Mary I Stuart, Queen of Scots (Born 8. 12. 1542 Linlithgow, Lothian. Day of death 8. 2. 1587 (44 years old) Fotheringay, England).
Mary is the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII of England, who married off his eldest daughter Margaret to the Scottish ruler James IV, hoping in this way to annex Scotland to his kingdom. Margaret's son became King James V, and his second wife bore him a daughter, Mary. However, the mother feared for the girl's life in Scotland, and when her daughter was 6 years old, she was sent to France - to the court of King Henry II, where she was brought up with the daughters of Catherine de Medici.
The King of France was an enlightened philanthropist, and under him many sciences and arts found protection and shelter. Maria Stewart perfectly mastered the Italian language, knew Latin and Greek perfectly, studied history and geography, and studied music. Nature endowed her with a beautiful appearance: she was blonde with reddish hair, regular features and intelligent eyes, well-built; by nature - good-natured and cheerful. At the French court, she was worshiped, poets composed poems in her honor.
At the age of 16, Mary Stuart was married to the son of the King of France, Francis II, who was then 14 years old. The French king proclaimed her queen of the United Kingdom of England, Ireland and Scotland. However, in London, they did not attach importance to this, because it was a very young person who always acted as her husband Francis II commanded, who himself then had barely reached adulthood. In addition, after the death of his father, he occupied the throne of France for a short time and died in 1560.
Six months after his death, Mary Stuart's mother passed away, and she had to choose - to stay in France or return to Scotland? And she decided to return … She had to leave France, where she spent her childhood and which became her second homeland, for the sake of the unknown Scotland with its rebellious lords, alien to religion and customs.
The first test for Maria began during the training camp. Queen Elizabeth I of England, daughter of Anne Boleyn, allowed her to travel through England, but on condition that she approved the Edinburgh Peace Treaty between their states. The treaty provided for the termination of the military alliance between Scotland and France, and Mary Stuart found this requirement unacceptable for herself. Then she was told that the British side did not guarantee her safety at sea, but this threat did not work.
In mid-August 1561, despite the raging sea, she sailed from France. Even in the port, in front of Mary's eyes, the longboat with people went to the bottom, and many this was perceived as a bad omen. The ships that Elizabeth I sent to capture the Queen of Scots were also dangerous, but she safely reached the Scottish shores. The homeland seemed to her poor, the inhabitants were completely alien to the education that France was proud of, the state of affairs in the state was also unfavorable. The central government was weak, and the leaders of the clans had many vassals under their command and often feuded among themselves for personal, family and religious reasons.
When Protestantism was introduced in Scotland, the property of the Catholic Church was secularized, and such booty whetted the appetite of many lords, who began to fight for it. Mary Stuart arrived at her homeland precisely when disputes over church lands flared up, and the whole country was in a kind of martial law. The inexperienced young queen was unprepared to manage government affairs. Yes, she was distinguished by her lively mind and resourcefulness, but she did not have the opportunity to understand the political situation. And now the 18-year-old queen had to reckon with the restless disposition of her lords, and with the fanaticism of Protestant shepherds, and with the politics of foreign states.
Promotional video:
Mary Stuart also faced the ardent preacher D. Knox, who blasphemed and cursed her. She herself was a Catholic, and it was not without difficulty that she managed to defend the right to have her own priest and pray in her own way. But, given the influence of Protestants in Scotland, she went to meet them, often met and talked with the preacher D. Knox. She could not temper his hostility. An attempt to negotiate with Elizabeth I on the succession to the throne in England ended unsuccessfully. In general, it should be noted that throughout the life and work of Mary Stuart there was a persistent desire to achieve that in England her right to the English crown was recognized.
The Queen of England decided to find such a groom and husband for the young, beautiful and friendly Mary Stuart, who could become the best guarantee of good relations between England and Scotland. Maria Stewart at the age of 36. And Dedley became such a groom: in order to persuade the Queen of Scots to marry him, Elizabeth I promised only in this case to recognize Mary Stuart's rights to the English throne. But the Queen of England proposed this candidacy only to stop the harassment of other applicants for the hand of Mary Stuart, which was sought by the son of the King of Spain Don Carlos, the Austrian archduke, the kings of Denmark, Sweden and others.
In reality, Elizabeth I would never want to part with R. Dedley “in view of the affection that unites them and makes them inseparable.” Mary Stuart herself turned her attention to Henry Darnley, and this choice was the least desirable for the Queen of England., a handsome man was the grandson of Margaret Tudor and took a place in the succession immediately behind Elizabeth I herself; the news of the birth of her son Jacob to Mary Stuart in June 1566 was also a blow to her.
But the life of Mary Stuart herself, Queen of Scots, did not have to envy: her husband, as it turned out, was a vain and narrow-minded person, moreover, a drunkard. Henry Darnley led a riotous and disorderly life, so that he could not pursue a policy beneficial to England. However, he would hardly be able to carry out any policy at all. But Darnley wanted to participate in public affairs and was very unhappy that Mary Stuart refused to crown him. And then he joined the conspiracy of Scottish lords, dissatisfied with the queen.
The external reason for the conspiracy was the disposition of Mary Stuart to the Italian Riccio, who was her secretary for French and Italian correspondence. By the nature of his studies, Riccio was close to the queen, but G. Darnley's jealousy (which was later mentioned) could hardly be said. Over time, Riccio began to acquire political influence, which was inconvenient for the Scottish lords, and they decided to eliminate him, and at the same time eliminate the queen, sending her to life imprisonment. And for Henry Darnley, the lords promised to preserve hereditary royal power and give him the right to rule the state.
The conspiracy was carried out. Riccio was killed and Mary Stuart was held captive by the conspirators. Sick and shocked by everything that had happened, she fell into despair. But Darnley soon became disillusioned with his expectations, since the lords did not even think to fulfill their promises. He realized that killing Riccio was only a means for them to embroil him with the queen; moreover, having removed it, they will then remove it. And the guilty husband rushed to Mary Stuart with repentance and admission of his guilt. The Queen made peace with him, and together they contemplated a plan of deliverance. Darnley convinced the rebellious lords that at least for a while it was necessary to remove the guards, since the queen was sick, and besides, it was necessary to show the people that she was not a prisoner … The Lords removed the guards for the night, and taking advantage of this, Mary Stuart and her husband fled to Dunbar.
After Darnley's treachery, the conspirators had no choice but to flee themselves. But they had in their hands a document signed by Darnley, from which it followed that he was almost the main participant in the conspiracy and attempted not only on the life of Riccio, but also on the queen herself. The document suppressed the queen: it means that all of Darnley's vows in their innocence turned out to be a lie. After that, he was completely removed from public affairs, which he could not forgive Mary. Darnley left the yard and went to Glasgow to his father, but there he fell ill with smallpox. The Scottish queen sent him her doctor, and then she went herself: she looked after the patient and took him to a country house near Edinburgh. On the night of February 9-10, 1567, this house flew into the air, and Darnley was killed in the explosion.
Soon after his death, rumors began to spread that the killer was D. Boswell, under whose command the royal forces had once suppressed the uprising of Protestants, dissatisfied with the concessions made by Mary Stuart. He was a brave man who despised danger; not knowing pity and compassion, he at the same time personified both courage and cruelty. According to most biographers of Mary Stuart, the queen has become an obedient instrument in his hands.
Anonymous accusations became more and more varied, and after the marriage of Mary Stuart to D. Boswell, her name began to be mentioned more often in them. All Scots - without distinction of creed - were shocked, and few doubted that the new husband of their queen was the man who killed her former husband. A wave of popular indignation gave rise to hope for the seizure of power among the opponents of Mary Stuart, and the lords came up with weapons against the queen, who had stained herself with blood. D. Boswell began hastily to gather forces to keep Mary Stuart on the throne, but the advantage was with the lords. Opponents offered the queen to surrender, promising her and her supporters free passage - wherever they wish. The resistance was useless, and D. Boswell persuaded Mary Stuart to surrender.
In Edinburgh, the Queen of Scots was placed not in a palace, but in a room where there were no mirrors for her. There were guards in the bedroom all the time, refusing to go out even when Mary Stuart was dressed. One early morning, the queen threw open the window and began to shout that she was deceived and she was a prisoner. The assembled crowd saw the queen in a terrible state: barely thrown on her dress bared her chest, her hair was disheveled, and her face was gray.
Two days later, she was taken under guard to the castle-fortress, which was on the island of Lohleven, and on June 20, a casket with letters from Mary Stuart was seized from the servant of D. Boswell, which indicated her involvement in the murder of Darnley. True, it was said about this only in hints, but the fact of the queen's love affair with D. Boswell even before the wedding was beyond doubt. Having obtained incriminating documents, the rulers of Scotland forced Mary Stuart to abdicate in favor of a young son.
The island of Lohleven was in the middle of the lake, which made it difficult for the queen to escape. The first escape attempt failed: she could only manage to get out of the castle, disguised as a laundress, and get into a boat that was to be transported to the other side. At first everything seemed to be going well, but the queen suddenly decided to straighten her veil, and the boatman noticed her beautiful white hand, not at all like the hand of a washerwoman. He guessed everything and, despite requests and entreaties, again brought Mary Stuart to the castle.
After the failed escape, the queen began to be protected even more tightly, and she had already ceased to hope for release. The imprisonment of Mary Stuart on Lohleven Island lasted eleven months, and then D. Douglas, one of her guards, helped her escape. He contacted the followers of Mary Stuart, prepared for the escape of the horses, and made other arrangements. True, the commandant had the keys to the castle gates, but they managed to steal them. The queen was released from the castle, and this time she safely reached the opposite shore. There, horses awaited her, on which she rode on horseback for more than 50 miles, until she reached the castle of one of the Hamiltons.
In Scotland, two forces reappeared: the Regent of Moray and Mary Stuart, who declared her abdication to be invalid, as she was forced to do so. But she was in a hurry and could not wait until all her forces were mustered, and therefore her small army in May 1568 in the vicinity of Glasgow was defeated. At the mere thought that she would again be in the hands of enemies, the queen was seized with terror, and she moved to the south of Scotland, and from there to England, although those around her dissuaded her from this. But she did not believe their arguments, because the last letters of Elizabeth I to her breathed such participation and such sincere friendship.
In England, Mary was granted residence at Bolton Castle, located near the border with Scotland. The conditions of the Scottish Queen's detention there were decent, but it could not be called “freedom.” In addition, the contents of the letters from the casket were brought to the attention of Elizabeth I. so that she would know who she was sheltering in her country.
The Queen of England decided to give the letters as much publicity as possible, although the very appearance of this box is replete with many contradictions, which to this day cause doubts and suspicions among historians (For example, at first the letters turned out to be written by Mary Stuart herself and signed by her. Then the signatures disappear, and they are no longer in any letter. In addition, the surviving copies of the letters contain the most gross errors, which is very surprising for a literary educated queen).
It was quite dangerous for England to let go of Mary Stuart, but keeping her in the country was also dangerous. First, France and Spain demanded the queen's release, although not very persistently, which the Queen of England took advantage of. In England itself, at that time, the number of Catholics was very large, they knew the rights of the Scottish Queen to the English throne, therefore they hoped for the restoration of Catholicism in the country. Due to these circumstances, conspiracies began to be organized in England to free Mary from captivity. To avoid the dangers that arose from the stay of the Scottish Queen in the country, it would be best to eliminate her altogether.
And the British government began to openly treat Mary Stuart as a prisoner who, apart from a hostile attitude towards herself, deserves nothing more. After each failed conspiracy, her imprisonment grew more terrible. The royal retinue was limited to only a few servants; the Scottish queen was transferred from one castle to another into the interior of England, and each time her room became more and more cramped. The Queen had to be content with two or even one room, the windows of which were always covered with bars. Her connections with friends were at a loss, and then Mary Stuart was completely deprived of the opportunity to correspond.
Her horses were taken away from her, and she walked only on foot, accompanied by 20 armed soldiers. The Queen of Scots did not want to walk under such protection and therefore remained in the room almost all the time. From the dampness of the premises in which she had to sit, she developed rheumatism, not to mention moral suffering: regret for the past, hopelessness of the future, loneliness, fear for her life, which could end every night at the hands of a sent assassin …
From the energetic, proud and courageous Mary Stuart, full of royal dignity, only a shadow remained during the years of imprisonment. In her letters to Elizabeth I, the theme of the independence of Scotland and the rights to the English throne is already missing; they sound the prayer of an unfortunate woman who is far from any pretensions and no longer thinks of restoring her power and returning to Scotland. And what should she do there and what to look for if her own son remained indifferent to her fate? And she asks only one thing: to be allowed to leave for France, where she could live as a private person.
Most of the time, the Scottish queen spent needlework and sent her products to the Queen of England. If the gift was accepted with pleasure, she rejoiced like a child and hoped that Elizabeth I, touched by her helpfulness, would ease her plight. But could the Queen of England release the hope of the English and Scottish Catholics, the Scottish queen and the pretender to the English throne?
Execution of Mary Stuart
Despite all the suffering, Mary Stewart did not reconcile herself to her fate to the end and declared that she considered herself unaccountable to the English jurisdiction, since in essence she was a foreigner and the British authorities had no right to forcibly keep her. She, for her part, has the right to seek release “by any means.” The last phrase in the eyes of Elizabeth and the entire English court looked like “high treason”, but was not enough to execute Mary Stuart on this basis. It was necessary to find a specific intention in her words, which did not take long …
Mary Stuart's long-term imprisonment was ended by the Babington Plot, which, as in other cases, was aimed at her release, but this conspiracy was fabricated: Chief of Guard Chartley was ordered to turn a blind eye to Mary Stuart's "secret" relations with the conspirators. She established a connection with Babington, wrote letters to him, passing them on through a milkman, whom she called an "honest man" in letters, but in reality he was a government agent.
In the first letter from Mary Stuart to Babington there was nothing special, but in the second letter she entered into the consideration of the plan for her release from prison, the assassination of the Queen of England and made it clear to Babington that she agreed with this plan. When the conspiracy matured enough and the Scottish queen Mary Stuart was already so involved in it that she could be "caught", the British government ordered the arrest of Babington and the other conspirators. So the hope of release once again deceived Mary Stuart …
The Queen was taken to Fotheringai Castle, where the English lords appointed to try her went. Mary Stuart protested, denying the right of the Queen of England to judge her - Queen of Scots. Then she agreed to answer the lords' questions, but not because she recognized them as judges, but because she did not want her silence to be taken for admitting the justice of the accusation. Yes, she wanted to be released from prison, but firmly denied the accusation attributed to her of wanting to kill the Queen of England. But the English lords came to Fotheringay not to judge, but to commit "legal murder", and they sentenced Mary Stuart to death.
The verdict was subject to the approval of the Queen of England, but Elizabeth I hesitated for a long time before raising her hand on the royal head of Mary Stuart, as she saw this as an encroachment on the very principle of royal power. Nevertheless, she surrendered to the persuasion of her ministers and signed the death warrant for Mary Stuart, but did not give the order to attach to it a large state seal, which was more important than the royal signature. Lord Cecile realized that the queen did not want to take responsibility for the execution of the Queen of Scots, and decided to apply the seal himself, without waiting for the royal command.
When Mary Stewart was announced the approved verdict, he did not make a special impression on her: she was expecting him, moreover, after 20 years of suffering, death seemed to her to be liberation. Sleep did not go to her, and until two in the morning the queen was busy distributing her things. From the darkness came the sound of hammers: they were building the scaffold. The queen was awake in bed, and the servants dressed in mourning sometimes saw a sad smile on her face.
At six o'clock in the morning, Mary Stuart got up. It was still dark, only on the horizon was a streak of light, and the Scottish queen felt that this was a good sign … But after 8 o'clock in the morning they knocked on her and led into the hall. Through the open doors she saw the inhabitants of the surrounding villages standing under the arches of the castle: there were about 300 of them. The condemned queen appeared with a prayer book and a rosary in her hands; She was dressed all in black, around her neck was a necklace with a wax incense, on which was a picture of a lamb. It was a relic consecrated by the Pope. Maria was brought to the hall where the scaffold was set up, but they did not want to let her servants there, fearing that they would sob a lot. But Mary Stuart was able to persuade some of them to be let through, promising on their behalf that they would be firm.
Calmness betrayed the Scottish queen when the priest invited her to perform the service according to the Anglican rite. She protested vigorously, but was not listened to. The confessor knelt on the steps of the scaffold and began the service; Mary Stuart turned away from him and said a prayer, first in Latin, and then in English. She prayed for the prosperity of the Catholic Church, for the health of her son, and for the sinful queen of England to atone for her guilt. Already standing on the scaffold, she once again vowed that she had never had any intention for the life of an English queen and did not give her consent to anyone.
Blindfolded, the queen places her chin on a wooden block and holds it with her hands. If the executioners had not taken her hands aside, they would have also been under the ax. The executioner's first blow falls on the head; the second blow falls on the neck, but a thin vein continues to vibrate, and then it is cut … However, the queen's lips still continue to move, and a few moments pass until they finally freeze. At that moment, a wig separates from the oozing head, and the head with gray hair falls on the scaffold.
But that was not the end. A small poodle crawled out from under the skirt of the Scottish Queen and rushed to the head of its mistress. The dog is chased, and it, whining pitifully, freezes by the corpse. Mary Stuart's body was wrapped in a rough cloth that served as a billiard table cover and left to lie on the stone floor. The blood-stained block, clothing and rosary of the executed Queen of Scots Mary Stuart were burned. By the evening of the same day, the heart was removed from her body, and the county sheriff buried it in a place known only to him, and the embalmed remains of Mary Stuart were placed in a lead coffin …
I. Nadezhda
