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Mary, Queen of Scots Part III- Prisoner Queen
Mary, Queen of Scots was in a world of hurt. Her husband, Lord Darnley, had been murdered and she was being implicated in his death. It was well known the relationship was on the rocks. He was constantly drunk and kept company with whores. The last straw was his involvement in the death of her secretary, David Rizzio. His house in Kirk of the Field had exploded, but Darnley’s body had been found strangled in the garden. It could have caused nothing but relief for Mary. However, suspicion for his murder fell on several nobles, including James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. Mary had consulted Bothwell and a council of nobles…
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Mary, Queen of Scots Part 2- A match made in hell
On paper it was a glittering match. She was a beautiful queen, and he was a handsome lord. They were both descendants of Henry VII, and combined the Catholic claim to the throne of England into one claim. However, the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley turned into a disaster. Mary was eighteen years old when she arrived in Scotland for the first time since she was five years old. She was the Queen, but her mother Marie of Guise had held the fort as Regent so to speak. Mary was raised a pampered and doted on Princess of France. Eventually she became France’s Queen,…
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Mary, Queen of Scots- Part I
The rift between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots had been around before the Treaty of Edinburgh, but it certainly brought it into sharper focus. Many Catholics regarded Mary as the rightful Queen of England as she was the granddaughter of Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister. This made her a legitimate relative of Henry, whereas Elizabeth was illegitimate because his marriage to Anne Boleyn was not recognized by the Catholic Church. The terms of the marriage contract between Mary and the dauphin said the crowns of France and Scotland would be united for any children of the marriage, strengthening the Auld Alliance. If Mary could claim the throne of…
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Catherine Woodville
Catherine Woodville was born in around 1458, the youngest child of fourteen born to her parents, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Countess Rivers and Baron Rivers, Richard Woodville. At aged 6, Catherine was married to the young Henry Stafford, later 2nd Duke of Buckingham who was three years older. Some sources claim that Henry wasn’t happy with the match feeling that Catherine was below him in status, however it is also conceivable that a nine year old boy would quite likely be unhappy to marry any girl. Whatever the circumstances, Catherine and Henry went on to have a fairly successful marriage. Following her sister’s coronation in 1465, during which the young Duke…
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Elizabeth and Mary Part 2- Surviving the sister wars
The Tower of London was not a place most people wanted to be, especially those of royal blood. This was doubly true of Elizabeth Tudor as the place was fraught with memories and stories. When she was first put in the tower by Queen Mary’s order, she was lodged in the royal palace in the inner ward of the Tower. Much nicer than a tower or a dungeon, but it had been rebuilt by her father for her mother’s coronation. It was also where her mother, Anne Boleyn, had stayed prior to her trial and execution. Not a good precedent. The queen’s council began their questioning in earnest the following…
