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PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE

Mary, Queen of Scots at the of Holyroodhouse Information for Teachers

Planning Your Visit

We hope you enjoy your visit to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Before you arrive, please read this information to help you make the most of your time here.

Frequently Asked Questions

 Is my booking confirmed? The attached letter is your confirmation. Please read it carefully and if the details are not correct please telephone us on 0131 557 2500.

If there are any fees due on your booking, your letter will confirm the date by which full payment must be received. All bookings are made subject to our terms and conditions, which are available on request.

 Can I make changes to the size of my group? You can confirm any increase in the number of your group up to 24 hours in advance of your visit. Please note, if you would like to book additional accompanying adults, above the stated ratios, a reduced-rate admission fee of £3 per adult will be payable.

 How do I arrange a complimentary planning visit? If you and a colleague would like to make a planning trip before your group visit, please contact the Learning Bookings Team to arrange this. Two complimentary tickets will be booked for you, for collection on the day. If you would like to meet a member of the Learning Team or see the Learning Rooms during your planning visit, please advise us during booking.

 Is there a lunch room at the Palace? There is limited space for eating packed lunches in the Learning Rooms. Please discuss your requirements during booking. Pre-booking the lunchroom is essential.

 Is there somewhere to leave coats and bags? We have a safe place to leave coats and bags in the Learning Rooms.

Arriving at the Palace

Your arrival time can be found on your letter. Please keep this letter safe as it acts as your ticket on the day.

If you are running more than fifteen minutes late please call the Learning Bookings Team on 0131 557 2500.

Free Coach Parking is available on the North Approach (marked on the map).

A member of the Learning team will meet you in the Palace Mews (the courtyard between the Palace shop and cafe) at your arrival time to begin the session.

Toilets are situated in the Palace Mews. Please allow extra time beforehand if your group requires to use the toilets before the session starts.

Guidelines for schools (Please discuss these with all accompanying adults)

 During your visit teachers and adult helpers are responsible for their pupils at all times and must stay with their group.

 Please follow instructions given to you by the wardens on site.

 Please ensure pupils do not touch or get too close to any of the objects on display.

 Cameras and audio/video equipment are not allowed in the Palace but you are very welcome to take photographs in the Learning Rooms and outside the Palace.

 Please switch mobile phones off in the Palace.

Mary, Queen of Scots at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

Following the death of her husband, Francois in 1560, Mary returned to to rule, where she took up residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Some of the most dramatic events of her took place at and the Palace:

 Her marriage to  Darnley’s murder of Mary’s secretary,  Following Darnley’s own mysterious death, her subsequent marriage to the Earl of Bothwell

Mary had to get used to many changes on her return to Scotland. Differences in the weather, the people, language and religion made her initial months in Scotland a difficult time. She took comfort that had lots of links to her time in France, for example, she brought lots of her French servants to Scotland with her to try and keep her daily routine as it had been. The Palace itself was modelled on some of the French , although her new Scottish home was darker and colder!

On 29th July, 1565, Mary married again, this time to her cousin Henry, Lord Darnley. The marriage took place in Mary’s private chapel at the Palace. Darnley was a handsome young man with a family claim to the English throne. It became apparent, however, that Darnley was interested more in his own ambitions than being husband to the Queen of Scots.

Darnley was sometimes a vain and jealous person, and this streak in his character was manipulated by the Scottish nobility in order to further their aims. In 1566, Mary had a good friend and advisor in her secretary, an Italian musician called David Riccio (sometimes Rizzio). The nobility plotted to kill Riccio, having convinced Darnley that Riccio had become more powerful at court than Darnley was. In 1566, Riccio was murdered by these noblemen, with Darnley present. It was a brutal death – Riccio was stabbed 56 times.

Mary escaped from the Palace, and, as she was pregnant at the time, eventually took refuge in the heavily fortified Castle, where she gave birth. In 1567, the year after these events, Darnley was killed in the house of Kirk o’ Field, where he was recuperating from illness. The house was blown up, but mysteriously, this is not how he died. His body was found outside, having been strangled to death.

People suspected James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, of this murder, and Mary’s situation was not helped when she married Bothwell under suspicious circumstances just three months after Darnley’s death. The marriage took place at the Palace, in a Protestant service – a very unusual thing for the devoutly Catholic queen to do.

Mary’s days at the Palace of Holyroodhouse were drawing to a close. After rallying the people loyal to her, and then being defeated by the Scottish nobility at Carberry Hill, she was taken as a prisoner to Lochleven Castle. After her escape, she went to England, trusting her cousin and fellow queen, , to protect her. Elizabeth, however, did not want Mary free to claim the English throne, and imprisoned her for 19 years – the rest of her life. Mary grew increasingly desperate for her freedom, and was involved in plots to escape. She was discovered to be involved in one of these plots, and executed for treason in 1587.

Your Booked Session

The notes below give you an idea of the order of your session, with approximate timings. We are very happy to discuss this with you ahead of your visit and respond to the needs and interests of your group.

Workshops If you have booked either the Life at Court object handling or the Costume at Court costume handling workshop, your session will take place in the Learning Rooms before you go in to the Palace. This will last approximately 40minutes.

Life at Court object handling session Pupils work in small groups and use prompt cards to investigate a range of replica objects from the Stuart period. As well as objects used in the Palace, pupils will also look at items used by poorer people in Edinburgh at the time and make comparisons. Objects such as chamber pots, candles, plates, games and pomanders cover themes like hygiene, education and food.

Costume at Court object handling session Using replica costumes from the 1560’s, pupils explore the function of a variety of clothes for rich and poor at the time. Emphasis is placed on looking at the pieces in detail, working out what it is and what it is made from as well as considering what it would be like to wear these in comparison with clothes today. Pupils also get the opportunity to try key pieces on.

In the Palace Following an introduction in the Learning Rooms, your group will explore the Palace with a member of the Learning team. The session lasts for 1 hour 30 minutes as a standalone and 1 hour 20 minutes if you have booked a workshop first. The session is designed to build on existing knowledge and your session leader will use the ‘evidence’ in rooms, objects and paintings to do so. Emphasis is placed on interaction and pupils are encouraged to ask and answer questions as well as look for clues and other information to help build the story. The session culminates in the rooms where David Rizzio was murdered where pupils use worksheets look for evidence of what happened and find objects associated with the Stuart family. In good weather, pupils will have the chance to look at Holyrood Abbey and see the sites where David Rizzio and Lord Darnley were buried.

Joint Visit with Those who have booked a Castle to Palace session will spend approximately 2 hours at each site (including half an hour for lunch at the Palace). We allow 1 hour for you to get between the sites. Those groups walking up or down the might like to use our 'Edinburgh's Royal Mile in the time of Mary, Queen of Scots' map which links key buildings to Mary along the way.

At the Castle your pupils will 'meet' Mary, Queen of Scots and learn about courtly rituals of the time. At the Palace they will follow a similar tour as outlined above (see 'In the Palace') and make links between these two important buildings.

Make the Most of Your Visit – Additional Activities

If you have time before or after your booked session, why not make the most of your visit and explore the Palace grounds using our self guided activity trails for the Gardens and Abbey. Please let your session leader know on arrival if you would like copies of the activity trails.

Exploring Holyrood Abbey

Holyrood Abbey was founded by King David I nearly 900 years ago. This trail encourages children to look for evidence of how the Abbey used to look and to find out about the canons (priests) who used to live here.

Exploring the Palace Gardens

The Gardens are a hidden secret in Edinburgh’s busy city centre. This activity trail helps young visitors discover the Gardens fascinating history including why a lion used to live in the grounds, stories of past royal residents and present day royal parties and an insight into the local wildlife that now make the garden their home.

Ideas for Classroom Activities

If you would like to download images of paintings and objects linked to Mary, Queen of Scots from the visit www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection and search 'Mary, Queen of Scots' ______

There are lots of portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots in the Palace. They were painted at different times in her life and represent different things that happened to her. Pick a moment from Mary’s life and create your own portrait.

1. Can the group recall any examples from their visit?  Full length portrait of the Queen before her execution - in Darnley’s bedchamber; Mary wearing black, holding her crucifix and prayer book, sombre colours are used throughout the portrait; her red under dress in the miniature execution scene.  Mary in White Mourning - found in Mary’s Outer Chamber; mourning the death of her first husband; white was the traditional colour of mourning in France.

2. What aspect of Mary’s life would they like to represent in their portrait?

3. Before they begin, ask the group to think about what they will include:  Expression, pose and colour - how do these set the mood of the occasion?  Clothing – the Queen wore a bodice (also known as ‘pair of bodies’) to from her upper body shape, ladies always wore floor length skirt  Other people – different people were central to Mary’s story at different times in her life  Symbols – what signs and symbols could represent her status, her religious beliefs or her hobbies?

Mary, Queen of Scots loved to embroider. Have a go at making your own art from material!

Rather than sewing, the group can complete this activity by cutting and gluing different textiles to a panel of felt, hessian or similar.

1. Discuss Mary’s embroidery – do they remember the Catte which was displayed in Mary’s Outer Chamber. Discuss why she made so much embroidery – time available, upbringing, taught to sew from a young age, sending messages she couldn’t send in a letter…

2. Ask pupils to think of something they have seen on their tour of the Palace – make sure it’s simple! Have the pupils sketch their picture on the hessian/felt with a crayon then use the glue spreaders to go around the outline of their picture, sticking wool/ribbons to the glue, to make it look like a tapestry.

Become a royal journalist and write an article for the Holyrood Herald!

1. Choose a theme for your article, Mary’s return to Scotland? The murder of David Rizzio? Who can come up with the most attention grabbing headline? A template for the Holyrood Herald can be found on the next page.

The Holyrood Herald

The Palace of Holyroodhouse: A Brief Overview

The Palace is The Queen’s in Scotland. Spanning 10 centuries of history, from its foundation as an Augustinian monastery to its role today, the Palace is an ideal focus for a wide range of studies. This guide may be useful in preparing for your visit.

Key points in the history of the Palace of Holyroodhouse:

1: King David (r. 1124 – 53) The foundation of the Palace of Holyroodhouse as an Abbey in 1128. Holyrood got its name after King David founded the Abbey following a vision he had had. Out on a hunting trip, the King was attacked by a stag. He suddenly had vision of a glowing cross between its antlers and when he reached out to touch it, the stag turned and ran. The King was safe and in gratitude named the site after the Scottish word for cross (rood). Holyrood – the site of the holy cross.

2: King James V (r. 1513 – 42)

The building of the great Tower, between 1528-1532. This was built to withstand attack, and has very thick walls. At the base, you can see the marks left by gunfire, as well as space for a cannon. This tower may have been built to celebrate James’ marriage to the French King’s daughter, Madeleine de Valois. After her death, James married another woman from a powerful French family,

3: Mary, Queen of Scots (r. 1542 – 67)

Many of the famous events of Mary’s life happened while she stayed at the Palace of Holyroodhouse: Marriage to Henry Stuart (Lord Darnley) in 1565, her secretary David Riccio (Rizzio) was murdered in 1566, Darnley was killed at Kirk o’ Field in 1567, and she was married to James Hepburn (the Earl of Bothwell) in 1567.

4: King Charles II (r. 1649 –85) After the Palace had been damaged by Oliver Cromwell’s troops, Charles II embarked on a huge building campaign. He was convinced of the importance of having an impressive residence in Scotland. A large part of what we now see is due to the work commissioned by Charles II.

5: (Bonnie Prince Charlie) In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie held court at the Palace and is said to have held a ball in the Great Gallery. After his defeat at Culloden in 1746, the victorious Government soldiers were quartered at the Palace, and they slashed the portraits of the monarchs of Scotland in the Great Gallery with their sabres. Marks from their swords can still be seen on the repaired pictures today.

6: King George IV (r. 1820 – 30) In 1822, George IV made a state visit to Scotland – the first by a Hanoverian monarch. George received guests at the Palace, and it is said that he refused to see anyone unless they wore tartan.

7: (r. 1837 – 1901)

When Victoria began visiting , she stopped off at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. At this time, the Palace was badly in need of repair, having been split into a series of ‘’ apartments.

Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, spent time refurbishing the interior of the Palace and landscaping the gardens and because they used it so often, it once again became established as a Royal Residence.

8: Queen Elizabeth (r. 1952 - )

The Palace remains a Royal Residence to this day, and our present Queen stays here for a week every year in the summer. Alongside state events and other official functions, she holds a garden party, to which 8,000 people from all walks of life are invited.

Other members of the Royal Family also use the Palace throughout the year. During his visits to Scotland, The Queen’s son, Prince Charles, uses his official Scottish title – The Duke of Rothesay.