Letter from James, Duke of Monmouth to the Catherine of Braganza, Ringwood, 9th July, 1685.Artist: Duke of Monmouth

Letter from James, Duke of Monmouth to the Catherine of Braganza, Ringwood, 9th July, 1685. Letter from James, Duke of Monmouth to the Queen Dowager Catherine, widow of Charles II, after the failure of his insurrection, and on the day after his capture, begging her to intercede with James II for his life. Monmouth was executed on 15 July, on Tower Hill. From the first series of Facsimiles of royal, historical, literary and other autographs in the Department of Manuscripts, British Museum: Series I - V, (London, 1899). (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)