The Brutal Execution of the Queen of Scotts

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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."
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Channel: The Infographics Show
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Length: 22min 0sec (1320 seconds)
Published: Mon Jun 27 2022
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