Mary Queen of Scots, ‘In my end, is my beginning’
Mary Queen of Scots
The tale of Mary Queen of Scots is one of questionable decisions, religious intolerance, dastardly plots and tragedy. Mary Stuart was thrown into life becoming Queen of Scotland at just six days old in 1542, only to be made a pawn in a religious struggle between Catholic France and Protestant England. Henry VIII felt sandwiched between two Catholic majorities of Scotland and France which led him to the hope that Mary would marry his son Edward and give him the control over Scotland. The struggle intensified and young Mary was sent to France for protection and to marry Francis II, the future King of France until his untimely death in 1560, whilst her mother ran Scotland in her absence. When Mary returned home it wasn’t to the pro-Catholic Scotland that she left, but to a firmly Protestant stronghold. A small band of Protestant Scottish noblemen known as the Congregation, with the support of the English Crown and strong leadership from John Knox, rebelled against the hierarchy in Scotland and France’s domination over it. The death of Mary’s mother, Mary of Guise, in 1560 was the catalyst that allowed Protestants to take control of Scotland which led to the Treaty of Edinburgh in the same year, and finally the Reformation Parliament that brought the Pope’s influence in Scotland to an end.
Mary’s eventful start to life was only the beginning of the struggles that she would face over the course of it. After the death of her first husband and her return to an unfamiliar Scotland, the Queen married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley who was her cousin, in 1565. Darnley would go on to father the future King of England and Scotland, James Stuart. This was a match that was disapproved of by Queen Elizabeth I, of England, adding to a long line of disgruntlements between the cousins and Queens. There were even rumours that Mary and Darnley would be kidnapped in order to stop the marriage going ahead. In the long run it would have been a blessing in disguise if this had have happened, due to the tumultuous marriage that Mary and Darnley had and ultimately how it ended was one of the earliest dominoes in the downfall of Mary Queen of Scots.
Lord Darnley
David Rizzio
4th Earl of Bothwell
Lord Darnley was a jealous, power hungry and possessive husband, who did not look favourably on the friendship between Mary and her private secretary David Rizzio. Rumours circulated that Rizzio had been the one to impregnate Mary which did not go over well with Darnley who, along with Protestant nobles, plotted to murder him. This plan was enacted in front of Mary herself as she was having dinner with Rizzio at the time. The Queen was held at gunpoint and Rizzio was stabbed fifty-seven times. This was the beginning of the end for Darnley, who himself was murdered the following year by way of explosion, although John Knox believed that he was strangled. The prime suspects in Darnley’s murder were James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, who himself had eyes on the throne and Mary who was looking at ways to dispatch her unwanted husband. These suspicions were only made worse when soon after Darnley’s death, Mary and Bothwell left Edinburgh together. The official story was that Bothwell kidnapped Mary in order to rape her, however, it has been speculated that the Queen was a willing participant, and the story of rape was a fabrication. When they returned to Edinburgh Bothwell was put on trial for the murder but was found not guilty and married Mary that same year. This lost Mary the majority of the ever-dwindling support she had in Scotland and forced her to abdicate the throne in favour of her infant son after a Scottish rebel group defeated a royal army.
Queen Elizabeth I
Mary was forced to seek refuge with her unfavourable cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, in England which set into motion the final stages of her downfall. One of the many reasons why Elizabeth abhorred Mary was she had a right to the English throne through her ancestorial connections to Henry VIII’s sister Margaret. It was also the case that Elizabeth was known to be the forgotten child of Henry VIII after he had her mother Anne Boleyn beheaded, crucially this meant that she was downgraded from the title of Princess to Lady. It was only after the death of her brother and the imprisonment of her sister that she became Queen. This meant that some people, especially English Catholics, believed that Mary had a more legitimate right to the throne. This threat posed by Mary meant that Elizabeth was more inclined to imprison her after she sought sanctuary in England in order to control her. This was to be the case for the next nineteen years in which time Mary was involved in numerous plots to depose Elizabeth of the throne.
The first was entitled the Northern Rising of 1569, it was led by the Earls of Westmorland and Northumberland who were prominent Catholic nobles and had the backing of the Pope who ultimately excommunicated Elizabeth and endorsed radical measures to replace her with Mary. The coup failed but it paved the way for future plots, the next one taking place in 1571, planned by Roberto Ridolfi which aimed to use Spanish troops from the Netherlands to oust Elizabeth in favour of Mary, who was to share the throne with the Duke of Norfolk. The Duke was found guilty and executed, and many wanted the same fate for Mary, but Elizabeth refused. The Throckmorton plot came in 1583 and saw Mary ally herself with the Spanish ambassador in order to aid France and Spain invading England to overthrow Elizabeth. The final nail in the coffin was the Babington Plot of 1586 which involved English Catholic nobleman, Sir Anthony Babington, and plans to assassinate Elizabeth. The difference in this plot was Elizabeth’s spymaster Francis Walsingham, who intercepted coded letters between Mary and Babington which directly implicated Mary in the plans to kill her cousin. Babington was tortured and confessed in August 1586, after which he and six other conspirators were executed. As for Mary, Elizabeth was reluctant to execute a fellow monarch and family. However, in order to safeguard her reputation and stance as Queen she had no choice, and after much deliberation came to the decision some months later.
Mary Queen of Scots was executed 08 February 1587 at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire. The hours before her death saw her writing a letter to her once brother-in-law and the King of France Henri III. In her own words Mary believed that it was ‘the Catholic faith and the assertion of my God-given right to the English crown’, that condemned her to death at the hands of her cousin. This, along with the fact that it has been recorded that Mary held herself with great confidence and dignity in the face of her demise has situated her as a martyr to many. Mary’s reminiscence of the security and happiness of her youth in her final hours, infers her coming full circle and suggests that she believed it was when she left France that it all started to go wrong for her as a Queen.
Mary Queen of Scots Bidding Farewell to France, 1561
Mary’s Final Letter
‘In my end, is my beginning’, was an adage coined and embroidered by Mary Queen of Scots during her time imprisoned in England. The symbolisation of the eternity of life after death and of re-birth was drawn from the emblem of her grandfather-in-law and King of France, Francis I, who used the salamander as his personal insignia. The salamander was a creature cloaked in mystery that had the power to both feed the fire and extinguish it. In medieval iconography it represented the man who never lost the peace of his soul and as someone who was resolute in God despite all of the troubles he faced. Most importantly, in legend, it was a creature that was reborn from the ashes. The ideals behind this sentiment struck a chord with the soon to be fallen Queen and dictated her calm nature towards her ultimate demise. The irony being that, ultimately, Mary got the last laugh as it was her son that ascended to the throne after the death of her cousin who was childless. It was a reign that led to many Catholic sentiments being reinforced and especially when Mary’s grandson, Charles I, became King as his rule had more characteristics of Catholicism than his father. Characteristics that led to history repeating itself, but that is a discussion for another day.
The life and death of Mary Queen of Scots is a small piece in the vast history of the chaotic and in many instances disastrous lives of the Royals in Britain.
The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots
About the Author
Grace E. Turton is an aspiring historical consultant with an MA in Social History and BA in History & Media from Leeds Beckett University. Grace specialises in British and Italian history but loves reading and researching about all aspects of history. In her free time, you can find her exploring the Yorkshire Dales with her dog Bear, watching classic films and playing rugby league. Grace is passionate about keeping history alive and believes that an integral part of this is maintained through History Through Fiction’s purpose.
Step into a world where history and fiction intertwine in An End of Troubles, an anthology brought to you by History Through Fiction. This collection features ten captivating stories, each a winner of our short story contest, showcasing the power of storytelling to illuminate the past.
Mrs. Price by Jeanine Boulay - During the Great Depression, a young wife fakes separation to find work, discovering her artistic voice in a union's musical.
Those Bereaved by Candace Simar - Newly-widowed Verdie Brandt finds healing through an unusual remedy offered by an old doctor woman.
The Dog Star by Harrison Hurst - A foreign merchant confronts his beliefs when he witnesses a horrific rite in pursuit of prosperity.
Water-Babies by Ann Cwiklinski - A young girl's sorrow over losing a foster baby mirrors America's grief on the brink of World War II.
The Blood Stone of Shiva by A.K. McCutcheon - A former British soldier seeks redemption by returning a cursed diamond to India, facing a vengeful god's wrath.
An End of Troubles by Hilary Coyne - A serving woman at a Scottish castle reflects on her encounter with Mary Queen of Scots, foreshadowing the Queen's fate.
Liberty Coaster by Sierra Kaag - In a Midwestern town during the Great Depression, a fatherless boy and a wayward father confront their grief and learn what it means to persevere.
Beneath Hades’ Halls by Harrison Voss - A soldier in Thebes must choose between avenging his father and preserving his home as Spartans march to reclaim the city.
The Midnight Bells of the Abbey by C.T. Bennet - A medieval princess escapes an arranged marriage to find peace and love in a convent with the woman she adores.
When Things Collapse by Anna Deh - Amidst political collapse, a young woman grapples with violence and loss, seeking a path forward through her pain and anger.
