Elizabeth: the Babington plot Flashcards
when was the Babington plot?
1586
what was the Babington plot?
another conspiracy involving France and Spain. Again, the conspirators planned to assassinate Elizabeth and give the English throne to Mary, this time with the support of a joint franco-spanish invasion force
who was Anthony Babington?
one of the key conspirators in the Babington plot. He was responsible for sending information to Mary from her supporters in England and Europe, and passing back her replies
how did Walsingham uncover the Babington plot?
through his spy network, walsingham followed every stage of the plot. Using a double agent, he managed to secretly intercept all letters sent to and from Mary, and have them decoded. One of Mary’s letters approved plans to assassinate the Queen and free Mary from prison.
By August 1586, Walsingham had all the evidence he needed to break the plot. Babington and the other conspirators were arrested, tried, and executed for treason
why was Elizabeth reluctant to execute Mary, Queen of Scots?
because she was the Queen of Scotland - Elizabeth believed in the Divine Right - that rulers were sent by God to govern their country. Therefore, she felt she had no right to execute a legitimate monarch. She also feared that executing Mary would undermine her own claim to rule by Divine Right and might fuel more plots against her
what persuaded Elizabeth to put Mary, Queen of Scotts on trial?
the evidence gathered by Walsingham about the Babington plot
what was the outcome of Mary’s trial? When was this?
in October 1586, Mary was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.
when did Mary’s execution take place? Why the delay?
After hesitating for several months, Elizabeth eventually signed Mary’s death warrant. The execution took place on 8th February 1587.
what effect did Mary’s execution have on the threat from catholics at home and abroad?
it reduced the threat from Catholics at home, but increased the threat from abroad
why did Mary’s execution reduce the threat from Catholics at home?
the english catholics now had no-one to rally around, and they lost hope of ever overthrowing Elizabeth and reversing the religious settlement. There were no more major Catholic plots during Elizabeth’s reign
why did Mary’s execution increase the threat from abroad?
- Mary’s execution inflamed Catholic opposition abroad and increased the threat of a foreign invasion
- In 1587, relations with spain were at a low point - the two countries were at war over the Netherlands, and King Philip II had been preparing for an attack on England since 1585. Mary’s execution made the situation worse. Philip was now even more determined to invade.
- there was also a danger that Mary’s son, James VI of Scotland might seek revenge for his mother’s death. There were fears that he would form an alliance with other catholic powers in Europe in order to invade England
