Elizabethan England: Mary Queen Of Scots

Question 1

Why was Mary queen of scots always going to be the centre of Catholic plots and conspiracies against Queen Elizabeth?

Answer 1

• she was catholic

• there was no question with her legitimacy: she had a strong claim to the English throne due to the fact that she was Henry’s VII granddaughter

Question 2

Who wasMary queen of scots and what is her relationship with France

Answer 2

• married to King Francis II in 1558
• Mary of guise, her mother, was from a very powerful catholic and french family and she ruled Scotland on her behalf when QOS was in France

Question 3

When did Francis II die?

Answer 3

December 1560

Question 4

When did Mary Queen of Scots return to Scotland?

Answer 4

1561 after the death of her husband

Question 5

In 1560, how did Elizabeth interfere with Scotland and why did she do this?

Answer 5

• she helped Scotland’s protestant lords to defeat Mary of Guise who had been ruling Scotland for QOS whilst she was in France with her husband.
• She sent money to help rebels and eventually sent troops, too Elizabeth did this because she was under constant threat: french troops in Scotland could easily attack England

Question 6

Why did the Scottish lords rebel?

Answer 6

because they did not like the French, Catholic influence brought to Scotland by Mary of Guise.

Question 7

How did the Scottish Protestant lords’ rebellion end?

Answer 7

with the treaty of Edinburgh in 1560

Question 8

what did the treaty of Edinburgh in 1560 say?

Answer 8

that Mary QOS would give up her claim to the English throne

Question 9

Who did Mary QOS marry next and when

Answer 9

Lord Darley in 1565

Question 10

When was Lord Darnley murdered?

Answer 10

1567

Question 11

Who were the murder suspects for Lord Darnley’s murder?

Answer 11

Mary QOS and earl of Bothwell

Question 12

Why did the Protestant Lords rebel against Mary QOS after the murder of Lord Darnley and what happened when they rebelled?

Answer 12

• she married the Earl of Bothwell only a few months after the death of her husband (Lord Darnley) which was seen as an admission of her guilt
• they forced Mary to abdicate in favour of her baby son, James.
• She was imprisoned in a castle on an island in the middle of a lake but escaped in 1568 and raised an army in an attempt to win back her throne
• however, Mary’s forces were defeated at Langside and she fled to England seeking for Elizabeth’s help against rebels.

Question 13

Why didn’t Elizabeth help Mary QOS re-gain her throne in Scotland?

Answer 13

• she didn’t want to antagonise the Protestant nobles who controlled Scotland
• this would leave Elizabeth facing a catholic monarch on her northern border
• the Auld Alliance with France could then be revived to threaten her

Question 14

What were Elizabeth’s options with Mary, Queen of Scots 1568-69 (4)

Answer 14

• Help Mary regain the throne
• Hand Mary to the Scottish lords
• Allow Mary to go abroad
• Keep Mary in England

Question 15

What was the issue with: Handing Mary to the Scottish lords

Answer 15

Mary was the widow of Francis II: her trial, imprisonment and execution by Scottish noblemen with Elizabeth’s permission could provoke France, driving them into an alliance with Spain, which could lead both countries to war with England

Question 16

What was the issue with: allowing mary to go abroad

Answer 16

she could return to Franch which could provoke a French plot that aimed to remove Elizabeth from the English throne and replace her with Mary

Question 17

What was the issue with: Keeping Mary in England

Answer 17

even though it was the best option, it carried the risk that Catholic plotters might try to overthrow Elizabeth and replace her with Mary

Question 18

Why did Elizabeth not make Mary queen of scots her heir?

Answer 18

• would upset English Protestants, including her own Privy Councils
• without the support of Privy Council, Elizabeth would have a few supporters left as she was already distrusted by many Catholics
• the prospect of a Catholic heir would, in the event of Elizabeth’s death, result in the civil war

Question 19

What was the Casket letters Affair?

Answer 19

• A meeting was set up at York to hear the case against Mary between October 1568 - Jan 1569 (concerning the murder of Lord Darnley)
• Scottish lords brought love letters with them (aka casket letters), supposedly written by Mary to the Earl of Bothwell which showed she had plotted to murder Lord Darnley

Question 20

Why was Mary not tried in the Casket letters affair?

Answer 20

• Mary said she couldn’t be tried because she was an anointed monarch and would not offer a plea unless Elizabeth guaranteed a verdict of innocence - Elizabeth refused.

• as a result, the conference did not reach any conclusions and Mary stayed captive in England

Question 21

By not handing over Mary to Scottish nobles, what did Elizabeth ensure?

Answer 21

• the Scottish nobility would not imprison or execute Mary
• the French would be satisfied
• her subjects did not punish an anointed monarch