Theatre Thursday: A Review of 'King Elizabeth'

Advertisement for the Gamm Theatre's production of 'King Elizabeth'. © Gamm Theatre

This week, I went to see a play at the Gamm Theatre, centered on the rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I. The play was called King Elizabeth, a new version of Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart, which was adapted and directed by Tony Estrella. Previously, I had seen Howard Brenton's fantastic Anne Boleyn play at the theatre, and had had the privilege of interviewing the director of the play for this blog. I already knew the theatre did good work and had an interest in representing powerful Tudor women on their stage. The show did not disappoint.

Many of the most familiar faces of the Elizabethan court were present in the cast of characters, and each character was brought to life by a gifted actor or actress. The show did make some interesting choices when casting their roles, like having Master Davison, the man Elizabeth entrusted with the signed death warrant of Mary, Queen of Scots, portrayed by a woman. As the characters in King Elizabeth all wore modern clothes, this gender reversal did not seem inappropriate, although it would have been inaccurate to have a woman serve as a personal secretary in the sixteenth century.

As a historian, I relished all of the historical details included in the script, and was delighted to find that real quotes said by Queen Elizabeth I were included in the dialogue, as were the contents of real letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots. These details gave the show credibility, and added to the emotionally compelling scenes. 

History tells us that Queen Elizabeth I never met her cousin, Mary Stuart, face-to-face, although they did write many letters to one another throughout their lifetimes. But King Elizabeth, like so many other movies and shows examining the rivalry of these two great queens, shows us what might have passed between them, if they ever had the opportunity to meet in secret. The confrontational scene in King Elizabeth takes place when Mary, Queen of Scots is given access to the grounds outside of her jailer Amyas Paulet's home, just as Elizabeth I's hunting party is passing through. Here, the two queens face one another in the woods. Where Queen Elizabeth is level-headed and unforgiving, Mary is defiant and hysterical. Their differing personalities make for an electrifying clash on stage.

A picture of the stage. © BeingBess/A.Jensen

Overall, I enjoyed the play. But there were some things that bothered me, because they were either inaccurate or confusing. 

The modern costuming used in the play didn't add any special significance to the story adaptation. The men were dressed in either modern military wear or formal wear, while Elizabeth I wore power suits. If the ensemble was trying to send a message to the audience through their modern clothing, it was unclear to me what that message might have been. Oddly, Elizabeth finally did don a period dress when she addressed the troops at Tilbury at the end, but the play failed to explain why the Spanish Armada was invading England and who Elizabeth I was addressing in her speech. If you didn't know your Elizabethan history, you might have left the theatre feeling confused by this scene.

Although the Babington Plot is mentioned at the beginning of the play, it is never explained how Mary Stuart was involved with the conspirators, sending them damning letters snuck out of her place of imprisonment in wine barrels. Because it is not explained how complicit she was in authorizing the plans, it appears to an audience that may not know enough background, that Mary is innocent and unjustly imprisoned. Instead of having the portrayals of the two queens more balanced in this adaptation, as was apparently the goal with the re-write, Mary Stuart is portrayed once again as a tragic victim, as she was in Schiller's version of the play.

Finally, the most jarring inaccuracy that stuck out is that the theatre used a picture of Queen Mary I to represent Mary, Queen of Scots on the stage. This was the first thing I noticed when I walked into the little black-box theatre, and the last thing I saw on my way out, and it really bothered me!

If you have an opportunity to see King Elizabeth, I hope that you do. It covers a fascinating period in history, and there is nothing quite like being able to be a fly on the wall, watching the show-down between these two queenly cousins, Elizabeth Tudor and Mary Stuart.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Mary Stuart Found Guilty of Treason

Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots. Attributed to Oultry, 1578.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1586, Mary, the former Queen of Scotland, was found guilty of treason, having conspired to have her cousin Queen Elizabeth I killed. Find out more about Mary's plots, her co-conspirators, her trial, and her conviction in our BeingBess article.

The Death of Ridolfi

A portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots. By an unknown artist, circa 1575. Glasgow Art Gallery. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in 1612, Roberto di Ridolfi died in Florence, Italy. Ridolfi, a banker, was the orchestrator of the Ridolfi Plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I in 1571 and replace her with her Catholic cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots.

You can read more about the Ridolfi Plot in our BeingBess article on Thomas Howard, 4rth Duke of Norfolk.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Mary Stuart is Executed

A 1613-14 depiction by an unknown Dutch artist of the execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and the subsequent destruction of her personal items (left). Image acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1587, Mary Stuart, former Queen of Scotland was executed privately at Fotheringhay Castle. She remained unrepentant of the plots for which she had been found guilty, and defiant until her last moment when the axe cleaved her head from her body. All personal articles of clothing worn by the Queen on the scaffold (including her carefully chosen red dress, red being the color of a Catholic martyr) were destroyed so that they could not be fashioned into relics. Therefore, the chemise on display at Coughton Court (and all over Pinterest, for that matter) that is said to be have been worn by Mary, Queen of Scots at her execution is almost certainly a fake.

The execution of her cousin had a profound effect on Elizabeth, both personally and politically, and provided an acceptable catalyst for the invasion of England by Philip II’s Spanish Armada in 1588.

You can read about the Babington Plot, Mary’s trial, her guilty verdict, and her execution in the following BeingBess posts…

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Babington & Co-conspirators Go on Trial

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Mary, Queen of Scots is Convicted of Treason

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Queen Elizabeth Signs the Execution Warrant of Mary Stuart

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Mary Stuart Learns of Her Date with the Executioner

A portrait of Sir Amyas Paulet (c.1536-1588). Picture via Luminarium.org. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1587, Mary Stuart learned that her execution for treason would be carried out the following day. Sir Amyas (Amias) Paulet, who had been entrusted with the duty of keeping Mary under house arrest since 1585, informed his prisoner that she was to die, and that she should complete her final affairs. Paulet had been far less tolerant of Mary than his predecessors, and the two had often butted heads. He must have really relished delivering the news. Mary spent her last day on earth writing her will, and in her final six hours she wrote her last letter, which survives. 

The recipient of the letter was her former brother-in-law, Henri III, King of France. Mary's first husband was Francis II, who died in 1560. In the letter, Mary assures Henri III that she has always been a good Catholic, and she adamantly professes her belief that the real reason she is being executed is because of her faith, and for her claim to the English throne (NLS, MS.54.1.1)

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Queen Elizabeth Signs the Execution Warrant of Mary Stuart

Queen Elizabeth I's signature and seal from Mary Stuart's warrant for execution. Image Marilee Cody.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1587, Queen Elizabeth I reluctantly signed the execution warrant of her cousin, Mary Stuart, the former Queen of Scotland. She could no longer ignore her cousin's plots and schemes now that she had been convicted of treason. Though Elizabethacknowledged her cousin's guilt when she signed her name to the warrant, she gave strict instructions that the execution was not to be carried out without her express permission. There was an understanding between the monarchies of Europe that anointed sovereigns were not to be subject to the laws of one another; they were only expected to answer to God. Politically, the execution of Mary Stuart would set a dangerous legal precedent. And personally, for Elizabeth it would be a traumatic reminder of the death of her own mother. Henry VIII had executed Anne Boleyn who, not royal by birth, had been raised up from her status as a subject by being anointed and crowned Queen of England. Elizabeth loathed the idea of causing the death of a queen.

The evidence against Mary and the legality of the subsequent trial proceedings is still a subject that is hotly debated by 16th century historians. Whether or not you believe that she was "entrapped" by Walsingham and his men, it cannot be denied that Mary did, in fact, send correspondence to Anthony Babington which agreed to his sinister plan, and even offered her suggestions and personal messages of support.  It should be mentioned here that Mary’s conspiracies against Elizabeth and England date back farther than the Babington plot itself, which is one of the reasons why Elizabeth denied her asylum in England.

The cipher code of Mary, Queen of Scots from the Babington plot letters. Image via the UK National Archives. Image public domain.

But, the question of whether an anointed sovereign can be tried, convicted, and executed in a foreign land is a much more difficult thing to determine. Mary had foolishly entered England despite Queen Elizabeth telling her not to cross the border, and therefore she was technically trespassing. The way I see it, Queen Elizabeth’s hand was forced in the matter, (and admittedly, the impulsive and problematic Mary had conveniently delivered herself to Elizabeth on a silver platter) and she then had to detain Mary in England and keep her under surveillance for national security reasons. Mary had entered England willingly, thus putting herself under English law. 

A photo of one of the many pieces of embroidery completed by Mary, Queen of Scots during her captivity. Image Marilee Cody.

From careful analysis of the contemporary evidence, investigations into the related conspiracy theories, and debates with fellow historians and academics, I have come to the conclusion that Mary Stuart was indeed guilty of conspiring with Babington and his men to have Queen Elizabeth I killed, place herself on the throne with the help of a Spanish army, and restore Protestant England to the Roman papacy.

Elizabeth's council knew how dangerous Mary was not just as a traitor, but as a symbol, a figurehead for all Catholic rebellion in England. They were also incredibly frustrated at Queen Elizabeth’s in-action, even now that the warrant was signed. Queen Elizabeth was an expert at procrastination to force political change and to gain support, but her apprehension over the execution of her cousin was something else entirely. The council so desperately wanted Mary dead that they defied their sovereign’s wishes and agreed to endure her inevitable wrath together, all co-signing the legal documents that brought about the former Queen of Scotland’s end. Mary was privately executed on February 8th at Fotheringay Castle. Once it had been done, Queen Elizabeth was informed. She was first beside herself with grief and anguish, and the contemporary sources as well as the nature of Elizabeth’s complicated relationship with her cousin suggest that this reaction was genuine. She then became vengeful, throwing William Davison, the privy councillor who had taken defied Elizabeth's wishes by processing the warrant, in the Tower of London. That being said, Queen Elizabeth was a political genius, and it is entirely possible that the death warrant being processed without her knowledge was her plan all along. In orchestrating the execution in an indirect way, she would not have to take responsibility for the act, much like Henry II’s knights dealt with Thomas a’Becket for him when he cried out for someone to rid him of that “wretched priest”. Our strongest piece of evidence for this theory is that Mr. Davison, after cooling his heels in the Tower, was released. If this was, in fact Elizabeth’s idea all along, her grief over causing the death of her cousin should still be interpreted as genuine.

Elizabethan Privy Council manuscript concerning Mary, Queen of Scots that went up for auction recently. Photo via Paul Fraser Collectibles.

The execution of Mary Stuart provided an acceptable catalyst for Phillip II of Spain to invade England in 1588.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Parliament Petitions Queen Elizabeth I

The Great Seal of Queen Elizabeth I, 1586. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Just four days after a commission found Mary Stuart, former Queen of Scotland guilty of treason, Parliament petitioned Queen Elizabeth I to sign her cousin's warrant for execution. This was to prove an immensely difficult task, as Queen Elizabeth was understandably apprehensive to set a precedent by executing a fellow anointed sovereign.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Mary Stuart is Convicted of Treason

A miniature of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots that was done by Nicholas Hilliard during her captivity in England, 1578. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1586, Mary Stuart, the former Queen of Scots, was found guilty of treason due to her involvement in the Babington Plot. Discover the details of the plot, Mary's trial and her conviction in our article here.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Mary Stuart is Found Guilty of Treason

A miniature of Mary, Queen of Scots, which was done by Nicholas Hilliard during her captivity in 1578. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1586, Mary Stuart, formally Queen of Scotland, was found guilty of treason against Queen Elizabeth I, due to her cooperation in the Babington Plot. You can read more about the details of the plot and her conviction in our BeingBess article here.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Babington & Co-conspirators Go on Trial

The Babington Plot letter, signed by Anthony Babington. Image Barb Alexander (c) Tudor Tutor.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1586, Anthony Babington and his thirteen co-conspirators went on trial. Babington, a Catholic nobleman who had formally served in the household of the Earl of Shrewsbury, and his associates were charged with plotting to kill Queen Elizabeth I and attempting to sieze the the English throne on behalf of the imprisoned Mary Stuart, the former Queen of Scotland. The final stage of the so-called Babington Plot was that King Philip II of Spain would invade England and restore Catholicism, bringing the country back under the control of the Church of Rome.

The Babington Plot was an elaborate Catholic plot, created by King Philip II of Spain and the former Spanish ambassador in England, Don Bernardino de Mendoza; Mendoza had recently been banished from the English court because Queen Elizabeth I had become suspicious of his activities. There would never be another Spanish ambassador in England during Elizabeth I's reign. 

An engraving of Bernardino de Mendoza, c. 1595. By an artist from the Spanish School. Image public domain.

While Mary Stuart was not the instigator of this plot, once she was informed of Philip II's plan by Babington, she gave her consent in writing. An imprisoned Queen without a country, Mary was tempted by this offer of liberation and a kingdom to rule. Queen Elizabeth I's spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, who was tired of waiting for Mary to condemn herself through her other correspondances, orchestrated a ruse in order to obtain just cause to have her arrested. Under Walsingham's orders,  Mary Stuart was led to believe that her letters in support of the Babington plot were being smuggled out of the castle securely in wine barrels, when in reality the letters were delivered directly to Walsingham. Today, modern legal systems would consider Walsingham's methods entrapment, but even so, Mary made the decision to commit her compliance to paper. Had she rejected Babington's plan entirely, she would have been clear of treason.

A portrait of Sir Francis Walsingham. By an artist of the Anglo-Netherlandish School, circa 1590. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Unfortunately for Babington, and eventually for Mary, Queen of Scots, there was copious evidence to convict them of their crimes.

Babington described to Mary Stuart his plans in such great detail that there would be absolutely no way that Mary could have misinterpreted the message:
 
"First, assuring of invasion: Sufficient strength in the invader: Ports to arrive at appointed, with a strong party at every place to join with them and warrant their landing. The deliverance of your Majesty. The dispatch of the usurping Competitor. For the effectuating of all which it may please your Excellency to rely upon my service.... Now forasmuch as delay is extreme dangerous, it may please your most excellent Majesty by your wisdom to direct us, and by your princely authority to enable such as may advance the affair; foreseeing that, where is not any of the nobility at liberty assured to your Majesty in this desperate service (except unknown to us) and seeing it is very necessary that some there be to become heads to lead the multitude, ever disposed by nature in this land to follow nobility, considering withal it doth not only make the commons and gentry to follow without contradiction or contention (which is ever found in equality) but also doth add great courage to the leaders. For which necessary regard I recommend some unto your Majesty as fittest in my knowledge for to be your Lieutenants in the West parts, in the North parts, South Wales, North Wales and the Counties of Lancaster, Derby and Stafford: all which countries, by parties already made and fidelities taken in your Majesty's name, I hold as most assured and of most undoubted fidelity." (reproduced in Pollen)
 
He also explained his intent to rescue Mary and have Queen Elizabeth murdered:
 
"Myself with ten gentlemen and a hundred of our followers will undertake the delivery of your royal person from the hands of your enemies. For the dispatch of the usurper, from the obedience of whom we are by the excommunication of her made free, there be six noble gentlemen, all my private friends, who for the zeal they bear to the Catholic cause and your Majesty's service will undertake that tragical execution." (reproduced in Pollen)
 
After this letter was deciphered and read by Walsingham, it was re-sent to Mary, who received it on the 14th of July. Mary gave her enthusiastic consent:
 
"For divers great and important considerations (which were here too long to be deduced) I cannot but greatly praise and commend your common desire to prevent in time the designments of our enemies for the extirpation of our religion out of this realm with the ruin of us all. For I have long ago shown unto the foreign Catholic princes—and experience doth approve it—the longer that they and we delay to put hand on the matter on this side, the greater leisure have our said enemies to prevail and win advantage over the said princes (as they have done against the King of Spain) and in the meantime the Catholics here, remaining exposed to all sorts of persecution and cruelty, do daily diminish in number, forces, means and power. So as, if remedy be not thereunto hastily provided, I fear not a little but they shall become altogether unable for ever to rise again and to receive any aid at all, whensoever it were offered them. For mine own part, I pray you to assure our principal friends that, albeit I had not in this cause any particular interest (that which I may pretend unto being of no consideration unto me in respect of the public good of this state) I shall be always ready and most willing to employ therein my life and all that I have or may ever look for in this world." (reproduced in Pollen)

This statement from Mary alone could have had her convicted of treason; there was no additional evidence needed. But, since Walsingham and his associates would leave no room for error in building their case to get Queen Elizabeth to believe in her cousin's guilt, Walsingham's man Phellipes made a copy of the original letter, adding an incriminating post-script. Phellipes than made another copy of the letter for Walsingham, doodling an ominous gallows on the paper. Mary was doomed.

The key to the Babington Plot cipher code of Mary Stuart, circa 1586. UK National Archives.

Babington and his associates were found guilty of high treason and were sentenced to be hung, drawn, and quartered, a traitor's execution. Babington tried to buy a pardon, but his offer was unsurprisingly rejected. He was executed, and his dismembered body was displayed in pieces throughout London. He was just 24 years old. 

Elizabethan Privy Council manuscript concerning Mary, Queen of Scots. Photo (c) Paul Fraser Collectibles.

Sources
Pollen, J.H. "Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington plot," The Month, Volume 109. 1907. Online.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Execution of the 4rth Duke of Norfolk

A portrait of Thomas Howard, the 4rth Duke of Norfolk from 1563. By Hans Eworth. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1572, Thomas Howard, the 4rth Duke of Norfolk was executed,, having been convicted of treason. While English law dictated that surviving family members of traitors would lose all of their land and titles in order to make an example of them, Queen Elizabeth I took pity on Norfolk's son, allowing him to retain much of his father's property, though not his title.

To learn about the 4rth Duke of Norfolk's career, and to discover what led to his grisly end, please read our article about him.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox

A 16th century portrait of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox. By an unknown artist. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1578, Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox died. She was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey in the Chapel of Henry VII.

Margaret was the daughter of Margaret Tudor and her second husband, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. Therefore, Margaret was the niece of King Henry VIII. Her royal blood and proximity to the throne was problematic, and her scheming and plotting on behalf of her relatives made her a great irritant to Queen Elizabeth I during her early reign.

A detail from The Family Tree of James I, circa 1603, showing Margaret's parents, Margaret Tudor and Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Margaret's two surviving sons with her husband Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox, hold an important place in history. Her ambitious and haughty son, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley wed Mary, Queen of Scots, becoming her second husband and the father of her only child, James. Their marriage ended in Lord Darnley's suspicious death at Kirk o'Field.

A dual portrait of Margaret's children, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and his younger brother Charles Stuart, Earl of Lennox. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

 Margaret arranged the marriage of her other son, Charles Stuart, the 1st Earl of Lennox to Elizabeth Cavendish in 1574; Elizabeth was the daughter of Elizabeth of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury, and the step-daughter of the powerful Earl of Shrewsbury, George Talbot. This covert marriage was seen as a machination by Margaret Tudor to get her line one step closer to the English throne; Queen Elizabeth did not take kindly to such an affront, and the Countess was imprisoned in the Tower for the second time. She was pardoned after Charles' death in 1576. 

Charles left behind a daughter, Arbella Stuart; Arbella was raised by her grandmother Margaret after the death of her father, and later by her other grandmother, Bess of Hardwick. Both grandmothers had hoped that their grandchild would succeed to the throne of England, but in fact it was Margaret's other grandchild who did; James VI of Scotland became James I of England in 1603 upon the death of Queen Elizabeth.

A portrait of a young Arbella Stuart, clutching her doll. The portrait hangs at Hardwick Hall. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Elizabethan Quote of the Day: Elizabeth Speaks on Marriage and Children

"And therefore I say again, I will marry as soon as I can conveniently, if God take not him away with whom I mind to marry, or myself, or else some other great let happen. I can say no more, except the party were present. And I hope to have children, otherwise I would never marry." 

(Quote taken from Elizabeth I and her Parliaments 1559-1581, by J.E. Neale).

A portrait of Queen Elizabeth I from 1570. By Hans Eworth. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Queen Elizabeth I said this in a speech delivered in 1566 to a delegation made up of both houses of Parliament. The members of Parliament were pressing the Queen to declare her intentions concerning the proposed marriage between herself and the Archduke Charles of Austria. 

A portrait of Archduke Charles (and his dog!) from 1569. Unknown artist. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Of course, Queen Elizabeth I never married Archduke Charles, or anyone else for that matter. Though Elizabeth did not marry for a variety of reasons, evidence from her life suggests that she may have wanted children of her own; she was always kind to the children she would meet while on progress, she helped support her godsons at university and found husbands or court positions for the younger women (some of them god-daughters) charged to her care, and she held genuine affection for the children of her cousins, Katherine Carey-Knollys and Henry Carey, Baron Hunsdon.

A portrait of Eleanor Verney, Mrs. William Palmer circa 1590. Eleanor Verney-Palmer was a god-daughter of Queen Elizabeth I. Attributed to William Segar. Parham Park. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Archduke Charles later sought the hand of Elizabeth's cousin and rival, Mary, Queen of Scots, but eventually wed Maria Anna of Bavaria, with whom he had twelve children.

A portrait of Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria from 1577. By Cornelis Vermeyen. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots

'Mary, Queen of Scots being led to execution', by Laslett John Pott, 1871. Image courtesy of Marilee Cody.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1587, Mary Stuart, the former Queen of Scots, was executed at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire. After being implicated in the Babington Plot the previous year, Mary Stuart was tried and found guilty of treason. Mary and her co-conspirators had planned to have Queen Elizabeth I killed, and with the help of a Spanish army and disgruntled English Catholics, place Mary on the throne. (You can read more about the Babington plot, the trial, and the conviction, as well as Elizabeth's reaction, here.)

A Babington Plot letter. Image from Barb Alexander's (the TudorTutor) Pinterest page.

On February 7th, Mary Stuart had learned of her fate via Sir Amyas Paulet, who informed her that she would be executed almost immediately on the following day. A pious Catholic to the end, Mary spent her last night on earth in prayer. When Mary Stuart mounted the scaffold that had been erected within the Great Hall of Fotheringhay Castle, she forgave her executioner for taking her life, as was customary. It was recorded that she uttered to him, "I forgive you with all my heart, for now, I hope, you shall make an end to all my troubles." (quoted in Guy, 7)

In a last act of defiance, Mary Stuart's servants removed her overdress, revealing her undergarments, all in crimson red, the color of a Catholic martyr. After being blindfolded by one of her attendants, Mary knelt before the block and placed her head in the groove intended for her neck. With outstretched arms, she recited in Latin the phrase, "Into thy hands, oh Lord, I commend my spirit."

Despite Mary's willing involvement in the Babington Plot, one cannot help but be outraged by her grisly end; it took not one, but three strokes of the executioner's axe to remove the Scottish Queen's head from her body. To make matters worse, when Mary's severed head had been held aloft and the executioner cried, "Behold the head of a traitor, God save the Queen!", another horrid scene occurred; Mary's hair was revealed to be merely a wig, when her head tumbled to the floor, revealing her natural grey hair, and leaving the curled wig in the executioners grasp. One of Mary's little terriers, who had been hiding under her voluminous skirts revealed himself, but would not leave his deceased owners body. Mary's loyal pet, who one could argue was more loyal to her than any of her own friends and relations, had to be forcibly removed. 

A 1613-14 depiction by an unknown Dutch artist of the execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Image acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Though there are articles of clothing in existence that different institutions claim were worn by Mary, Queen of Scots at her death (a certain chemise comes to mind) these claims are likely dubious. There were strict orders to destroy all of the material goods associated with Mary's execution, including the scaffold and the block, to prevent them from being fashioned into relics by Catholic adherents. A 1613/14 depiction of the execution shows the Queen of Scot's clothing being burnt in the background.

This Chemise shown at Coughton Court is purported to have been worn by Mary, Queen of Scots at her execution; this is almost certainly false, but the myth still prevails. Image from Erika Christine via Wendy Price on Pinterest.

When Queen Elizabeth learned that it had taken not one, but three strokes of the axe to remove Mary's head from her body, she flew into an uncontrollable rage, followed by a deep depression. 

A copy of Mary Stuart's death mask, on display at Falklands Palace. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Despite Mary Stuart's last will and testament, she was not buried in France, the land where she had been carefree and happy in her youth. Her body was embalmed and placed in a lead coffin to await burial, which did not come until July of that year. Mary was first buried at Peterborough Cathedral, and later interred in Westminster Abbey by her son James VI, who became James I of England. 

The marble tomb effigy of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots in Westminster Abbey. Mary's tomb provocatively lies in a chamber directly across from the final resting place of her great rival, Queen Elizabeth I. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons, shared for public use by Kim Traynor.

In a case of historical irony, the Scottish Stuarts succeeded to the throne of England, despite Henry VIII banning the Scottish Tudor line from the English succession. The marriage arranged by Henry VII between his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor and James IV gave birth to a dynasty that the Virgin Queen would select to succeed the illustrious Tudors upon her death. The Tudors had reigned successfully for almost 100 years, after decades of dynastic struggle and strife in England during the series of conflicts posthumously known as the 'Wars of the Roses'.

The family tree of James VI/James I of Scotland and England. Image acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Sources:
Guy, John. My Heart is my Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots. London: Fourth Estate, 2004. Print.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Elizabeth I signs Mary Stuart's Death Warrant

The Babington Plot letter from Anthony Babington. Image from Barb Alexander's Pinterest page.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1587, after much deliberation, Queen Elizabeth I signed the warrant for her cousin, Mary Stuart's execution. Mary, the former Queen of Scots had been found guilty of treason back in October of the previous year. To learn more about Mary Stuart's involvement in the elaborate Babington Plot, which led to her still-controversial conviction of treason, please visit out article here.

Also, please share your questions and comments below. Do you think Mary, Queen of Scots was guilty of plotting against Queen Elizabeth's life? Do you question the validity of the treason charge? Was Walsingham's method of obtaining proof of Mary Stuart's guilt ingenious or entrapment? I would love to hear your opinions, since this is still a historical event that Tudor-philes are passionate about.

Theatre Thursday: The Star of 'Maria Stuarda' Speaks

A portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, circa 1565. The Blairs Museum. Image public domain.

For the first Theatre Thursday of the new year, I bring you an interview with the star of Donizetti's tragic opera, 'Maria Stuarda', mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. The interview examines the history behind the script, Italian censorship, and the strict regimen of a professional opera singer. For those who are not lucky enough to see the show in person, 'Maria Stuarda' will be broadcast live in HD on January 19th.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Francis Walsingham Appointed Secretary

A portrait of Sir Francis Walsingham by John de Critz, circa 1597. Image public domain through Creative Commons licensing, NPG, London.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1573, Queen Elizabeth I appointed Sir Francis Walsingham as her principal secretary. Though he was a competent statesman, Walsingham's true calling was intelligence and espionage. Through a combination of diplomacy and the use of informants and spies, Walsingham and his men managed to keep Queen Elizabeth safe from several assassination plots. 

Walsingham's finest hour was also to be his most controversial: exposing Mary Stuart's approval and support of the well-organized Babington Plot. Anthony Babington and his co-conspirators sought to have Elizabeth I deposed and killed, and then liberate the imprisoned Queen of Scots and place her on the English throne. Mary Stuart, with the help of Philip II, would restore Catholicism in England and bring the country back under papal influence. Walsingham's methods for obtaining proof of Mary Stuart's guilt may be considered entrapment by modern standards, but the fact remains that Mary did give her consent in no uncertain terms.

The Babington letter. Photo courtesy of by Barb Alexander, the Tudor Tutor.

The cipher code used by Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, to correspond with Anthony Babington and, unknowingly, Walsingham and his men. UK National Archives.

Mary Stuart, the former Queen of Scots, was executed for her crimes at Fotheringay on Febrary 8th, 1587. Walsingham served as Queen Elizabeth I's secretary in an official capacity, and her "spymaster" in an unofficial capacity, until his death on April 6th in 1590.


For further reading, we recommend:

Her Majesty's Spymaster: Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Walsingham, and the Birth of Modern Espionage by Stephen Budiansky.

The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I by Stephen Alford

Also, to learn more about Sir Francis Walsingham and his family, please visit our Walsingham Family board on Pinterest.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of Sir Christopher Hatton

A detail of a portrait of Sir Christopher Hatton, circa 1575. Image public domain through Creative Commons licensing, NPG, London.

On this day in Elizabethan history in 1591, Lord Chancellor Christopher Hatton, whom Queen Elizabeth affectionately called her "lids" and her "sheep", died in London at Ely Palace. The Queen herself had visited her ailing favorite on November 11th. A month after his passing, on December 16th, there was a state funeral for Hatton at the Old St. Paul's Cathedral. His monument, which stood at the altar, was described as "...an outrage to the susceptibilities of the devout but an object of marvel to London sightseers until the Great Fire of 1666 dethroned and destroyed it" (Deacon, 213).

Since Henry VII, the Tudors had favored promoting men in government based on merit rather than hereditary right. Christopher Hatton was a prime example of one of these "new men". The second son of a member of the Northamptonshire gentry, William Hatton, and his second wife Alice Saunders, Christopher became a leading figure in Queen Elizabeth's court.

Unlike most to join Queen Elizabeth's inner circle, Hatton was no academic. Though he was able to attend Oxford in the 1550's, he received no degree, and after being admitted to the Inner Temple (one of the four residences for learning common law and appointing barristers) in 1559, he was never actually called to the bar (Wagner, 145). So, even though Hatton took the traditional path to earn a career at court, he did not succeed in his academic endeavors, and it was therefore assumed that he earned his place through his skills at dancing. 

The handsome Hatton had first caught the Queen's eye when he performed a dance for her at the court masque given at the Inner Temple during the Christmas celebrations of 1561 (Wagner, 145). In just three years, Hatton had benefited from Queen Elizabeth's patronism, receiving court appointments and grants of land and money. Over time, Hatton honed his abilities as a politician, and Queen Elizabeth entrusted him with more responsibilities. In 1572, Queen Elizabeth made him captain of her Royal Guard. 1577 was an excellent year for Hatton, since he was both knighted and appointed to the Privy Council. He sat for Northamptonshire in several parliaments, and became the Queen's spokesman in the Commons. 

A portrait of Sir Christopher Hatton by an artist after Cornelius Ketel, circa 1585. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Hatton was now in a position to become a patron himself; Edmund Spenser and Thomas Churchyard benefited from his support. Hatton was also one of the first courtiers to invest in Sir Francis Drake's attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 1577. In tribute, Drake's famous ship, the Golden Hind, was named after one of the heraldic emblems on Hatton's coat-of-arms (Wagner, 145).

A reproduction of Drake's Golden Hind. Photo acquired through Wikimedia Commons, shared for public use by Steve FE Cameron.

Hatton's rapid rise at court was somewhat stalled by his opposition to Queen Elizabeth's proposed marriage to Francis, Duke of Alencon, and his rivalry with another favorite of the Queen, Sir Walter Raleigh. Also, Hatton, along with most of the Queen's advisers, supported the idea of executing Mary Stuart, the former Queen of Scots, which earned him Elizabeth's displeasure (Wagner, 145). Hatton encouraged secretary William Davison to defy the Queen's orders and send Mary Stuart's signed execution warrant to Fotheringay, rather that retain it indefinitely, as she had instructed. After the Queen's wrath dissipated, Hatton was welcomed back into the royal fold.

A portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, circa 1578. Attributed to Oultry. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Like the Queen, Hatton was a religious moderate, and opposed any drastic actions taken against Puritans and Catholics. The Puritan's suspected him of being a secret Catholic, and a Puritan fanatic actually tried to assassinate him in 1573.

In 1587, Hatton earned his most distinguished position, becoming Lord Chancellor, which was the most important legal position in the land; this was quite the triumph for a man that never made the bar! In 1588, after Queen Elizabeth's world was turned upside-down by the death of her long-time friend and favorite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, someone needed to succeed to his many positions; Hatton became the next Chancellor of Oxford University and the High Steward of Cambridge University (Wagner, 145). For Queen Elizabeth to select Hatton as her beloved Leicester's successor signifies her placement of trust in his abilities, and her affection for him.

A miniature portrait of Sir Christopher Hatton, circa 1588-91. By Nicholas Hilliard. Hatton is shown with the seal of his office of Lord Chancellor on the table by his side. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Sir Christopher Hatton succeeded in one way where Leicester had always failed Elizabeth; the consummate courtier, Hatton never married. However, it was rumored that he had married secretly, and perhaps fathered an illegitimate child. Hatton's nephew, Sir William Newport, inherited his estates upon his death. As a sign of respect, Newport adopted the surname Hatton. Also passing without issue, the Hatton estates passed to a second Christopher Hatton in 1597.

Sources

Wagner, John. A. "Hatton, Sir Christopher". The Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World. First ed. 2002. Print.

Deacon, Malcolm. The Courtier and the Queen. Northampton: Park Lane Publishing, 2008. Print.