C7 - Mary, Queen Of Scots Flashcards
Who was Mary, Queen of Scots?
- Elizabeth’s cousin
- a Catholic
- became queen of Scotland in 1542, at only 8 days old
- married to the heir to the French throne in 1558 and was briefly queen of two countries
- as Elizabeth had no children, some saw her as the rightful heir to the throne
- after her husband’s death, she returned to Scotland but became increasingly unpopular, as Scotland has become more Protestant in her absence
- in 1567, having been accused of the murder of her husband, Mary fled to England
Why was Mary seen as a threat?
Some saw her as the rightful queen, so Elizabeth was worried her presence in England may inspire rebellions. Elizabeth did not want to execute her, so she kept her under house arrest for the next 19 years.
What was the Babington Plot?
In 1586, a rich young Catholic called Anthony Babington planned to kill Elizabeth and place her on the throne. Babington needed to know of Mary supported his plan. He managed to get Mary’s servants to hide coded messages within the beer barrels that were sent to her room. The messages reached Mary and she replied, backing the plan. Unfortunately for Mary, the servants were spies for Walsingham. The original message and Mary’s reply were decoded and taken straight to the queen. It was clear that Mary was plotting to kill her. With such clear evidence, she had little choice but to act and put Mary on trial for treason.
What happened at MQS’ trial?
- in Oct 1586, she was put on trial before a court of 36 noblemen
- she defended herself strongly, criticising the fact she had not been allowed to see the evidence against her and that as she was not English, she could not be found guilty of treason
- she refused to accept that the court had any right to pass sentence on her
- she was found guilty and sentenced to death on 25 Oct
Why was Elizabeth reluctant to have MQS executed?
- she feared that executing a fellow monarch may inspire her enemies
- she feared that Mary’s son, James, may want revenge
- she was also concerned about the reaction of the Catholic powers, France and Spain
- despite this, she signed the death warrant on 1 Feb 1587
- Mary was executed, in private, seven days later at Fotheringhay Castle
What was the impact of MQS’ execution?
Without Mary, Catholics had no clear alternative monarch. The new heir to the throne was Mary’s son, James, a Protestant. Many saw Mary as a martyr for the Catholic faith and her execution as proof that Elizabeth was a wicked heretic. There was outrage but no action from France or Spain.
