MARY QUEEN OF AND THE ISLES PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Margaret George | 880 pages | 26 Nov 1993 | Pan MacMillan | 9780330327909 | English | London, United Kingdom Mary Queen of Scotland and The Isles: A Novel by Margaret George, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

Strange, how difficult it was to speak. Where earlier he had been reticent, now it was his body holding back, even when his mind wished to communicate. The throat would not work. The devil take it! Adieu, farewell! The Stewarts came with a lass, and they shall pass with a lass," he murmured. Those were the last words he spoke, although, as the physician saw that he was sinking, he exhorted him, "Give her your blessing! Give your daughter your blessing, for God's own sweet sake! Do not pass away without that charity and safeguard to your heir! But the King just gave a little laugh and smile, kissed his hand and offered it to all his lords round about him; soon thereafter he turned his head away from his attendants, toward the wall, and died. Mary Queen of Scots. His widow, the Queen Dowager, struggled to regain her strength after childbirth as quickly as possible. Not for her the lingering recovery of days abed, receiving visitors and gifts and, as her reward for their well-wishes, presenting the infant for their inspection, all swathed in white lace and taffeta and wrapped in yards of softest velvet in the gilded royal crib. No, Marie de Guise, the relict — quaint phrase, that, she thought — of His Majesty James V of Scotland must right herself and be poised to defend her infant, like any wolf-mother in a harsh winter. And it was a very harsh winter, not only in terms of the flying snow and icy roads, but for Scotland itself. She could almost fancy that, in the ruddy flames of the fires she kept continually burning, the teeth of the nobles looked more like animal fangs than human dog-teeth. One by one they made their way to Linlithgow Palace, the golden palace lying on a long, thin loch just west of , to offer their respects to the infant — their new Queen. They came clad in heavy furs, their feet booted and wrapped round with animal skins, and it was hard to tell their ice-streaked beards from the furs surrounding their faces. They would kneel and murmur something about their loyalty, but their eyes were preternaturally bright. There were all the clans who came to make sure that they would not be barred from power by any other clan. For this was the greatest of all opportunities, the equivalent of a stag-kill that attracted all the carrion-eaters of the forest. An infant was their monarch, a helpless infant, with no one but a foreign mother to protect her: a Frenchwoman who was ignorant of their ways here and far from home. The Earl of Arran, James Hamilton, was there; had not this baby been born, he would now be king. He smiled benevolently at the infant. The Earl of Lennox, Matthew Stuart, who claimed to be the true heir rather than Arran, came shortly and stood looking longingly down at the baby. The red-faced, stout northern Earl of Huntly strutted past the cradle and bowed. Why even think of them now? You tie your well-wishes to something sinister. I pray you, amend your words. Once spoken, they have flown into another realm. Very well: let her enemies be confounded and come to confusion. Only a no-thing has no enemies. After the lords had departed, Marie de Guise sat by the cradle and rocked it gently. The baby was sleeping. The firelight painted the side of her face rosy, and the infant curled and uncurled her fat, dimpled little fingers. My first daughter, thought Marie, and she does look different. Is it my imagination? No, I think she's truly feminine. The Scots would say a lass is always different from a lad, even from the beginning. This daughter has skin like almond-milk. And her hair — she gently pushed back the baby's cap — of what colour will it be, to go with that skin? It is too early to tell; the fuzz is the same colour as that of all babes. I have named her after myself, and also after the Virgin; after all, she was born on the Virgin's day, the Immaculate Conception, and perhaps the Virgin will protect her, guard over her as a special charge. The King my lord and husband died, and that is how my daughter came to be Queen before her time. I should feel tearing grief. I should be mourning the King, lamenting my fate, instead of gazing in wonder at my daughter, a baby queen. The child will be fair, she thought, studying her features. Mary was accompanied by her own court including two illegitimate half-brothers, and the "four Marys" four girls her own age, all named Mary , who were the daughters of some of the noblest families in Scotland: Beaton , Seton , Fleming , and Livingston. Vivacious, beautiful, and clever according to contemporary accounts , Mary had a promising childhood. Portraits of Mary show that she had a small, oval-shaped head, a long, graceful neck, bright auburn hair, hazel-brown eyes, under heavy lowered eyelids and finely arched brows, smooth pale skin, a high forehead, and regular, firm features. She was considered a pretty child and later, as a woman, strikingly attractive. Mary was eloquent, and especially tall by sixteenth-century standards she attained an adult height of 5 feet 11 inches or 1. Henry commented: "from the very first day they met, my son and she got on as well together as if they had known each other for a long time". Yet, in the eyes of many Catholics, Elizabeth was illegitimate and Mary Stuart was the rightful queen of England, as the senior surviving legitimate descendant of Henry VII through her grandmother, Margaret Tudor. In France the royal arms of England were quartered with those of Francis and Mary. When Henry II died on 10 July , from injuries sustained in a joust , fifteen-year- old Francis and sixteen-year-old Mary became king and queen of France. In Scotland, the power of the Protestant Lords of the Congregation was rising at the expense of Mary's mother, who maintained effective control only through the use of French troops. A Huguenot uprising in France, the Tumult of Amboise , made it impossible for the French to send further support. Under the terms of the Treaty of Edinburgh , signed by Mary's representatives on 6 July , France and England undertook to withdraw troops from Scotland. France recognised Elizabeth's right to rule England, but the seventeen-year-old Mary, still in France and grieving for her mother, refused to ratify the treaty. King Francis II died on 5 December , of a middle ear infection that led to an abscess in his brain. Mary was grief-stricken. Mary's illegitimate half-brother, the Earl of Moray , was a leader of the Protestants. She later charged him with treason but he was acquitted and released. To the surprise and dismay of the Catholic party, Mary tolerated the newly established Protestant ascendancy, [66] and kept her half-brother Moray as her chief advisor. The council was dominated by the Protestant leaders from the crisis of — the Earls of Argyll , Glencairn , and Moray. Even the one significant later addition to the council, Lord Ruthven in December , was another Protestant whom Mary personally disliked. She joined with Moray in the destruction of Scotland's leading Catholic magnate, Lord Huntly, in , after he led a rebellion against her in the Highlands. Mary sent William Maitland of Lethington as an ambassador to the English court to put the case for Mary as the heir presumptive to the English throne. Elizabeth refused to name a potential heir, fearing that would invite conspiracy to displace her with the nominated successor. Mary then turned her attention to finding a new husband from the royalty of Europe. When her uncle, the Cardinal of Lorraine , began negotiations with Archduke Charles of Austria without her consent, she angrily objected and the negotiations foundered. Dudley was Sir Henry Sidney's brother-in-law and the English queen's own favourite , whom Elizabeth trusted and thought she could control. Mary was horrified and banished him from Scotland. He ignored the edict. Two days later, he forced his way into her chamber as she was about to disrobe. She reacted with fury and fear. When Moray rushed into the room after hearing her cries for help, she shouted, "Thrust your dagger into the villain! Chastelard was tried for treason and beheaded. Darnley's parents, the Earl and Countess of Lennox , were Scottish aristocrats as well as English landowners. They sent him to France ostensibly to extend their condolences, while hoping for a potential match between their son and Mary. English statesmen William Cecil and the Earl of Leicester had worked to obtain Darnley's licence to travel to Scotland from his home in England. Mary's marriage to a leading Catholic precipitated Mary's half-brother, the Earl of Moray , to join with other Protestant lords, including Lords Argyll and Glencairn , in open rebellion. On the 30th, Moray entered Edinburgh but left soon afterward, having failed to take the castle. Mary returned to Edinburgh the following month to raise more troops. Mary's numbers were boosted by the release and restoration to favour of Lord Huntly's son and the return of James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell , from exile in France. Before long, Darnley grew arrogant. Not content with his position as king consort, he demanded the Crown Matrimonial , which would have made him a co-sovereign of Scotland with the right to keep the Scottish throne for himself, if he outlived his wife. He was jealous of her friendship with her Catholic private secretary, , who was rumoured to be the father of her child. They took temporary refuge in Dunbar Castle before returning to Edinburgh on 18 March. However, the murder of Rizzio led inevitably to the breakdown of her marriage. Immediately after her return to Jedburgh, she suffered a serious illness that included frequent vomiting, loss of sight, loss of speech, convulsions and periods of unconsciousness. She was thought to be dying. Her recovery from 25 October onwards was credited to the skill of her French physicians. Potential diagnoses include physical exhaustion and mental stress, [] haemorrhage of a gastric ulcer, [] and porphyria. At Castle , near Edinburgh , at the end of November , Mary and leading nobles held a meeting to discuss the "problem of Darnley". He remained ill for some weeks. In late January , Mary prompted her husband to return to Edinburgh. He recuperated from his illness in a house belonging to the brother of Sir James Balfour at the former abbey of Kirk o' Field , just within the city wall. Darnley was found dead in the garden, apparently smothered. I should ill fulfil the office of a faithful cousin or an affectionate friend if I did not Men say that, instead of seizing the murderers, you are looking through your fingers while they escape; that you will not seek revenge on those who have done you so much pleasure, as though the deed would never have taken place had not the doers of it been assured of impunity. For myself, I beg you to believe that I would not harbour such a thought. By the end of February, Bothwell was generally believed to be guilty of Darnley's assassination. In the absence of Lennox and with no evidence presented, Bothwell was acquitted after a seven-hour trial on 12 April. Between 21 and 23 April , Mary visited her son at for the last time. On her way back to Edinburgh on 24 April, Mary was abducted, willingly or not, by Lord Bothwell and his men and taken to Dunbar Castle , where he may have raped her. Originally, Mary believed that many nobles supported her marriage, but relations quickly soured between the newly elevated Bothwell created Duke of Orkney and his former peers and the marriage proved to be deeply unpopular. Catholics considered the marriage unlawful, since they did not recognise Bothwell's divorce or the validity of the Protestant service. Both Protestants and Catholics were shocked that Mary should marry the man accused of murdering her husband. Twenty-six Scottish peers , known as the confederate lords, turned against Mary and Bothwell and raised their own army. Mary and Bothwell confronted the lords at Carberry Hill on 15 June, but there was no battle, as Mary's forces dwindled away through desertion during negotiations. The lords took Mary to Edinburgh, where crowds of spectators denounced her as an adulteress and murderer. He was imprisoned in Denmark, became insane and died in Mary apparently expected Elizabeth to help her regain her throne. As an anointed queen, Mary refused to acknowledge the power of any court to try her. She refused to attend the inquiry at York personally but sent representatives. Elizabeth forbade her attendance anyway. He sent copies to Elizabeth, saying that if they were genuine, they might prove Mary's guilt. The authenticity of the has been the source of much controversy among historians. It is impossible now to prove either way. The originals, written in French, were possibly destroyed in by Mary's son. There are incomplete printed transcriptions in English, Scots, French, and Latin from the s. Moray had sent a messenger in September to Dunbar to get a copy of the proceedings from the town's registers. Mary's biographers, such as Antonia Fraser , Alison Weir , and John Guy , have come to the conclusion that either the documents were complete forgeries, [] or incriminating passages were inserted into genuine letters, [] or the letters were written to Bothwell by a different person or written by Mary to a different person. The casket letters did not appear publicly until the Conference of , although the Scottish privy council had seen them by December The letters were never made public to support her imprisonment and forced abdication. Historian Jenny Wormald believes this reluctance on the part of the Scots to produce the letters and their destruction in , whatever their content, constitute proof that they contained real evidence against Mary. Among them was the Duke of Norfolk, [] who secretly conspired to marry Mary in the course of the commission, although he denied it when Elizabeth alluded to his marriage plans, saying "he meant never to marry with a person, where he could not be sure of his pillow". The majority of the commissioners accepted the casket letters as genuine after a study of their contents and comparison of the penmanship with examples of Mary's handwriting. There was never any intention to proceed judicially; the conference was intended as a political exercise. In the end, Moray returned to Scotland as regent and Mary remained in custody in England. Elizabeth had succeeded in maintaining a Protestant government in Scotland, without either condemning or releasing her fellow sovereign. On 26 January , Mary was moved to Tutbury Castle [] and placed in the custody of the Earl of Shrewsbury and his formidable wife . Mary was permitted her own domestic staff, which never numbered fewer than sixteen. By the s, she had severe rheumatism in her limbs, rendering her lame. In May , Elizabeth attempted to mediate the restoration of Mary in return for guarantees of the Protestant religion, but a convention held at Perth rejected the deal overwhelmingly. His death coincided with a rebellion in the North of England , led by Catholic earls, which persuaded Elizabeth that Mary was a threat. English troops intervened in the Scottish civil war, consolidating the power of the anti-Marian forces. Norfolk was executed and the English Parliament introduced a bill barring Mary from the throne, to which Elizabeth refused to give royal assent. For them, empathy is both input and output of outstanding books. And normally, bibliophile myself, I toe the party line and agree, because theoretically the argument seems sound and anecdotally I can cite instances of empathy emerging from great works of art. But I'm an inveterate skeptic: are lovers of literature--both producers and consumers--truly more empathetic? One need look no further than our current landscape i Bibliophiles love to babble on about the importance of empathy in literature. One need look no further than our current landscape in the genre of biography. The explosion of memoir is evidence of egoism, not empathy; most historical biography trends towards hagiography; and celebrity profiles, the peak modern form of the genre, more often mock, or worse, excoriate their subject. Zweig, however, is an exceptional biographer, and he holds no poison pen. His approach as a biographer is more cheerleader: through all the tribulations of Mary Queen of Scots' life, of which many are arguably of her own devising, he does not cease to believe in and want the best for her. Radical empathy extending centuries backward for a woman of a bygone era, for a woman whom we know ends up on the gallows. His picture of Mary is drawn truthfully and accurately, beginning with her birth and coronation as Queen of Scotland and the Isles at only 6 days old. Although Mary Stuart's fantastical life, full of murdered husbands, succession disputes, and questionable imprisonment, is easy fodder for any biographer, Zweig brings an effervescent verve to all periods of his subject's life, even those of relative inactivity. This page clunker is an absolute page-turner, which it would certainly not be if written by a less skilled author. Zweig also manages to evade ahistoricism, a common mistake of biographers. He is careful to ground his assessment of the Queen of Scots in her own epoch. He is particularly successful in doing so when he explains why Mary Stuart's execution by her cousin of England was so exceptional: as a divinely anointed queen, the philosophical basis of monarchy the late 16th century, she was not accountable to Elizabeth, England, or even the Scottish lords. No matter her guilt or innocence, her right as a queen should have exempted her from any accusations, trials, or punishments, which makes her execution by Queen Elizabeth so remarkable. It blazed the path to more king- and queen-killing in the subsequent centuries, peaking with Marie Antoinette's death two hundred years later. Unfortunately, Zweig's commitment to historical accuracy leads him to commit his sole crime of the biography. Early on, he describes the decades- long dispute between Mary and Elizabeth as the result of "two women remaining women throughout, unable to vercome the weaknesses inherent in their sex. Nowadays I'm often dismayed by our culture's propensity to see the worst in people. An example from this past week: a weatherman who makes an unfortunate Spoonerism is decried as a racist instead of someone who simply misspoke. Wouldn't it be wonderful to interact with the world the same way Zweig interacts with his subjects of interest? To observe their flaws, indeed even to study those flaws with a magnifying glass, while never using the character defects as a reason for outright dismissal and denunciation of the person? Under Zweig's steady and rehabilitative hand, Mary Queen of Scots is given new life after the sundry calumnies to her name in the centuries following her death. It is a pleasure to read this book and to see her the way she might have, in her most brutally self-honest moments, seen herself. I'm half way through my second Stefan Zweig book. I don't find this kind of writing anymore. The author gives his readers the gift of time and patience so we can start to feel what it must have been like at that point in history. You become emotionally involved with the era and can better understand Zweig's characters as real people, giving you an insight we aren't normally privy to in modern writing. Just loved it Jan 10, Steven Z. The other day I went to see the film, Mary Queen of Scots and as I do with most historical films, I wondered how historically accurate it was. I vaguely recalled the biography of the Scottish Queen written over forty years ago by Antonia Fraser and it seemed there was a great deal of artistic license employed. Since the most recent biography of Mary was written by John Guy it seemed like the best choice to read, however the film was based on that monograph. I decided to read an older classic acc The other day I went to see the film, Mary Queen of Scots and as I do with most historical films, I wondered how historically accurate it was. I decided to read an older classic account of the Queen written by Stefan Zweig in which has withstood the test of time. Zweig, a prolific short story writer has written several biographies of major historical and literary figures that made him one of the most popular European writers in the s and 30s. What is clear about Scottish history is that it was very difficult for any monarch to rule Scotland effectively due to the marauding and jealous clans, led by lords who had difficulty projecting fealty to any monarch. These lords were arrogant and greedy and were part of a somewhat narcissistic nobility. Any wealth the monarchy might posses apart from sheep herds were gifts and grants from the French king or the Pope. Historically Scotland was a pawn in the battle between France and England, and when war would break out, the English would land at Normandy, and the French would foment problems with their Scottish allies in the rear. Zweig writes in a pleasant literary style that most historians can not match. He writes with a scent of sarcasm whether discussing dynastic politics or diplomacy, and his monograph reads like a novel. However, even after the negotiations are successful, she is spirited away by the French King Henry II to marry his son Francis. For the remainder of her life, Mary was seen by Elizabeth as a threat to her throne and eventually it would not end well for Mary. When Mary departs for Scotland on August 14, , she is traveling to a country that is totally strange and foreign to her. She faces several obstacles before she arrives that will dog her for her entire . She is to rule over a poverty-stricken country, she must deal with a corrupt nobility that seems to make war at the slightest provocation, she must confront a clergy that is equally divided between Catholicism and Protestantism, and must deal with foreign neighbors who are waiting to benefit from the fratricidal disputes that seem to occur regularly. Zweig lays out the barriers that Mary must face when she assumes the throne. She is poor as her mother; Mary of Guise left no inheritance. Further, she must deal with wars of religion where the towns support Protestantism, and the countryside Catholicism. In addition, she must deal with fanatical priests and foreign powers, and lastly nobles who convert to Calvinism as a means of seizing Church wealth. Mary learned fast and decided that perpetual warfare was the way to preserve her Stuart heritage. The question that dominants is how does one rule when more than half of your kingdom believes in a different religion. A patient practitioner of the Machiavellian arts, he would have made the perfect king of Scotland. James was wealthy in his own right and was always willing to accept subsidies to carry out the desires of Elizabeth I. Another major figure was , the fanatical Calvinist preacher who refused to accept Mary as the legitimate ruler of Scotland. His merciless antagonism and demagogic speeches designed to spread his dictatorial religious beliefs was a threat to Mary her entire reign. When they finally meet for the first time, Zweig presents a wonderful description of their debate that demeaned Mary, who stood up to Knox but realized the difficulty that he presented. Throughout Zweig allows the reader to experience Renaissance culture through the poets and their poetry of the period. Mary who grew up during the French Renaissance was a cultured individual who did not fit in Scotland. Any biography of Mary must concentrate on her relationship with Elizabeth I. There is a psychological dimension to the relationship between the two Queens and Zweig does his best to explore it and reach his own psychohistorical conclusions. He possesses a deep admiration for Mary and her refusal to give into a destiny that she should have been able to predict. Zweig correctly points out that the Treaty of Edinburgh was at the center of their inability to reach a rapprochement despite the flowery letters between the two. Zweig points out the strengths and weaknesses of the cousins as well as their similarities and differences. Mary possessed a madly heroic self- confidence that led to her doom. Elizabeth suffered from a lack of decision making, but she would still be victorious. Mary was the champion of the old Catholic faith and was a character out of the Middle Ages believing in chivalry which was dying out. Elizabeth was the more modern monarch who was defending the reformation. The approach to their individual kingdoms also sets them apart. For Elizabeth everything she did was to expand her kingdom and add to the glory of England, not her personal possessions. The narrative is priceless as negotiations between the two go back and forth and characters like Lord Henry Darnley and Robert Dudley become pawns between the two women. Zweig constantly offers a lens into the human condition throughout the narrative. Elizabeth wanted Mary to renounce her rights to the English throne and retire quietly. Further, she wanted Mary to be cleared of involvement in the regicidal plot involving Bothwell and the death of her husband, Lord Darnley. Zweig reproduces a great deal of documentation of the Westminster Conference which investigated the murder. The situation could easily have been resolved had Elizabeth, who at times had difficulty making major decisions just had Mary found guilty and executed in and not let the situation drag on for years with the same results. First, Mary and Elizabeth never met face to face as takes place toward the end of the film. Third, it is debatable to assert that Darnley and Rizzio were lovers as is reflected in the film. Fourth, Mary did not have a Scottish accent as reflected in the film as she was raised in France, and lastly Lord Darnley probably raped Mary the first time they had sex. The film overall is well done with a diverse cast, which of course did not exist in the 16th century, but the gist of historical accuracy does come across and one must remember a film is made to make money — not bring true history to the screen. Zweig has written a somewhat entertaining and literary biography of Mary Queen of Scots. View 2 comments. Sep 14, Christian Martel rated it it was amazing. Stefan Zweig is one of the best author of biographies that I have had the chance to read. His almost read like a novel, which in this case is facilitated by the novel-like life of its subject, Mary Stewart, one of history's most fascinating monarch. Very detailed, well researched before the Internet and beautifully written. Really interesting, if slightly wordy, biography. Mary Stuart lived a fascinating, almost unbelievably dramatic life, and Zweig tells it well. Interesting on a personal level, understanding the character of a girl who was Queen of Scotland and France as a teenager but who was eventually beheaded in England, but also a primer in the politics and intrigues of the age - it was Catholic vs Protestant, of course, and a delicate time for all of Europe. Studded with glimmering details, this long book i Really interesting, if slightly wordy, biography. Studded with glimmering details, this long book is well worth a glance. Shelves: history , nonfiction. A delightful read truly --opinionated, full of explanatory summaries of human behavior, all presented in a writing style that's full of drama and flair! Published in , Zweig is as much a product of his time as Mary was of hers and we are of ours, and some readers might be startled and offended by Zweig's blatant statements regarding the emotional inconstancy female rulers, but I thought it was a hoot. I was thrilled with the meaty, dramatic writing, and loved his use of language; read a few A delightful read truly --opinionated, full of explanatory summaries of human behavior, all presented in a writing style that's full of drama and flair! I was thrilled with the meaty, dramatic writing, and loved his use of language; read a few parts more than once just to chew on them a bit! This was my first foray into the life of Mary, but it won't be my last. I like to compare and contrast various historians' views, especially when written in different centuries. Good times, eh? Stefan Zweig is the literary love of my life. There is no author out there whose literary legacy means as much to me as that of this man. With that being said, I had high expectations for this book. Not only because this was written by my favorite writer but also because reviewer consider Stefan Zweig's biographies to be his masterpieces. This book is entertaining to a point where you almost forget you are reading a non- fictional story about historical events which evidently took place. Scheming, conspiracies, betrayals, murders - there is nothing Maria Stuart didn't experience while being the Queen of Scotland and of France for four years when she was Her life couldn't have been more dramatic. Oh, the drama killed me! Read it if you are up for an exciting history lesson on this interesting woman. Stefan Zweig has a wonderful way to portray the psychology of people. His research and his talent as a story teller makes this book extremely enjoyable because you learn so much on the struggle of power. As a German, I know about the famous rivalry between Elisabeth I. Not so much from history lessons. Also, I'm not partial to any of their antagonisms, be it England vs. Scotland, protestantism vs. Zweig must have thought similarly. As an Austrian, he was surprised that there wasn't any neutral or merely worthwhile biography on Mary Stuart. Even today, differences in judging her role in history can easily be seen when comparing the E As a German, I know about the famous rivalry between Elisabeth I. Even today, differences in judging her role in history can easily be seen when comparing the English and the German wikipedia entries. Zweig's trademark is the combination of immensely readable history with well-grounded psychological portraits of historic figures. Mary Stuart could have been a piece of historical fiction. The intrigues, the action elements, the grandness of a life at court can match the best representatives of the genre in terms of entertainment value. Notwithstanding these traits, I trust in Zweig that the accuracy of history is a given. Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Stefan Zweig

Download Cover Hi-Res. She became Queen of Scots when she was only six days old. Life among the warring factions in Scotland was dangerous for the infant Queen, however, and at age five Mary was sent to France to be raised alongside her betrothed, the Dauphin Francois. But by her eighteenth birthday, Mary was a widow who had lost one throne and had been named by the Pope for another. And her extraordinary adventure had only begun. Elizabeth asked Paulet, Mary's final custodian, if he would contrive a clandestine way to "shorten the life" of Mary, which he refused to do on the grounds that he would not make "a shipwreck of my conscience, or leave so great a blot on my poor posterity". At Fotheringhay, on the evening of 7 February , Mary was told she was to be executed the next morning. It was reached by two or three steps, and furnished with the block, a cushion for her to kneel on, and three stools for her and the earls of Shrewsbury and Kent , who were there to witness the execution. The executioner Bull and his assistant knelt before her and asked forgiveness, as it was typical for the executioner to request the pardon of the one being put to death. Mary replied, "I forgive you with all my heart, for now, I hope, you shall make an end of all my troubles. Mary was not beheaded with a single strike. The first blow missed her neck and struck the back of her head. The second blow severed the neck, except for a small bit of sinew , which the executioner cut through using the axe. Afterwards, he held her head aloft and declared, "God save the Queen. When the news of the execution reached Elizabeth, she became indignant and asserted that Davison had disobeyed her instructions not to part with the warrant and that the Privy Council had acted without her authority. He was released nineteen months later, after Cecil and Walsingham interceded on his behalf. Mary's request to be buried in France was refused by Elizabeth. He was ultimately found with Henry VII. Many of her other descendants, including Elizabeth of Bohemia , Prince Rupert of the Rhine and the children of Anne, Queen of Great Britain , were interred in her vault. Assessments of Mary in the sixteenth century divided between Protestant reformers such as and John Knox , who vilified her mercilessly, and Catholic apologists such as Adam Blackwood , who praised, defended and eulogised her. It condemned Buchanan's work as an invention, [] and "emphasized Mary's evil fortunes rather than her evil character". Cowan also produced more balanced works. Historian Jenny Wormald concluded that Mary was a tragic failure, who was unable to cope with the demands placed on her, [] but hers was a rare dissenting view in a post-Fraser tradition that Mary was a pawn in the hands of scheming noblemen. Such accusations rest on assumptions, [] and Buchanan's biography is today discredited as "almost complete fantasy". From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For other uses, see Mary, Queen of Scots disambiguation. Queen of Scotland. Peterborough Cathedral 28 October Westminster Abbey. Francis II of France. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. Castle. Workington Hall. Carlisle Castle. Bolton Castle. Main article: Casket letters. In this article, dates before are Old Style, with the exception that years are assumed to start on 1 January rather than 25 March. The phrase was first recorded by John Knox in the s as, "The devil go with it! It will end as it began: it came from a woman; and it will end in a woman" Wormald , pp. The disputed will is printed in Historical Manuscripts Commission London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Catherine's interests competed with those of the Guise family, and there may have been an element of jealousy or rivalry between the two queens Donaldson , pp. Paris: Annet Briere. Paris: Renouard. The Wars of Religion in France. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. London: Andrew Melrose, pp. Glasgow: W. John Knox claimed the surgeons who examined the body were lying and that Darnley had been strangled, but all the sources agree that there were no marks on the body, and there was no reason for the surgeons to lie as Darnley was murdered either way Weir , p. For other versions see Guy , p. Other contemporaries dismissed the abduction as bogus Donaldson , p. See also Guy , pp. In response, Mary's commissioners withdrew from the inquiry Weir , pp. Inventaires de la Royne d'Ecosse. Edinburgh: Bannatyne Club. The Crime of Mary Stuart. London: Hutchinson. Royal Collection Trust. Inventory no. Letter Book of Amias Paulet , pp. Execution of Mary Stuart". In von Klarwill, Victor ed. The Fugger Newsletters. Bain, Joseph, ed. Bingham, Caroline Boyd, William K. Glasgow: General Register Office Scotland. Clifford, Arthur, ed. Edinburgh, Scotland: Archibald Constable and Co. Donaldson, Gordon Mary, Queen of Scots. London, England: English Universities Press. Fraser, Antonia []. Mary Queen of Scots. London, England: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Greig, Elaine Finnie Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxfordshire, England: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 3 March London, England: Fourth Estate. Lewis, Jayne Elizabeth McInnes, Charles T. Weir, Alison []. London, England: Random House. Williams, Neville Thomas Howard, Fourth Duke of Norfolk. Wormald, Jenny London, England: George Philip. Bath, Michael London: Archetype Publications. Labanov, A. Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky Lettres et Memoires de Marie, Reine d'Ecosse. London: Charles Dolman. Marshall, Rosalind Edinburgh: John Donald. Edinburgh: National Museums of Scotland. Read, Conyers London: Camden Series. Swain, Margaret The Needlework of Mary Queen of Scots. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Warnicke, Retha M. New York: Routledge. Wilkinson, Alexander S. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Mary, Queen of Scots at Wikipedia's sister projects. Monarchs of England and Scotland after the Union of the Crowns from British monarchs after the Acts of Union Pictish and Scottish monarchs. Dauphines of France. Queens and empresses of France. Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikisource. James II of Scotland. James III of Scotland. Mary Stewart. James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran. James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran. John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox. Henry VII of England. Elizabeth of York. Claude, Duke of Guise. Antoinette de Bourbon. James IV of Scotland. Margaret Tudor. Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. Francis, Duke of Guise. Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine. Mary of Guise. James V of Scotland. Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. Margaret Douglas. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray. Edward VI of England. Mary I of England. Elizabeth I of England. James VI and I. Queen of Scotland — Queen consort of France — Vacant Title next held by Elisabeth of Austria. Mary, Queen of Scots - Wikipedia

Once a man is convinced of that, it is hard for him to lead with authority. He'll recover. He'll come to himself. After the shock wears off. His Queen was expecting to be brought to childbed at any moment. The soldier shook his head. The King refused to rise from his bed, but lay there limply, as if in a trance. Some of his nobles came to him, and stood round his bed. The Earl of Arran, the burly head of the House of Hamilton and hereditary heir to the throne after any of the King's own children, looked on solicitously. Cardinal Beaton, the secretary of state, hovered as if he wished to hear a last confession. The Stewart cousins, all powerful clans in their own right, stood discreetly about the chamber. All wore heavy wool under their ceremonially bright garments; the weather remained bitter cold. In other chambers the King's mistresses, past and present, lingered, concerned about their children. Would the King see fit to remember them? The King looked at them, shimmering and reappearing, sometimes seeming to dissolve, under his gaze. These faces Her hour is near. Think of your prince. But the princes were dead, the sweet little boys, dead within a few hours of each other, one of them at Stirling, one at St. Places of death. No hope. All gone. No point to another; it was doomed, too. Then, a new face near his. Someone was staring intently into his eyes, trying to read them. A new person, someone brisk and detached. The King struggled to get the words out. Strange, how difficult it was to speak. Where earlier he had been reticent, now it was his body holding back, even when his mind wished to communicate. The throat would not work. The devil take it! Adieu, farewell! The Stewarts came with a lass, and they shall pass with a lass," he murmured. Those were the last words he spoke, although, as the physician saw that he was sinking, he exhorted him, "Give her your blessing! Give your daughter your blessing, for God's own sweet sake! Do not pass away without that charity and safeguard to your heir! But the King just gave a little laugh and smile, kissed his hand and offered it to all his lords round about him; soon thereafter he turned his head away from his attendants, toward the wall, and died. Mary Queen of Scots. His widow, the Queen Dowager, struggled to regain her strength after childbirth as quickly as possible. Not for her the lingering recovery of days abed, receiving visitors and gifts and, as her reward for their well- wishes, presenting the infant for their inspection, all swathed in white lace and taffeta and wrapped in yards of softest velvet in the gilded royal crib. No, Marie de Guise, the relict — quaint phrase, that, she thought — of His Majesty James V of Scotland must right herself and be poised to defend her infant, like any wolf-mother in a harsh winter. And it was a very harsh winter, not only in terms of the flying snow and icy roads, but for Scotland itself. She could almost fancy that, in the ruddy flames of the fires she kept continually burning, the teeth of the nobles looked more like animal fangs than human dog-teeth. One by one they made their way to Linlithgow Palace, the golden palace lying on a long, thin loch just west of Edinburgh, to offer their respects to the infant — their new Queen. They came clad in heavy furs, their feet booted and wrapped round with animal skins, and it was hard to tell their ice-streaked beards from the furs surrounding their faces. They would kneel and murmur something about their loyalty, but their eyes were preternaturally bright. There were all the clans who came to make sure that they would not be barred from power by any other clan. On 7 July , a Scottish Parliament held at a nunnery near the town agreed to the French marriage treaty. With her marriage agreement in place, five-year-old Mary was sent to France to spend the next thirteen years at the French court. Mary was accompanied by her own court including two illegitimate half-brothers, and the "four Marys" four girls her own age, all named Mary , who were the daughters of some of the noblest families in Scotland: Beaton , Seton , Fleming , and Livingston. Vivacious, beautiful, and clever according to contemporary accounts , Mary had a promising childhood. Portraits of Mary show that she had a small, oval-shaped head, a long, graceful neck, bright auburn hair, hazel-brown eyes, under heavy lowered eyelids and finely arched brows, smooth pale skin, a high forehead, and regular, firm features. She was considered a pretty child and later, as a woman, strikingly attractive. Mary was eloquent, and especially tall by sixteenth-century standards she attained an adult height of 5 feet 11 inches or 1. Henry commented: "from the very first day they met, my son and she got on as well together as if they had known each other for a long time". Yet, in the eyes of many Catholics, Elizabeth was illegitimate and Mary Stuart was the rightful queen of England, as the senior surviving legitimate descendant of Henry VII through her grandmother, Margaret Tudor. In France the royal arms of England were quartered with those of Francis and Mary. When Henry II died on 10 July , from injuries sustained in a joust , fifteen-year-old Francis and sixteen-year-old Mary became king and queen of France. In Scotland, the power of the Protestant Lords of the Congregation was rising at the expense of Mary's mother, who maintained effective control only through the use of French troops. A Huguenot uprising in France, the Tumult of Amboise , made it impossible for the French to send further support. Under the terms of the Treaty of Edinburgh , signed by Mary's representatives on 6 July , France and England undertook to withdraw troops from Scotland. France recognised Elizabeth's right to rule England, but the seventeen-year-old Mary, still in France and grieving for her mother, refused to ratify the treaty. King Francis II died on 5 December , of a middle ear infection that led to an abscess in his brain. Mary was grief-stricken. Mary's illegitimate half-brother, the Earl of Moray , was a leader of the Protestants. She later charged him with treason but he was acquitted and released. To the surprise and dismay of the Catholic party, Mary tolerated the newly established Protestant ascendancy, [66] and kept her half-brother Moray as her chief advisor. The council was dominated by the Protestant leaders from the reformation crisis of — the Earls of Argyll , Glencairn , and Moray. Even the one significant later addition to the council, Lord Ruthven in December , was another Protestant whom Mary personally disliked. She joined with Moray in the destruction of Scotland's leading Catholic magnate, Lord Huntly, in , after he led a rebellion against her in the Highlands. Mary sent William Maitland of Lethington as an ambassador to the English court to put the case for Mary as the heir presumptive to the English throne. Elizabeth refused to name a potential heir, fearing that would invite conspiracy to displace her with the nominated successor. Mary then turned her attention to finding a new husband from the royalty of Europe. When her uncle, the Cardinal of Lorraine , began negotiations with Archduke Charles of Austria without her consent, she angrily objected and the negotiations foundered. Dudley was Sir Henry Sidney's brother-in-law and the English queen's own favourite , whom Elizabeth trusted and thought she could control. Mary was horrified and banished him from Scotland. He ignored the edict. Two days later, he forced his way into her chamber as she was about to disrobe. She reacted with fury and fear. When Moray rushed into the room after hearing her cries for help, she shouted, "Thrust your dagger into the villain! Chastelard was tried for treason and beheaded. Darnley's parents, the Earl and Countess of Lennox , were Scottish aristocrats as well as English landowners. They sent him to France ostensibly to extend their condolences, while hoping for a potential match between their son and Mary. English statesmen William Cecil and the Earl of Leicester had worked to obtain Darnley's licence to travel to Scotland from his home in England. Mary's marriage to a leading Catholic precipitated Mary's half-brother, the Earl of Moray , to join with other Protestant lords, including Lords Argyll and Glencairn , in open rebellion. On the 30th, Moray entered Edinburgh but left soon afterward, having failed to take the castle. Mary returned to Edinburgh the following month to raise more troops. Mary's numbers were boosted by the release and restoration to favour of Lord Huntly's son and the return of James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell , from exile in France. Before long, Darnley grew arrogant. Not content with his position as king consort, he demanded the Crown Matrimonial , which would have made him a co-sovereign of Scotland with the right to keep the Scottish throne for himself, if he outlived his wife. He was jealous of her friendship with her Catholic private secretary, David Rizzio , who was rumoured to be the father of her child. They took temporary refuge in Dunbar Castle before returning to Edinburgh on 18 March. However, the murder of Rizzio led inevitably to the breakdown of her marriage. Immediately after her return to Jedburgh, she suffered a serious illness that included frequent vomiting, loss of sight, loss of speech, convulsions and periods of unconsciousness. She was thought to be dying. Her recovery from 25 October onwards was credited to the skill of her French physicians. Potential diagnoses include physical exhaustion and mental stress, [] haemorrhage of a gastric ulcer, [] and porphyria. At , near Edinburgh , at the end of November , Mary and leading nobles held a meeting to discuss the "problem of Darnley". He remained ill for some weeks. In late January , Mary prompted her husband to return to Edinburgh. He recuperated from his illness in a house belonging to the brother of Sir James Balfour at the former abbey of Kirk o' Field , just within the city wall. Darnley was found dead in the garden, apparently smothered. I should ill fulfil the office of a faithful cousin or an affectionate friend if I did not Men say that, instead of seizing the murderers, you are looking through your fingers while they escape; that you will not seek revenge on those who have done you so much pleasure, as though the deed would never have taken place had not the doers of it been assured of impunity. For myself, I beg you to believe that I would not harbour such a thought. By the end of February, Bothwell was generally believed to be guilty of Darnley's assassination. In the absence of Lennox and with no evidence presented, Bothwell was acquitted after a seven-hour trial on 12 April. Between 21 and 23 April , Mary visited her son at Stirling for the last time. On her way back to Edinburgh on 24 April, Mary was abducted, willingly or not, by Lord Bothwell and his men and taken to Dunbar Castle , where he may have raped her. Originally, Mary believed that many nobles supported her marriage, but relations quickly soured between the newly elevated Bothwell created Duke of Orkney and his former peers and the marriage proved to be deeply unpopular. Catholics considered the marriage unlawful, since they did not recognise Bothwell's divorce or the validity of the Protestant service. Both Protestants and Catholics were shocked that Mary should marry the man accused of murdering her husband. Twenty-six Scottish peers , known as the confederate lords, turned against Mary and Bothwell and raised their own army. Mary and Bothwell confronted the lords at Carberry Hill on 15 June, but there was no battle, as Mary's forces dwindled away through desertion during negotiations. The lords took Mary to Edinburgh, where crowds of spectators denounced her as an adulteress and murderer. He was imprisoned in Denmark, became insane and died in Mary apparently expected Elizabeth to help her regain her throne. As an anointed queen, Mary refused to acknowledge the power of any court to try her. She refused to attend the inquiry at York personally but sent representatives. Elizabeth forbade her attendance anyway. He sent copies to Elizabeth, saying that if they were genuine, they might prove Mary's guilt. The authenticity of the casket letters has been the source of much controversy among historians. It is impossible now to prove either way. The originals, written in French, were possibly destroyed in by Mary's son. There are incomplete printed transcriptions in English, Scots, French, and Latin from the s. Moray had sent a messenger in September to Dunbar to get a copy of the proceedings from the town's registers. Mary's biographers, such as Antonia Fraser , Alison Weir , and John Guy , have come to the conclusion that either the documents were complete forgeries, [] or incriminating passages were inserted into genuine letters, [] or the letters were written to Bothwell by a different person or written by Mary to a different person. The casket letters did not appear publicly until the Conference of , although the Scottish privy council had seen them by December The letters were never made public to support her imprisonment and forced abdication. Historian Jenny Wormald believes this reluctance on the part of the Scots to produce the letters and their destruction in , whatever their content, constitute proof that they contained real evidence against Mary. Among them was the Duke of Norfolk, [] who secretly conspired to marry Mary in the course of the commission, although he denied it when Elizabeth alluded to his marriage plans, saying "he meant never to marry with a person, where he could not be sure of his pillow". The majority of the commissioners accepted the casket letters as genuine after a study of their contents and comparison of the penmanship with examples of Mary's handwriting. There was never any intention to proceed judicially; the conference was intended as a political exercise. In the end, Moray returned to Scotland as regent and Mary remained in custody in England. Elizabeth had succeeded in maintaining a Protestant government in Scotland, without either condemning or releasing her fellow sovereign. On 26 January , Mary was moved to Tutbury Castle [] and placed in the custody of the Earl of Shrewsbury and his formidable wife Bess of Hardwick. Mary was permitted her own domestic staff, which never numbered fewer than sixteen. By the s, she had severe rheumatism in her limbs, rendering her lame. In May , Elizabeth attempted to mediate the restoration of Mary in return for guarantees of the Protestant religion, but a convention held at Perth rejected the deal overwhelmingly. His death coincided with a rebellion in the North of England , led by Catholic earls, which persuaded Elizabeth that Mary was a threat. Now she brings us a new, mesmerizing blend of history and storytelling as she turns the astonishing facts of the life of Mary Queen of Scots into magnificent fiction that sweeps us from the glittering French court where Mary spent her youth, to the bloodstained Scotland where she reigned as Queen, to the cold English castles where she ended her days. Never before have we been offered such a rich and moving portrayal of the Scots Queen, whose beauty inspired poetry, whose spirit brought forth both devotion and hatred, and whose birthright generated glorious dreams, hideous treachery, and murdered men at her feet. Audible iTunes.

Mary Queen of Scotland and The Isles – Margaret George

Just then some of the King's field soldiers appeared, peering cautiously into the room. He seemed to see them even through his closed eyes. They came in, tattered, and knelt before him. Finally the highest-ranking one said, "Aye. We were attacked and soundly beaten. Many were drowned in the Esk in the retreat. Many more have been taken as prisoners — twelve thousand prisoners in the custody of the English commander. Suddenly the King lurched from his seat and stood up, rigid. He clasped and unclasped his fists, and a low sound of utter pain escaped him. He looked around wildly at the soldiers. When they nodded, he cried, "All is lost! He turned his back on them and stumbled across the room to the door; when he reached the door frame he sagged against it, as if a spear had pinioned him. Then, clutching his side, he reeled away into his private quarters where they could not follow. His valet followed, running after him. The King sought his bed; he dived into it and lay moaning and clutching his side. One of the chamber servants sent for the physician; another went out to speak to the field soldiers. Our King was not with us; our King had left us to mope and droop by himself far from the battlefield — like a maiden filled with vapours! When he was assured that was impossible, he said, "The King is ill. He was ill before the news; the sorrow of the loss of his heirs, the little princes, has devastated him. Once a man is convinced of that, it is hard for him to lead with authority. He'll recover. He'll come to himself. After the shock wears off. His Queen was expecting to be brought to childbed at any moment. The soldier shook his head. The King refused to rise from his bed, but lay there limply, as if in a trance. Some of his nobles came to him, and stood round his bed. The Earl of Arran, the burly head of the House of Hamilton and hereditary heir to the throne after any of the King's own children, looked on solicitously. Cardinal Beaton, the secretary of state, hovered as if he wished to hear a last confession. The Stewart cousins, all powerful clans in their own right, stood discreetly about the chamber. All wore heavy wool under their ceremonially bright garments; the weather remained bitter cold. In other chambers the King's mistresses, past and present, lingered, concerned about their children. Would the King see fit to remember them? The King looked at them, shimmering and reappearing, sometimes seeming to dissolve, under his gaze. These faces Her hour is near. Think of your prince. But the princes were dead, the sweet little boys, dead within a few hours of each other, one of them at Stirling, one at St. Places of death. No hope. All gone. No point to another; it was doomed, too. Then, a new face near his. Someone was staring intently into his eyes, trying to read them. A new person, someone brisk and detached. The King struggled to get the words out. Strange, how difficult it was to speak. Where earlier he had been reticent, now it was his body holding back, even when his mind wished to communicate. The throat would not work. The devil take it! Adieu, farewell! The Stewarts came with a lass, and they shall pass with a lass," he murmured. Those were the last words he spoke, although, as the physician saw that he was sinking, he exhorted him, "Give her your blessing! Give your daughter your blessing, for God's own sweet sake! Do not pass away without that charity and safeguard to your heir! But the King just gave a little laugh and smile, kissed his hand and offered it to all his lords round about him; soon thereafter he turned his head away from his attendants, toward the wall, and died. Mary Queen of Scots. His widow, the Queen Dowager, struggled to regain her strength after childbirth as quickly as possible. Not for her the lingering recovery of days abed, receiving visitors and gifts and, as her reward for their well-wishes, presenting the infant for their inspection, all swathed in white lace and taffeta and wrapped in yards of softest velvet in the gilded royal crib. No, Marie de Guise, the relict — quaint phrase, that, she thought — of His Majesty James V of Scotland must right herself and be poised to defend her infant, like any wolf-mother in a harsh winter. And it was a very harsh winter, not only in terms of the flying snow and icy roads, but for Scotland itself. She could almost fancy that, in the ruddy flames of the fires she kept continually burning, the teeth of the nobles looked more like animal fangs than human dog-teeth. One by one they made their way to Linlithgow Palace, the golden palace lying on a long, thin loch just west of Edinburgh, to offer their respects to the infant — their new Queen. They came clad in heavy furs, their feet booted and wrapped round with animal skins, and it was hard to tell their ice-streaked beards from the furs surrounding their faces. They would kneel and murmur something about their loyalty, but their eyes were preternaturally bright. There were all the clans who came to make sure that they would not be barred from power by any other clan. For this was the greatest of all opportunities, the equivalent of a stag-kill that attracted all the carrion-eaters of the forest. An infant was their monarch, a helpless infant, with no one but a foreign mother to protect her: a Frenchwoman who was ignorant of their ways here and far from home. The Earl of Arran, James Hamilton, was there; had not this baby been born, he would now be king. He smiled benevolently at the infant. The Earl of Lennox, Matthew Stuart, who claimed to be the true heir rather than Arran, came shortly and stood looking longingly down at the baby. Zweig correctly points out that the Treaty of Edinburgh was at the center of their inability to reach a rapprochement despite the flowery letters between the two. Zweig points out the strengths and weaknesses of the cousins as well as their similarities and differences. Mary possessed a madly heroic self-confidence that led to her doom. Elizabeth suffered from a lack of decision making, but she would still be victorious. Mary was the champion of the old Catholic faith and was a character out of the Middle Ages believing in chivalry which was dying out. Elizabeth was the more modern monarch who was defending the reformation. The approach to their individual kingdoms also sets them apart. For Elizabeth everything she did was to expand her kingdom and add to the glory of England, not her personal possessions. The narrative is priceless as negotiations between the two go back and forth and characters like Lord Henry Darnley and Robert Dudley become pawns between the two women. Zweig constantly offers a lens into the human condition throughout the narrative. Elizabeth wanted Mary to renounce her rights to the English throne and retire quietly. Further, she wanted Mary to be cleared of involvement in the regicidal plot involving Bothwell and the death of her husband, Lord Darnley. Zweig reproduces a great deal of documentation of the Westminster Conference which investigated the murder. The situation could easily have been resolved had Elizabeth, who at times had difficulty making major decisions just had Mary found guilty and executed in and not let the situation drag on for years with the same results. First, Mary and Elizabeth never met face to face as takes place toward the end of the film. Third, it is debatable to assert that Darnley and Rizzio were lovers as is reflected in the film. Fourth, Mary did not have a Scottish accent as reflected in the film as she was raised in France, and lastly Lord Darnley probably raped Mary the first time they had sex. The film overall is well done with a diverse cast, which of course did not exist in the 16th century, but the gist of historical accuracy does come across and one must remember a film is made to make money — not bring true history to the screen. Zweig has written a somewhat entertaining and literary biography of Mary Queen of Scots. View 2 comments. Sep 14, Christian Martel rated it it was amazing. Stefan Zweig is one of the best author of biographies that I have had the chance to read. His almost read like a novel, which in this case is facilitated by the novel-like life of its subject, Mary Stewart, one of history's most fascinating monarch. Very detailed, well researched before the Internet and beautifully written. Really interesting, if slightly wordy, biography. Mary Stuart lived a fascinating, almost unbelievably dramatic life, and Zweig tells it well. Interesting on a personal level, understanding the character of a girl who was Queen of Scotland and France as a teenager but who was eventually beheaded in England, but also a primer in the politics and intrigues of the age - it was Catholic vs Protestant, of course, and a delicate time for all of Europe. Studded with glimmering details, this long book i Really interesting, if slightly wordy, biography. Studded with glimmering details, this long book is well worth a glance. Shelves: history , nonfiction. A delightful read truly --opinionated, full of explanatory summaries of human behavior, all presented in a writing style that's full of drama and flair! Published in , Zweig is as much a product of his time as Mary was of hers and we are of ours, and some readers might be startled and offended by Zweig's blatant statements regarding the emotional inconstancy female rulers, but I thought it was a hoot. I was thrilled with the meaty, dramatic writing, and loved his use of language; read a few A delightful read truly --opinionated, full of explanatory summaries of human behavior, all presented in a writing style that's full of drama and flair! I was thrilled with the meaty, dramatic writing, and loved his use of language; read a few parts more than once just to chew on them a bit! This was my first foray into the life of Mary, but it won't be my last. I like to compare and contrast various historians' views, especially when written in different centuries. Good times, eh? Stefan Zweig is the literary love of my life. There is no author out there whose literary legacy means as much to me as that of this man. With that being said, I had high expectations for this book. Not only because this was written by my favorite writer but also because reviewer consider Stefan Zweig's biographies to be his masterpieces. This book is entertaining to a point where you almost forget you are reading a non-fictional story about historical events which evidently took place. Scheming, conspiracies, betrayals, murders - there is nothing Maria Stuart didn't experience while being the Queen of Scotland and of France for four years when she was Her life couldn't have been more dramatic. Oh, the drama killed me! Read it if you are up for an exciting history lesson on this interesting woman. Stefan Zweig has a wonderful way to portray the psychology of people. His research and his talent as a story teller makes this book extremely enjoyable because you learn so much on the struggle of power. As a German, I know about the famous rivalry between Elisabeth I. Not so much from history lessons. Also, I'm not partial to any of their antagonisms, be it England vs. Scotland, protestantism vs. Zweig must have thought similarly. As an Austrian, he was surprised that there wasn't any neutral or merely worthwhile biography on Mary Stuart. Even today, differences in judging her role in history can easily be seen when comparing the E As a German, I know about the famous rivalry between Elisabeth I. Even today, differences in judging her role in history can easily be seen when comparing the English and the German wikipedia entries. Zweig's trademark is the combination of immensely readable history with well-grounded psychological portraits of historic figures. Mary Stuart could have been a piece of historical fiction. The intrigues, the action elements, the grandness of a life at court can match the best representatives of the genre in terms of entertainment value. Notwithstanding these traits, I trust in Zweig that the accuracy of history is a given. He doesn't remain at the sideline, he takes position, most notably with regard to the casket letters. In his opinion, they are genuine documents, no forgeries as most defendants of Mary Stuart have claimed over the centuries. Zweig draws this conclusion from the immediate reactions of the involved persons. Typically, his deductions are based on psychological analyses of their characters as well as their intrinsic motivations. The decisive events in the life of Mary Stuart took place within a limited time span of two or three years before she reached the age of A poet laureate gets killed in her bedroom when forgetting the proper behaviour toward a queen, casting a first shade on Mary's reputation. Her favorite Rizzio, a musician turned adviser, ends tragically in an intrigue involving her second husband, Lord Darnley who conspired with the most influential Scottish lords to kill Rizzio. Mary gets infatuated in a fatal affair with the Earl of Bothwell, leading to the by Bothwell and his accomplices. It can't be contested anymore that Mary was at least informed about the plan. According to Zweig, her involvement was rather an active one. Finally, she dooms herself by giving in to her infatuation to Bothwell by marrying him three months after the killing of her second husband, neglecting all sound advise, losing most of her remaining supporters. After a few more twists and being defeated in a final battle, she flees to England in the wrong belief that her 'dear sister' Elisabeth will give her refuge. What a mistake. The following twenty years see her in 'caring custody'. Not really imprisoned, free to keep a court, receive visitors, entertain herself with any pleasures she demands, nonetheless not free to leave the various castles of her custody. Time plays for her undecisive opponent Elisabeth. Hesitating to make a final judgement, Elisabeth's advisers and she conspire to rid England and protestantism of the threat that Mary and her claim to the throne pose. The challenge is to avoid setting an example for a royal being subjected to anything else than god's law. Slowly, a web of accusations is woven, tightened even slowlier with every tactical mistake by Mary. Finally, she's completely entangled. In an intricate final manoeuvre Elisabeth orders her lords to execute Mary while at the same time insinuating that it's not her will to have her executed, passing the buck to her subordinates. Mary's end came in her 45th year, my age right now. The most surprising feat of this rivalry is that the two antagonists never saw each other in person. The dichotomy of the two women in almost any concern couldn't have been greater. Two extraordinary queens who piqued fantasies and provided the surface for manyfold projections of the ensuing ages. Despite Mary's ruthless participation in the murder of Darnley, Zweig is compassionate, almost partial to her, being enamored by her passionate character. In contrast, his portrayal of Elisabeth matches her description as the 'Virgin Queen'. There has been a recent surge in interest of Scotland's infamous queen Mary Stewart. An exhibition is currently on at the national museum of Scotland, two films are currently in production about the life of Scotland's most tragic figure, as well as a TV series starting in October focusing on her years in France. From the moment of her birth Mary There has been a recent surge in interest of Scotland's infamous queen Mary Stewart. From the moment of her birth Mary had been the centre of attention - queen at just six days old she was a coveted prize for both England and France, with Henry VIII going to war trying to procure her for his own son, Edward;an infamous struggle that became known as the rough wooing. Upon her death she was forever remembered through history as a martyr who died for her faith. Her final comment was said to be 'In my end is my beginning. Indeed, Mary's life had all the ingredients of a great drama: passion, danger, intrigue, deception, murder, and of course tragedy. Which is why she has fascinated many historians and film makers and authors over years after her death. Zweig was of Austrian descent and has written numerous books in his lifetime, from fiction to biographies as well as theatrical work. This perhaps makes his biography of Mary Stewart a little different from others. The Queen of Scots was first published in as Maria Stuart and chronicled the life of Mary, focusing mostly on her time in Scotland, with a little background to her father's reign, King James V. The biography stands out from others as it has more of a curiosity about the personalities of the players on the "stage", and also voices the author's strong belief that Mary was already having an affair with the Earl of Bothwell before the demise of Darnley, and it due to her dependence on Bothwell that she became weak and eventually lost her throne. The writing style differs from many biographies in that Zweig writes about the people as if they are characters in a play, dissecting their personalities to give a wider scope of why they did what they did. Zweig is very particular in using the facts but concentrates on the human aspect of the historical period rather than depending merely on facts to tell the story. Overall, it is an entertaining account of a fascinating and tragic woman, giving a slightly different perspective from other biographies. I recommend this to any fan of history, or those interested in Mary Queen of Scots. Zweig never comes down on the side of Mary Stuart or Queen Elizabeth I in the tragic story of their relationship. He does a good job of showing how Mary, actually a strong woman who should have ruled Scotland well, put herself into danger by her actions. Mary was born Queen of Scotland. Her father died while her mother was giving birth. She was sent to be the consort of the young heir to the French throne when she was six, so grew up in the court of absolute monarchy, riotous living, and excess e Zweig never comes down on the side of Mary Stuart or Queen Elizabeth I in the tragic story of their relationship. She was sent to be the consort of the young heir to the French throne when she was six, so grew up in the court of absolute monarchy, riotous living, and excess everything. She became Queen of France for a short time, but when her husband died, she was no one. Eventually she decided to return to Scotland. The Scots were an untameable breed. They wanted total local control with nominal relations with a monarch. Mary actually got them to accept national rule until she chose a beautiful face with a stupid brain as husband. She soon hated him, but he believed that she should obey him and be a submissive wife. He made many attempts to overpower her, but in the end, he died under the most questionable circumstances. Cut to the future. Mary asks for help from Elizabeth, her cousin. There is a question that Mary should have been Queen instead of Elizabeth and this complicates matters. England is unstable as long as Mary is alive. Trumped up charges result in Mary's death. Remarkably, England settles down and becomes extremely prosperous after her death. Zweig shows us how Mary's constant insistence that she should actually be Queen of England and her belief that, no matter that she has been "imprisoned" she deserves the best and is far above the average citizen was harmful to her cause. She comes off as vain and demanding here. But Elizabeth is no better. She is constantly faced with decisions that require a yes or no and she vascillates, always trying to find someone else to blame if the decision is wrong. Although it is written in a somewhat "older" style, with flourishes we don't use today, the book is a good biography of Mary and her life. Zweig refuses to call it "tragic" because of how much Mary contributed to her own downfall. Al final Isabel gana la batalla entre estas dos primas rivales. An excellent book about one of the more tragic and well-known Queens in the XVI century. Zweig presents Mary Queen of Scots as refined, cultured, passional, charming But he also writes about her flaws: her ambition, her selfishness, her thoughtless character I found illuminating the contrast between Mary and her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, a charming, fighter monarch who sacrificed herself for her people and who, despite her goals, can't help feeling envious towards Mary Stuart. At the end, Elizabeth won the battle of these rival cousins. This book is the portrait of an age, wher Zweig dismantles the myths about Mary: she was aware of Darnley's murder; she wanted the English crown, and her ambition and her plots against Elizabeth would lead Mary to loose her head Stefan Zweig was an amazing biographer. But, Mary Queen of Scots was an excellent example of Zweig's most amazing talent--his ability to really get the reader inside the heads of his subjects. His writing gives so much insight into Queen Mary that you feel a real sense of knowing this person who died so long ago. Zweig also offered a great deal of insight into Queen Elizabeth I's mind as well--this book focuses on Elizabeth a great deal too. Overall, this was an excellent and insightful story of Mary's life, although the years of Mary's imprisonment were a bit less interesting to read about than the rest of her life. However, not much was happening in her life during those long years, so there was only so much that Zweig could really do with that time period--and to be fair, he did as good a job in making it interesting as anyone could. Overall, a great read, and I'm looking forward to his biography of Magellan, which is on my TBR list. At school, teachers used to ask the lesson in the sequence not random, so if you just answered it, you could take a breath and not study next chapters. That is why I did not know anything about the history of the midth century. Passionless and cold events written in a history book would spoil the drama behind those facts. Zweig allows the reader to go through the psychology of actions in the novel. By condemning or praising, regretting or glorifying Zweig reproduces any historical image in f At school, teachers used to ask the lesson in the sequence not random, so if you just answered it, you could take a breath and not study next chapters. By condemning or praising, regretting or glorifying Zweig reproduces any historical image in front of the reader. Finally, by comparing the course of events with other famous historical figures or with the best-known fiction characters of the literature, Zweig allows the reader to look deeper at developments. And what's most significant - Zweig explains. Sometimes as simple as the mother would tell her child not to play with matches. On the one hand, there was some subjectivity in this historical novel by Zweig. But on the other hand, it is hard to imagine a more convincing narrative about the most mysterious women of all time, Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I. I couldn't convince myself of trying to read this biography in German and I started it in French easier for me. The translation from A. Hella seemed to be missing something so I switched immediately to this version, translated by Eden and Cedar Paul. The English language is delicate and beautiful. I suspect the translators took some liberty from the original German text and I'm ever grateful for it. Needless to say, Zweig's analysis of Mary Stuart's life is an absolute masterpiece : it delves I couldn't convince myself of trying to read this biography in German and I started it in French easier for me. Needless to say, Zweig's analysis of Mary Stuart's life is an absolute masterpiece : it delves into the psychology of the two women of the story the other being Elizabeth I and it reproduces the letters of old time, in both French and English. A delicious moment. I really enjoyed the book. It's so well written and the Icelandic translation is a pure joy, even though there were some spelling mistakes not fixed. However, these two women are quite the bitches - can I say that in a review? I did cheer for Maria — how could I not — but sometimes it's really hard to like her. She really was her own worst enemy. Although it seems that the main difference between the cousins was that one of them had really loyal advisors and the other one, well, none really. Great book!! One of my favorites authors, Stefan Zweig. I strongly recommend his books. The only thing I didn't like is the translation to Spanish because it had so many grammar errors. But the story is fascinating. A wonderful book about a very interesting woman. Mar 31, Jane Moore rated it it was amazing Shelves: biography , kings-and-queens. Loved it It reads like a novel and I was unable to put it down. I know more the life of This queen. Thanks Zweig. Such beautiful writing by Stefan Zweig and such an insightful character study of both Mary and Elisabeth. The history of these two remarkable women will stay with me for a long time. Readers also enjoyed. About Stefan Zweig. Stefan Zweig. Stefan Zweig was one of the world's most famous writers during the s and s, especially in the U. He produced novels, plays, biographies, and journalist pieces. He and his second wife committed suicide in

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