The “inquisition committee” against Struensee was made up entirely of opponents of the accused, and their verdict was a foregone conclusion. The main charges against him were that he had had an affair with the queen, that he had mistreated the crown prince and wanted to kill him, and that he was responsible for the king’s insanity. Struensee’s written defence was disregarded.
He and Brandt were found guilty of lèse-majesté (defamation against the dignity of a monarch) and sentenced to death. They were publicly executed in Copenhagen on 28 April. One after the other, they had their right hands and then their heads cut off. After that their bodies were quartered, disembowelled and put on wheels to be shown to the public. This cruel display served mainly as a deterrent and a show of power by the system Struensee had tried to revolutionise.
Danish copperplate engraving, April 1772
Bomann Museum Celle
BGR00757
Enevold Brandt’s severed head is presented to the public. The aim of this engraving was to maintain the public vilification of the alleged co-conspirator Brandt, and to dispel doubts among the public that were threatening to arise regarding his guilt and his punishment.
German copperplate engraving, April 1772 or later
Printer: J.v.B.
Bomann Museum Celle
BGR00779
The text of this pamphlet is particularly contemptuous: it describes the brutal execution in light-hearted rhyming verse. All the elements of the execution had their origins in medieval public punishments, and by the 18th century they were hardly ever practised anymore. The humiliating destruction of the convicted men’s coats of arms amounted to an extermination, while beheading, drawing and quartering was an old punishment for high treason.
Iron, wood, engraving, 1769
Stadtmuseum Halle (Saale)
The axe head bears the inscription “Soli Deo Gloria” (“Glory to God alone”) and a picture of a Gorgon’s head. Struensee is said to have been executed with this axe. Apparently, neither his hand nor his head were successfully severed on the first attempt.