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The Footnote June 27, 2026 · Tower of London

The French Swordsman Brought From Calais Because the English Axe Was Considered Too Crude for a Queen

Anne Boleyn was beheaded at the Tower of London on 19 May 1536 with a French sword rather than the standard English execution axe. Henry VIII had paid for a substantial professional executioner to travel from Calais. The decision was made before the verdict was delivered.

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The Cabinet June 27, 2026 · Agincourt, Pas-de-Calais

The Outnumbered English Army That Defeated a Substantially Larger French Force at Agincourt on Saint Crispin's Day in 1415 With the Help of the Longbow and Heavy Mud

Henry V's English army of approximately 8,000 men defeated a French army of approximately 25,000 at Agincourt on 25 October 1415. The English longbow inflicted heavy casualties on the French heavy cavalry crossing a narrow, deeply muddy field. Henry ordered the killing of approximately 1,500 French prisoners during the battle. The conventional French casualty estimate is 6,000-10,000 dead against fewer than 500 English.

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