Blessed Margaret Plantaganet
Blessed Margaret Plantaganet (Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury; born August 14, 1473 AD in Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset, England; died May 27, 1541 AD in the Tower of London, England) was an English noblewoman of the royal House of Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury in her own right, who was executed under King Henry VIII. She is honored among the English Martyrs for her fidelity to the Catholic faith and the Holy See. Her feast day is May 28.
Daughter of the Duke of Clarence and one of the last of the Plantagenets, Margaret Pole was a devout and loyal Catholic and the mother of Cardinal Reginald Pole, a leading opponent of Henry VIII's break with Rome. In the king's vengeance against her family and faith she was imprisoned and beheaded. She was beatified in 1886.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Margaret Plantaganet
| Blessed Margaret Plantaganet | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | May 28 |
| Profession | Noblewoman; Countess of Salisbury; widow and mother; martyr |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; English Martyrs |
| Patronage | Those persecuted for the faith; mothers; the English Catholic nobility; England |
| Attributes | Palm of martyrdom; noblewoman's dress; executioner's axe |
| Birthplace | Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset, England |
| Death Place | Tower of London, England |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; beheaded at the Tower of London under King Henry VIII for her fidelity to the Catholic faith and the Holy See; Countess of Salisbury of the House of Plantagenet |
| Primary Shrine | Tower of London / Chichester, England |
Biography
Margaret was born on August 14, 1473, a daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence—brother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III—and thus a member of the royal House of Plantagenet and one of the last of that line. Married to Sir Richard Pole, she was left a widow with several children. King Henry VIII restored to her the earldom of her family, and she became Countess of Salisbury in her own right, one of the great ladies of England and, for a time, governess to the Princess Mary.
A woman of deep piety, Margaret was loyal to the Catholic faith and to the marriage of Queen Catherine of Aragon. When Henry VIII broke with Rome and declared himself Supreme Head of the Church in England, her family became a focus of Catholic loyalty and, in the king's eyes, of danger. Her son Reginald Pole, a cardinal, wrote from abroad in vigorous opposition to the king's religious policy and his supremacy over the Church.
In his anger against Cardinal Pole and the old royal line, Henry moved against the family. Margaret's son Henry, Lord Montague, and others were executed, and Margaret herself was arrested and, without a proper trial, condemned by an act of attainder. She was held in the Tower of London for over two years.
On May 27, 1541, the aged countess was taken to the block within the Tower and beheaded—an execution notorious for its cruelty. She met her death with courage and faith, refusing to acknowledge any guilt and dying for her fidelity to the Catholic Church and the Holy See.
Margaret Pole was beatified on December 29, 1886, by Pope Leo XIII, among the English Martyrs. Her feast is kept on May 28.
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