The Arrival of Mary Queen of Scots, 1568 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Author
Zoe WadeExpertise
History
Why was the Arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots a Turning Point in Elizabeth’s Reign? - Summary
In the study of History, a turning point is an event that significantly changes the present and future of a civilisation. The identification of turning points helps historians to understand the significance and consequences of events in history. The arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots to England in 1568 was a turning point in Elizabethan history.
Due to the Divine Right [of Kings], Elizabeth strongly believed that Mary was the rightful Queen of Scotland. She condemned the Scottish nobles for prosecuting an anointed monarch. She also reminded her advisers that Mary was a mother. She had given birth to James in June 1566. Elizabeth understood that Mary’s marriage to Lord Darnley was an unhappy one. Darnley was an adulterer, a heavy drinker and lacked interest in his royal duties. He murdered Mary’s Italian secretary, David Rizzio, out of jealousy. Historians will never understand the truth behind Mary’s response to the murder of her husband. Mary’s arrival in England defined Elizabeth’s reign. The event challenged her principles of monarchy and family |
Murder of Lord Darnley
In 1565, Mary, Queen of Scots married Henry Stuart (better known as Lord Darnley)
Both Mary and Lord Darnley had claims to the English throne through the Tudor family tree
Elizabeth was unhappy with the union
Elizabeth sought to marry Mary to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Robert was a favourite in Elizabeth’s court. She believed Robert could control and limit the threat Mary posed
Elizabeth reluctantly permitted Lord Darnley to marry Mary
Mary gave birth to a son, James, in 1566
Mary had produced an heir to the Scottish throne. This strengthened Mary’s argument that she should be named Elizabeth’s heir
To English Catholics, Mary was proving her merits as Queen. The unmarried Elizabeth had no intention to have children. If Mary had been Queen of England, she would have secured the line of succession
Mary’s reign in Scotland fell apart in 1567 after the murder of Lord Darnley
A storyboard showing the events of Lord Darnley’s murder
Exam Tip
An exam question may ask you to what extent the murder of Lord Darnley affected Elizabeth's decision about Mary, Queen of Scots. The event shocked many Scottish and English people. Acquiring enough barrels of gunpowder to cause a significant explosion would have been expensive. Darnley had escaped from the house. His cause of death was strangulation, showing the intention of the explosion was to cause Darnley’s death. The identity of Darnley’s murderer remains a mystery today. In an exam answer, explain how Mary looked guilty of the murder. Elizabeth saw Mary as a danger to her personal safety.
Reaction of Scottish Nobles
Bothwell was not popular amongst the Scottish nobles
The nobles believed Bothwell was violent and power-hungry
They questioned why Bothwell became Mary’s most trusted adviser after the death of Riccio
Even though Bothwell was Protestant, this did not make the nobles support him
The Scottish nobles wanted to put Bothwell on trial for Darnley’s murder
Bothwell’s supporters intimidated the court until the judge acquitted him of murder
The Scottish nobles felt outraged about the speed in which Mary married Bothwell
Historians have debated if Bothwell forced Mary into the marriage or whether she saw the political benefits of marrying Bothwell
On 15th June 1567, the Scottish nobles declared a civil war on Mary
They wanted Mary to abdicate the Scottish throne and admit her guilt in the murder of Darnley
The nobles captured Mary at Carberry Hill outside Edinburgh
The Scottish nobles paraded Mary through the streets of Edinburgh
She was later imprisoned in Lochleven Castle. The castle was on an island in the middle of a loch
On 24th July 1567, the Scottish nobles forced Mary to abdicate
Her 13-month-old son, James, became the King of Scotland
The Scottish nobles took responsibility for James’ education
Mary escaped from Lochleven Castle on 2nd May 1568
She attempted to raise an army to win back the throne
On 13th May 1568, the Battle of Langside near Glasgow saw the defeat of Mary’s army
Mary's Escape From Scotland
After Mary’s defeat at the Battle of Langside, Mary decided to flee Scotland
Immediately after the battle, Mary travelled south
She reached England by fishing boat on 16th May
By 18th May, local officials found Mary and took her to Carlisle Castle
Mary had not given up hope of regaining her Scottish throne
She believed that Elizabeth would help her defeat the Scottish nobles
Causes and consequences of Mary’s Arrival in England
A multi-flow diagram showing the causes and consequences of Mary’s arrival in England
Exam Tip
Mary believed that travelling to England would be the right decision. She was certain that Elizabeth would help her. Both were queen regnants. Female rulers were rare in the 16th century. Mary believed that Elizabeth would want to restore her monarchy to prove that there were successful female monarchs. They were also second cousins. Family bonds were powerful in Elizabethan England. Mary wanted to emphasise the closeness of their relationship so Elizabeth would be more likely to protect her.
Worked Example
Describe two features of Mary, Queen of Scots’ arrival in England in 1568
4 marks
Answers:
One feature of Mary, Queen of Scots’ (MQoS) arrival in England in 1568 was that she came to England in disgrace (1). MQoS was accused by the Scottish nobles of murdering Lord Darnley on 10th February 1567 (1).
Another feature of MQoS’ arrival in England in 1568 was her belief in Elizabeth (1). MQoS came to England because she thought that Elizabeth, as a queen regnant and her second cousin, would help her regain her Scottish throne (1).
You've read 0 of your 0 free revision notes
Get unlimited access
to absolutely everything:
- Downloadable PDFs
- Unlimited Revision Notes
- Topic Questions
- Past Papers
- Model Answers
- Videos (Maths and Science)
Did this page help you?