Page 32 - All About History - Issue 72-18

following, was responsible for Darnley’s murder Mary signed her abdication in favour of her son
Mary pictured with
her first husband, King
Francis II of France Edinburgh after visiting her
make a suitable husband for their queen. Even
Elizabeth waded into the discussion, suggesting
her own favourite, Robert Dudley, as a suitor.
Mary was left infuriated by Elizabeth’s
suggestion. Not only was Dudley far beneath
her in terms of rank, but Mary knew that he
was Elizabeth’s rumoured lover – why would
she want her cousin’s leftovers? Bizarrely,
Elizabeth even went as far as to suggest that
Mary and Dudley could live in England – with
her – in a ménage à trois. Needless to say, both
Mary and Dudley were not impressed.
Taking matters into her own hands, Mary
chose her own husband – her first cousin Henry
Stuart, Lord Darnley. They married in 1565 and
since Darnley had his own claim to the English
throne, their marriage bolstered Mary’s position
in her quest to be named Elizabeth’s heir – a
decision that left the English queen furious.
Arrogant and violent, Darnley infuriated
Mary’s nobles as well. When Mary refused to
grant her husband the Crown Matrimonial,
thereby making him King of Scots, Darnley was
blinded with rage. If she would not give him the
crown, he would find a way to take it.
On 9 March 1566 Darnley burst into Mary’s
private dining room with his supporters and
stabbed her secretary and confidante, David
Rizzio, to death. The brutality was even more
shocking since Mary, who witnessed the
murder, was pregnant with Darnley’s baby.
She gave birth to her son and heir, Prince
James, just three months later.
Rizzio’s death was the beginning of the end
for Darnley and in February 1567, he was found
dead following an explosion at Kirk o’ Field
house in Edinburgh.
Darnley’s body was discovered in the orchard
and with no markings to suggest that the blast
had killed him, it was quickly agreed that he
had been murdered. Soon enough, accusations
were being thrown at Mary that she had
ordered her husband’s assassination.
Elizabeth implored Mary to find those
responsible and clear her name.
There was a strong belief that the Earl of
Bothwell, a powerful noble with his own armed
32
and that he had been having an affair with
Mary. Before his trial, Elizabeth wrote to her
cousin in hope and warning “that all the world
may feel justified in believing you innocent of
so enormous a crime, which, if you were not,
would be food cause for degrading you from the
rank of Princes…”.
Placed on trial in April, Bothwell was
acquitted of the murder due to lack of evidence,
although many remained convinced of his
guilt. It didn’t help that now
Mary was a widow, Bothwell “It is alleged
was already scheming to
marry her. Travelling back to that Bothwell
son in Stirling, the queen was raped Mary
intercepted by Bothwell and
his men. Claiming that her to force her into
life was in danger and that
he would escort her to safety,
Mary had no choice but to go marriage”
with Bothwell as his men left
her outnumbered.
What happened next is still debated, but it
is suggested that Bothwell raped Mary to force
her into marriage.
They were subsequently married on the 15
May, just three months after Darnley’s untimely
demise. It was the final straw for Mary’s
exasperated nobles, who decided to remove
their embattled queen once and for all.
One month after their ill-fated wedding Mary
and Bothwell faced the nobles and their troops
at Carberry Hill. The queen bravely led her men
into battle but her support soon dissipated,
andMaryagreedtosurrender with Bothwell
fleeing into exile. Taken to Edinburgh and
then imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle, Mary
endured the agony of miscarrying twins.
On 24 July 1567 Mary was offered a choice –
either abdicate or have her throat slit. Terrified,
David Rizzio stabbed to death
in front of Mary while she was
pregnant with her son James
James, who was just a year old, leaving her half-
brother, the Earl of Moray, as his regent.
When news of Mary’s abdication reached
Elizabeth, she immediately sent her
ambassador, Nicholas Throckmorton, to
Scotland try and convince the rebellious lords
to restore their queen, to no avail. After a year
in captivity Mary escaped from Loch Leven
and fled across the border to England in panic,
believing that Elizabeth would
help her regain the Scottish
throne. It was a naïve decision
because as soon as Mary set
foot in England, Cecil began
plotting to get rid of her by any
means necessary.
He had Mary immediately
placed under house arrest,
first at Carlisle Castle
and then at Bolton Castle
where she remained for six
months. Despite these bleak
circumstances Mary wrote to Elizabeth begging
for a meeting to plead her case.
However, Elizabeth refused to meet until
Mary had been proven innocent of Darnley’s
murder and suggested setting up a tribunal to
investigate the accusations made against her.
The tribunal began in October 1568 and the
charges of adultery and murder were examined.
As evidence of Mary’s conduct, Moray suddenly
produced the infamous Casket Letters, which
she had supposedly written to Bothwell
between January and April 1567.
The letters confirmed the queen’s adulterous
relationship and a plot to kill Darnley, making
her look as guilty as sin.
Outraged, Mary declared that the letters were
forgeries and as an anointed queen, she refused
to believe any court had the right to try her. As
her commissioners were refused permission