The threat of Mary Queen of Scots Flashcards
(4 cards)
Who was Mary ?
Elizabeth’s 2 cousin
married to Francis ii French king and inherited Scottish crown
Treaty of Edinburgh: 1560
In 1559 the Scottish lords rebelled against Mary as they did not like her for being French and a Catholic. Elizabeth sent money to these rebel. The rebellion was ended by the Treaty of Edinburgh. This meant that the Scottish lords controlled England and Mary had to give up her claim to the throne, however Mary never agreed to this treaty. She wanted to be Elizabeth’s heir
After the death of her Husband the protestant lord rebelled against her and in 1568 she was forced to abdicate and fled to England
Elizabeth’s options with Mary
1) Help Mary to regain her throne
This would upset the Scottish nobility and result in a Catholic ruler on England’s northern border. It might also revive the Auld Alliance between France and Scotland, posing a threat to Elizabeth.
- Since Mary was the widow of the French king, Francis II, allowing the Scottish lords to try, imprison, or execute her could anger France. This might drive France into an alliance with Spain and potentially lead to war with England.
- Allow Mary to go abroad | Allowing Mary to go abroad could see her return to France. This could provoke a French plot that aimed to remove Elizabeth from the English throne and replace her with Mary
- Keep Mary in England | Keeping Mary in England was probably the best option for Elizabeth. However, it carried the risk that Catholic plotters might try to overthrow Elizabeth and replace her with Mary.
The Casket Letters Affair
A meeting was set up at York to hear the case against Mary between October 1568 and January 1569.
The Scottish lords brought love letters with them, supposedly written by Mary to the Earl of Bothwell, that showed she had plotted to murder Lord Darnley.
Mary said that she could not be tried because she was an anointed monarch, and would not offer a plea unless Elizabeth guaranteed a verdict of innocence.
The conference did not reach any conclusions. Mary, therefore, remained captive in England.
By not handing over Mary, Elizabeth ensured:
👍 the Scottish nobility would not imprison or execute Mary
👍 the French would be satisfied
👍 her subjects did not punish an anointed monarch
The conference did not reach any conclusions. Mary, therefore, stayed in England, in captivity. But she remained a threat to Elizabeth, because any plots against her, especially those involving Catholics, would seek to replace Elizabeth with Mary.
