A man runs through the dimly lit
stone halls of Linlithgow Palace. His hurried footsteps echo off the
walls as his chest heaves up and down. He approaches the door to the room in which the
Queen and her newborn infant daughter reside. The man pauses just outside the entrance to
catch his breath. He opens the door and speaks. "My Lady, the King is dead," the
messenger pauses as he looks at the baby. "Your daughter is now Queen of Scotland."
The baby lets out a cry as her reign begins. On a cold December day in 1542, King James V is
laid to rest; Mary Queen of Scots becomes ruler of her father's lands. Since she is only an infant,
a number of other people make decisions for her until she is old enough to take over the
throne. One of these people is her mother, Marie de Guise. She oversees her daughter's
future and the future of Scotland. Marie de Guise sits around a table of advisors
as the sun shines through stained glass windows. "My lady," one of the regents starts. "Word has
traveled fast across the lands; Henry VIII now knows of the death of your husband. He is going
to come after your daughter one way or another." There are murmurs from the other advisors sitting
around the table. They are all Catholic nobles, and the last thing they want is a Protestant like
Henry VIII meddling in the affairs of Scotland. The advisor continues speaking. "We have
received word that many in the English court will not recognize the current
King's children as heirs to the throne since they are illegitimate in the eyes
of the Catholic Church. It seems as if Henry's proclivity for new wives
has finally caught up with him." Marie de Guise nods as she ponders what this
means for Scotland and the people of England. But the more pressing concern is what Henry
VIII might do to her daughter. As Henry VII's great-granddaughter, Mary is the rightful heir
to the English throne when Henry passes away. This is the last thing the mad king wants for his
line of succession. He killed so many wives just to ensure he would have a son to succeed him.
Now all of that seems to have been for nothing. "Henry VIII has shown his desperation in an
unsurprising way," another advisor chimes in. "He has proposed that your daughter Mary and
his son Edward should be wed. This would bring peace to our lands. But as everyone sitting around
this table knows, the marriage is unacceptable. We will not allow a Protestant boy to sully the
prestige of our new Queen." Everyone agrees. Marie de Guise is silent for a moment. All eyes
fall on her as she cradles the newborn queen in her arms. "We will need allies if we are to make
sure that Henry and his allies are kept in check. My daughter's destiny lies not in Scotland at the
moment but beyond our shores on the mainland." There is an unsettling silence among the advisors.
They know that the mother of the Queen is right, but it seems wrong to send the newborn
away from her homeland at such a young age. Then again, it may be the only hope for Scotland
to maintain control over its lands. Life is dangerous for a monarch, especially an infant
monarch with an enemy as powerful as Henry VIII. It would only take a single cunning assassin a few
moments to smother the new queen in her cradle. "My daughter will go to France where she will be
married to Francis II, heir to the French throne. This will provide her with protection from Henry
and his supporters while also strengthening the bond between our two countries," says
Marie de Guise. "In order for Scotland to remain independent, we will need France's
support in the years to come. The Protestant threat is growing even within our borders. We
need to keep my daughter safe at all costs." The council of advisors agrees. Marie de
Guise kisses her daughter on the forehead, stands up, and walks out of the room to
make preparations for the journey ahead. For several years Mary Queen of
Scots is kept under close watch as she grows and the marriage to Francis is
solidified. Five years into her life, Mary, her mother, and several of her close friends
step onto a creaky wooden ship and set sail for France. They safely dock on the other side
of the channel, where the Scottish voyagers are greeted by French nobility. A year later,
it is decided that Marie de Guise must return to Scotland to rule as regent for her daughter
until she comes of age. It is a sad farewell; tears stream down Marie's face as this could
be the last time she ever sees her daughter. It is still not safe for the young Queen in
Scotland, nor is it safe for her mother. Marie de Guise is accompanied back to Scotland by her
grandmother Antoinette de Bourbon and her uncle Francis, the second Duke of Guise, and Charles, a
cardinal in the Catholic church. This entourage is powerful enough to keep the Protestants at bay
and Henry VIII from doing anything too rash. For the next 12 years, Mary is taught by
the best teachers France has to offer. She is treated like one of the royal family
even before her marriage to Francis II. Then the happy day finally comes. On April
24, 1558, Mary and Francis are married. The Scottish-French alliance has now been
solidified, and it seems as if everyone can sigh a breath of relief. But two years into
the marriage, a tragedy strikes. Mary Queen of Scots has enjoyed a relatively safe, carefree
life in France, but that is all about to change. One of Mary's closest friends approaches her
as she sits in the garden. "My lady, I have some terrible news," her voice trembles. "Your
husband—" The friend can't complete her sentence. The words get stuck in her throat as
she tries to choke back her tears. "What of Francis?" Mary asks frantically. "He is dead, my lady. The doctors treating his
infection of the ear couldn't stop its spread; something went terribly wrong." Mary stands up. Her gaze is far away. She
picks up her long dress in both hands and sprints towards the palace where the
body of her deceased husband lies. Mary is only 18 years old and now a widow. Her brother-in-law Charles IX takes over
the French throne. There is nothing left for Mary in this country. It is decided Mary
is to return home to Scotland. For the first time since she was a small child, Mary Queen
of Scots will rule her homeland as Queen. Mary doesn't remember much about the land where
she was born and spent her early childhood, but what she does remember has all changed.
The country is now predominantly Protestant, and since she was raised in France as a Catholic,
she has a hard time identifying with her people. However, most of the country still loves
their Queen, especially the eligible bachelors who seek to elevate their status by becoming her
husband and joining the monarchy of Scotland. Mary finds companionship in not just a friend
but a relative. Her cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, becomes close to the Queen. They
spend time together traveling through the country, and it is decided that the two will wed.
Mary Queen of Scots likes Henry Stuart, and the nobility also knows that the union of the two will strengthen the Stuart claim to the
English throne. Plus, Henry is a Catholic. But there is a problem. Many of the
Scottish nobles are now Protestant, and they are less than thrilled about
the marriage between Mary and Henry. But they don't have to worry for long. Things
quickly fall apart between the newlyweds. "Why do you let them push you
around like that?" asks Mary. "I am better than them. I
don't need to argue my points; they should just listen to me. I am King
of Scotland, after all!" Henry replies. "You are married to the Queen of Scotland,
Henry; you are not a king without me. Do not forget that," Mary says to her
husband with fire in her eyes. "You are immature and arrogant. I believe I have made a
mistake taking you as my husband. A mistake I, unfortunately, have to live with until one
of us is no longer in this mortal realm." "I am immature?" Henry shouts. "What about
you? I see the way you look at your secretary. What's his name again? David Rizzio. Don't forget,
you're carrying my child, and even if you keep me out of important meetings and decisions, our
kid will still be the heir to the throne." "I am done listening to your
accusations and whining. I am leaving," Mary Queen of Scots slams the door as she
exits the room and pauses. Does he really know how I feel about David? She wonders. Mary
runs down the hallway as quickly as she can. She is heavily pregnant, but she must warn
David Rizzio that his life could be in danger. Mary searches everywhere but can't
find her secretary. It is likely he has already gone home as it is late.
Mary Queen of Scots retires to her bed-chamber while her husband broods
and plots in his room by candlelight. Several days later, Mary is sitting in a
gallery discussing matters of the country with David Rizzio. Sun pours through the
windows lighting the room in a warm glow. The doors to the gallery burst open. Armed
soldiers rush in and seize David Rizzo. Mary watches in horror as one after another
plunges their knives into her secretary. The lifeless body is thrown to the
floor; blood pools at Mary's feet. She turns to face the entryway. Standing there
with a smile creasing his lips is her husband. It is June 19, 1566. The screams of Mary
Queen of Scots fill the halls of Edinburgh Castle. The screaming suddenly stops. A
baby begins to cry as the Queen's newborn son James the VI, is welcomed into the
world. Mary's husband has lost his mind and claims that the baby boy is not his.
It is clear that Darnley is no longer a suitable husband, and he certainly
is not the father James deserves. Mary finds herself in a terrible position.
She needs to get away from Darnley, but she can't divorce the man without jeopardizing her
son's legitimacy as heir to the throne. However, there may be another way out of this
situation. If Darnley were to die somehow, Mary could move on, and her son would not have to
worry about his future role as King of Scotland. This is a dark thought, but Mary knows
something must be done. There is no definitive connection between Mary
Queen of Scots and what happens next, but all of her problems are about to
be solved in a very convenient way. Henry Darnley starts to feel ill. The doctors
in Edinburgh don't seem to be able to help. He decides to go to Kirk o' Field
to seek aid from the monks there and recover from whatever is ailing him.
Mary decides not to accompany her husband as she has no desire to spend more time
with him than she absolutely has to. Henry lies motionless in his bed at Kirk o' Field.
He stares out the window at the rolling fields that lay just beyond the church. It is beautiful.
Unknown to Darnley, a man has entered the church. In the basement is a store of gunpowder, enough
to consume the entire church in a fiery explosion. The anonymous man lights a fuse
and rushes out of the building. Henry is feeling better, so he summons
his servant. "Let's go for a walk," he says. The servant nods and grabs Henry's coat. The fuse continues to burn closer
and closer to the gunpowder. The servant opens the door, and Henry steps
outside. It is brisk but pleasant. They begin to stroll through the church grounds, climbing to the
top of one of the hills overlooking the fields. It is quiet and still; there is only a slight breeze.
The burning fuse reaches the barrels. They ignite. The explosion shakes the Earth. The
church erupts like a volcano behind them. Henry and his servant fall to the ground; the
intense heat from the fire warms their backs. Henry sits up and looks back at
Kirk o' Field. From the fire, a shape emerges. It is the silhouette
of a man; in his hands is a wire. When investigators arrive at the
scene, they find the church in a pile of smoldering rubble. However,
there is no sign of Henry Stuart. They search the grounds surrounding the
church and find something shocking. Laying in one of the fields is the former king and his
servant. They have both been strangled to death. It’s no secret that Mary and Henry had not been
getting along. When she is told of her husband's death, she does not seem very distraught, nor does
she seem all that surprised. Enemies of the Queen accuse her of conspiring with one of her closest
advisors, James Hepburn, of murdering her husband so that she could get out of the loveless
marriage. The death of her first husband, Francis II, was and accident. The death of
her second husband, Henry Stuart, was not. In a move that shocks the nation and the
nobles of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots weds James Hepburn in May of 1567, only three
months after the murder of her former husband. Since her previous lovers were dead, the
Catholic Church has no argument against the Queen remarrying a third time. However,
who she marries does seem suspicious. It seems as if the world is falling
apart around Mary. The elites of the country continuously scheme to have her
removed from the throne. Many of her loyal subjects now question her ethics as it appears
the Queen had some sort of role in the death of her previous husband. And even though things
seem like they can't get any worse, they do. Mary later finds out that James Hepburn
is still married to another woman. He told Mary Queen of Scots that he had been
previously married, but was recently divorced, when in fact, he had never gone through
with the proceedings. In order to save face, Mary has to act quickly. She concocts
a story that James Hepburn abducted her and forced her to marry him. In reality,
there is no evidence to support this claim. Back-to-back scandals are never good for a Queen,
and the Scottish nobles take advantage of this. However, this time it is not just Protestants
who are trying to remove Mary from the throne, but Catholics as well. It seems as if
everyone has turned against the young Queen. In June of 1567, Marry and James Hepburn
are confronted by nobles atop Carberry Hill. "It's over," says the leader. "This cannot
go on any longer. England is laughing at us; the world is laughing at us. It is time
to answer for what you've done, Hepburn." "No!" screams Mary. "I will come willingly and
do whatever you say; just let James go free." There is a quiet discussion amongst the
nobles. "Very well," the leader says. "You will come with us to Loch Leven Castle,
where you will remain under close guard. Your time as Queen of Scotland is
now at its end. As for your husband," the leader of the nobles says with disgust.
"He is to be exiled from our lands forever." Mary looks at James. They have no choices; she
hugs her husband and walks slowly toward the soldiers and nobles. James Hepburn watches
as his wife is led down Carberry Hill. He notices a few soldiers lingering, and in fear
for his life, James Hepburn fleas the country, never to see his wife or homeland again. Mary sits in Loch Leven Castle, staring
out the single window in her small room. The summer of 1567 is a hot one; sweat
trickles down the side of her face. She has been forced to abdicate her throne, leaving
her infant son as the new King of Scotland. The nobles are now in charge of the country
as it will still be many years before James VI is old enough to rule. And by that point,
the nobles who deposed Mary Queen of Scots will have shaped the country
into what they wanted all along. Mary looks at her stomach and rubs it gently. She had been pregnant with twins
but there was a miscarriage. Now she sits all alone in her cell with only her
thoughts and the sound of summer birds chirping outside her window to soothe her. A voice suddenly
speaks out from the other side of the door. "My Queen, plans have been set in motion. We are
going to break you out of this place." The voice belongs to George Douglas, the brother of Sir
William Douglas, who is in charge of Loch Leven Castle and one of the nobles that was in favor
of deposing the Queen. George, on the other hand, is a staunch supporter of Mary Queen of Scots
and is helping to orchestrate her escape. George Douglas opens the door and walks
into Mary's room with one of the women who is in charge of the laundry at the castle. "This
brave woman has agreed to help us," George says, signaling to the laundress standing next to
him. She removes her dress and hands it to Mary. The former Queen puts on the dress and grabs
an armful of dirty clothing. George and Mary exit the room and close the door behind them.
They hurry down the hallways of the castle. Mary holds up the pile of dirty laundry
in front of her face to conceal her identity. They pass several
guards who pay them no mind. Mary and George exit the castle. They walk quickly
to the boat that will carry them back to shore. The only people at the castle who knew of the plot
to save the Queen were George and the laundress. When Mary steps onto the boat, she
stumbles. The captain reaches out and grabs her hand to steady her.
He can't help but notice that the laundress's hands are delicate and
very white. Something seems off. The captain pulls the laundry away from Mary's
face and immediately recognizes the former Queen. He yells for help. Guards from
the castle run towards the boat. They arrest both Mary and George. Mary is
brought backed to her room and locked inside. George must answer to his brother. But
blood is stronger than any mistake, and Sir William Douglas forgives his younger
sibling. However, Mary is now under even closer observation. She will never escape the
confines of Loch Leven Castle, or so she thinks. Even though George was caught trying to free
Mary the first time, he has not given up. He reaches out to his cousin Willie Douglas, who
was the actual mastermind behind the plot to break Mary out. In the next escape attempt,
Willie will play a major role himself. Almost a year after being imprisoned in Loch Leven
Castle, Mary lays in bed. There is a jingle of keys at her door. Mary hears the clang of metal
on metal as a key is inserted into the lock. The bolt slides back, and the door opens. Standing
in the entryway is Willie Douglas. He had gotten Sir William Douglas drunk, and when he passed
out, Willie stole the key and ran to Mary's room. "We need to go before Sir
William wakes up," Willie says, reaching out his hand to Mary. They sprint
through the corridors of the castle, sneak out one of the back doors, and board a
boat waiting for them. This time the captain is aware of the escape plan, and Mary
has no trouble returning to the mainland. Waiting for her at the shore is George
Douglas. Willie and Mary get off the boat; they are brought to a gathering of over 6,000
people who will fight to put Mary Queen of Scots back on the throne. Mary is touched
by the support. She gets to work immediately with other nobles and advisors to lay out a
plan and take back what is rightfully hers. The Catholic forces march towards Edinburgh.
They meet a Protestant army led by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray at Langside on May 13,
1568. This will be the battle to decide the fate of Scotland. Mary watches
as the order is given to charge. The Catholics let out a battle cry as
they run toward the Protestant forces. Swords clash, shields are broken, arrows fly.
Both Catholic and Protestant blood spills onto the battlefield. After an hour of fighting, the
Protestant forces have decimated the Catholics. After the battle, Mary Queen of Scots finds
she has lost almost all of her soldiers. She has now not only escaped prison but committed
treason against the current rulers of Scotland. Mary will not be allowed to remain in her
homeland without facing execution, so she fleas. Mary had been in communication with her
cousin Queen Elizabeth I in England for some time now. They have never met, but the two
Queens exchange correspondence from time to time and feel a sort of connection. Mary
decides her only option is to flee to England and beg Elizabeth to keep
her safe from the Scottish nobles. When Mary reaches England and finally
gains an audience with Elizabeth, things do not turn out according to plan.
"What do you mean I'm under arrest?" asks Mary. Queen Elizabeth looks down from her seat of
power. "Would you really have me believe that you came all the way to England with no intention
of taking the throne from me? When you were born, my father tried to broker peace between our
two peoples, yet you were sent to France and left your own people and the people of
England without a diplomatic means to unite. Now you believe I should protect you when
you have caused so much chaos in our lands?" Mary stands tall, but in the back of her mind, she fears the worst. "What are you
to do with me then?" Mary asks. Elizabeth decides to place Mary under arrest
and keep her confined and out of the public eye. Mary can't believe she is a prisoner
once again. Her early life in France had not prepared her for the hardships
of ruling a religiously divided country, and her trust in another monarch
has clearly been misplaced. But the fact that Mary is
a Catholic with a claim to the English throne means that she has
supporters no matter where she goes. England has been torn apart by the schism
between Protestants and Catholics for many years, and the fact that Henry VIII converted to
Protestantism just so he could divorce his wives has left a sour taste in the mouths of many of the
Catholic nobility. They want nothing more than to see a Catholic monarch back in power in England,
and Mary has a strong claim to the English throne. Mary has been imprisoned in England for a few
years when a plot to overthrow her cousin in 1571 is uncovered. Catholic monarchs around Europe see
the Protestant Queen as a threat. King Phillip II of Spain and the Pope conspire with several
English nobles to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and put Mary in her place. On a dark English
night, a messenger employed by Roberto Ridolfi, a Florentine banker, is arrested. He has secret
communications between the co-conspirators. The communications contained information and
plans on how the Catholics could remove Elizabeth from the throne. However, no direct evidence is
uncovered that indicates Mary had any involvement in what comes to be known as The Ridolfi
Plot. However, many are executed by the monarch of England to prove a point: any attempt
to put Mary on the throne will result in death. In the years to come, the Catholics will try
several more times to overthrow Queen Elizabeth, but with no success. Each plot that is
uncovered is scrutinized by the monarchy, but Mary's involvement is never
definitively proven in any of them. Elizabeth is frustrated that the Catholics are
so adamant about taking what's rightfully hers. She knows that as long as Mary lives,
her seat of power will be threatened. At the same time, she cannot justify
executing Mary without cause, or the Catholics in the country will revolt
and start a civil war. The English monarchy and Parliament decide to take a different approach
to remove the threat that Mary poses to Elizabeth. The Privy Council passes the Bond of Association
in 1584, and Parliament passes the Act for the Queen's Safety the following year. Both are
meant to deter the Catholics from trying to assassinate Queen Elizabeth by making it
impossible for Mary to claim the English throne if her cousin is eliminated. This
does not seem to deter the Catholics. It is now 1586, and tensions between the
Catholics and Protestants in England are higher than ever. The Babington Plot is uncovered. A man disguised as a servant enters the house
where Mary is being held captive. She has been stuck here for almost two decades and has
decided it is time to finally make a move against her cousin. "My lady," the mysterious man
says. "I have another message from Lord Babington. You will have to decode it
like the previous ones." Mary nods. She unscrambles the message.
"I have six gentlemen who can assassinate Queen Elizabeth with your approval." The
words echo through Mary's mind. She can no longer tolerate being a prisoner. She takes
out her quill and responds to the letter. "I would like to meet with these men and determine
who has the skills needed to complete the task," Mary writes back. The disguised messenger leaves
the residence and heads back to his horse. As he puts his foot in the rein, officers burst out
of the alley. They grab the messenger from atop his horse and throw him to the ground. His bags
are searched, and the coded messages are found. In a matter of days, the English authorities
break the code and show Queen Elizabeth what they have uncovered. The Queen is
troubled but can't help but smile slightly. She finally has what she needs to rid herself
of Mary Queen of Scots once and for all. Mary stands tall and defiant as her trial
commences. "This woman is not my sovereign," Mary says, pointing at Elizabeth. "Any
charges against me are false and likely a ploy so that Elizabeth can kill me and
quiet the Catholics of this great land." Mary's words fall on deaf ears as she is
convicted of treason and sentenced to death. Mary enters the execution chamber. The date
is February 8, 1587. A crowd has gathered to watch the former Queen of Scotland beheaded.
Mary is dressed in all black and wears a black veil covering her face. She is defiant to the
end as she shows no sign of fear or weakness. She has been a captive for almost 20 years,
both in her own country and in England. Mary slowly walks towards the block where the
executioner waits with the blade of his sharpened ax resting on the floor. She locks eyes with
Elizabeth as she stops. After a moment's pause, Mary falls to her knees and places her head
on the block. Mary Queen of Scots turns to face the executioner. "I hope you shall make an
end of all my troubles," she says with a smile. "Kill her!" Elizabeth yells. The executioner
raises his ax in the air and brings it down, but he has been thrown off
by Mary's words of defiance. He misses his mark. The blade impales
itself in the back of Mary's skull. The executioner wiggles the ax back forth
to dislodge it. Mary is still alive. The blade comes out of her skull with a
pop. The executioner instantly brings the ax down again. But in his haste,
he does not get a full swing in, and the neck is only severed. The crowd
gasps in horror as blood sprays everywhere, and the gruesome scene continues. The
executioner brings down the ax a third time. The blade goes all the way through Mary's
neck. Her head falls to the ground. The room is completely silent.
Queen Elizabeth looks on, eyes wide, as people in the crowd begin to wretch. The
executioner looks uneasy; he bends over and picks up the severed head of Mary Queen of
Scots. He holds it by the hair and shouts: "God save Queen Elizabeth! May all the
enemies of the true Evangel thus perish!" Now watch "Most Evil Queen -
Killed 75% Of Her Subjects." Or check out "Bloody Mary" Mary I of England."
