A miniature of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger by Hans Holbein the Younger
The head belonged to Thomas Wyatt the Younger, leader of Wyatt’s Rebellion, who’d been executed on 11th April. It was never recovered.
The people of London were celebrating the acquittal of diplomat and politician Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, who’d been tried for treason for his involvement in Wyatt’s Rebellion against Mary I.
Throckmorton ran rings round his accusers, defending himself brilliantly, so the jurors acquitted him.
The jurors couldn’t celebrate though. They were arrested and imprisoned, and had to pay huge sums of money to be released!
Throckmorton was eventually released and fled into exile. He was pardoned in 1557.
Here's a video I did on the trial of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton...
Also on this day in Tudor history...
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