to travel with the army. While initially left out of war counsels and operations, she soon gained popularity and came to lead the French army in many victories. She frequently defied the orders of her superiors and went on to lead assaults against the English. It was during one of these battles that she took an arrow wound in her shoulder.

After the unexpected victory in Orléans, Jeanne asked for and was given co-command of the army and instructions to recapture bridges along the Loire by the Dauphin. This resulted in a series of victories that led to the coronation of Charles VII. However, the fighting continued on and while losing a battle in Compiegne Jeanne ordered a retreat. Being one of the last to leave the battlefield, Joan was captured by Burgandians. Her family unable to secure funds to pay the ransom for her, and the newly-crowned French king refusing to intervene on her behalf, Jeanne was soon purchased by her English enemies.

Her trial was more political than anything else, and the verdict was pre-determined. Unable to charge her with anything except heresy, she was found guilty and sentenced to death. On May 30, 1431, the nineteen year old Jeanne was led to the place of execution and secured to a stake to be burned as a heretic. She repeatedly called out for the aid of Jesus and the Saints as the flames approached her. Her ashes were scattered into the Seine. After the war ended, her case was retried after her execution by order of Pope Callixtus III. On July 7, 1456 she was declared innocent.

ABOUT THE DOLL

Our version of Jeanne d’Arc’s execution depicts the unfortunate girl during her horrific ordeal at the stake. The wooden base measures 9” wide and 11” deep and the entire piece stands approx. 15” tall.

The doll is shown in a freshly-burned state, with scorched blood and muscle exposed. Her hair has been closely cropped and burned, and melting flesh and fat are visible throughout her body. Jeanne is surrounded by the charred wood, as it took three lightings of the pyre to completely reduce her body to ashes. The wood is mounted on a fabric backing to allow the red light to shine through when the lamp is plugged in.

The back of the piece is left open for east access to change bulbs as needed. Uses a standard-sized indoor christmas tree bulb. (Bulb is included) This lamp is for decorative purposes and should not be left unattended when plugged in.

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