On this day in Tudor history, 16th February 1547, King Henry VIII was laid to rest in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. He was buried with his third wife, Queen Jane Seymour.
In this video, I talk about his burial and what happened to the sarcophagus that he had planned to use. You can see that beautiful sarcophagus today, but it is the resting place of another famous historical person and is not at Windsor.
Also on this day in history:
- 1495 – Execution of Sir William Stanley by beheading on Tower Hill. He had been found guilty of treason for allegedly supporting the pretender Perkin Warbeck. Stanley is known for his change of sides at the Battle of Bosworth, when he decided to fight with Henry Tudor against Richard III.
- 1497 – Birth of Philipp Melancthon, German reformer, scholar and friend and colleague of Martin Luther, at Bretten, near Karlsruhe.
- 1560 – Death of Jean du Bellay, diplomat and Bishop of Paris, in Rome. He was buried in the church of Trinità dei Monti.
- 1587 – Funeral of Sir Philip Sidney, courtier and author, at St Paul's Cathedral.
- 1595 – Probable date of the death of Adam Hill, Church of England clergyman and religious writer. He was buried in Salisbury Cathedral on 19th February. His published works included “The Crie of England” and “The Defence of the Article”.