The last words of 12 executed royals

Although it was relatively uncommon in practice, pop culture is obsessed with the executions of royalty. Was the King overthrown by the people, the military, or his own closest friends? Was the Queen found guilty of adultery or witchcraft? Royalty is, by nature, considered above the law, so it is intriguing to see how and why it was legally possible to kill them.

To be fair, royalty died all the time. It wasn't uncommon for them to be assassinated, or to die on the battlefield. However, an actual execution generally requires some degree of trial, and it gives us the unique opportunity to learn their last thoughts. Because their deaths were not cloak-and-dagger operations, their last words were often recorded.

One more interesting facet of this is that the executed royals often had time to think before their deaths. Perhaps they tried to argue for their own sake, or perhaps they were resigned to their fates. But they often put a lot of thought into how they wanted to be remembered, which is why some of them have very profound endings.

With that being said, here are 12 executed royals, whose last words have been recorded for posterity. As a disclaimer, that doesn't guarantee that these were, in fact, their last words. They might have been made up for propaganda purposes or simply mischaracterized over the years. However, the collection provides a fascinating look at the range of emotions and messages they shared, which inform our eyes of their legacies.