Mary Queen of Scots

by Antonia Fraser

She was the quintessential statuesque, regal, dazzlingly beautiful. Her royal birth gave her claim to the thrones of two nations; her marriage to the young French dauphin promised to place a third glorious crown on her noble head. Instead, Mary Stuart became the victim of her own impulsive heart, scandalizing her world with a foolish passion that would lead to abduction, rape and even murder. Betrayed by those she most trusted, she would be lured into a deadly game of power, only to lose to her envious and unforgiving cousin, Elizabeth I.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Scotland, Historical, Royalty, Biography Memoir

640 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Antonia Fraser is the author of many widely acclaimed historical works, including the biographies Mary, Queen of Scots (a 40th anniversary edition was published in May 2009), Cromwell: Our Chief of Men, King Charles II and The Gunpowder Plot (CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger; St Louis Literary Award). She has written five highly praised books which focus on women in history, The Weaker Vessel: Women's Lot in Seventeenth Century Britain (Wolfson Award for History, 1984), The Warrior Queens: Boadecia's Chariot, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Marie Antoinette: The Journey (Franco-British Literary Prize 2001), which was made into a film by Sofia Coppola in 2006 and most recently Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King. She was awarded the Norton Medlicott Medal by the Historical Association in 2000. Antonia Fraser was made DBE in 2011 for her services to literature. Her most recent book is Must You Go?, celebrating her life with Harold Pinter, who died on Christmas Eve 2008. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve never read a nonfiction book about Mary Stuart, and the last (and, I think, only) fiction book I’ve read about her was back in elementary school, when I read her book from the Royal Diaries series. (I think it was called Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen Without a Country or something like that, and I remember not liking it very much.) What I knew about her going into this book was taken almost entirely from Elizabeth-centric history books, which obviously don’t always show Mary in the best light. I’ve always been staunchly Team Elizabeth, but I decided it was time I gave Mary a fair shot. (confession a: I mostly decided to start reading this book now because I have become obsessed with the CW show Reign, which I will discuss further at the end of the review because oh my god, you guys, and confession b: I was tempted to write this review as a fourteen-year-old Reign fan who was OUTRAGED at all the things that were missing from the show. But I digress)

Mary Stuart is one of the sadder historical figures I’ve come across. She was a queen almost from birth, but had to be taken out of her home country after only a few years to avoid being killed. She was brought up in France, married a French prince, and felt more at home there than she ever did in Scotland (even later in life, she often signed her name as “Marie” instead of Mary). When her first husband died and she returned home, things went okay for a while, and Mary actually showed signs of being a competent ruler, and then everything went swiftly and horribly wrong. Her later life seems to be comprised of a series of grave errors in judgment (Bothwell, anyone?) that directly resulted in her being imprisoned for almost twenty years and then executed. She didn’t ever get a chance to really do anything on her own, and instead spent her life just reacting to what others did. A study of her life presents a lot of interesting what ifs: what if she and Elizabeth had actually been able to arrange a meeting early in their reigns, as Mary tried for years to arrange? What if she had displayed a little more common sense in her marriages to Darnely and Bothwell? What if, upon being forced to abdicate and flee Scotland, Mary had gone to France instead of (stupidly) blundering into Elizabeth’s territory? Unfortunately, there’s no way to answer any of these questions, but it’s at least interesting to consider how history would have been changed if Mary hadn’t had such terrible and consistent bad luck.

Fraser’s book does a good job of considering these what-if scenarios, and also proves that Mary had the potential to be a great ruler, possibly even greater than Elizabeth. The history is comprehensive, clear, detailed (she spends an entire chapter just examining the infamous Casket Letters), and balanced: she isn’t afraid to point out when Mary did something extremely reckless or stupid, and although she can be kind of a dick to Elizabeth, she does point out that there wasn’t much else the Queen of England could have done. Mary spent the majority of her life being fucked over by various people and circumstances, and ultimately she’s more interesting as a figure of speculation than an actual historical figure. The book is interesting; Mary, not so much.

Okay, let’s talk about Reign. Guys. GUYS. This is all real. Some genius at the CW decided that it would be an awesome idea to make a show about fifteen-year-old Mary’s life in France before she married Francis, and it’s basically if Gossip Girl did a Renaissance Faire episode after skimming a Tudor history book. There is, I shit you not, a completely made-up character named Sebastian (his nickname is Bash, I’m 100% serious) so we can have a love triangle; Mary’s four attendants have been renamed Kenna, Aiylee, Grier, and Lola; and there’s a whole subplot about murderous pagans who live in the woods outside the castle. In 16th-century France. It’s the best show I’ve ever seen and I hope it lasts ten seasons and you all need to watch it immediately. And I’m positive that I couldn’t enjoy its batshit disregard for historical fact nearly as much if I hadn’t just read this book. So in that respect, this was well worth the read

[Helen (Helena/Nell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won’t hiver-haver here: this is a wonderful book. From about page twenty onwards (it took a little while to get me into the swing of things) I was riveted. I arrived at page 691, on my third day of reading at 1.30 a.m., having been unable to put the volume down for the final three or four hours. As I lay in bed at the end of each day of reading, my mind returned to this astonishing woman, who was a Queen in the sixteenth century, and acquired mythic status. Which she deserved—which indeed she deserved.

It seemed to me suddenly that the history plays of Shakespeare, the murders and plots, the naked power struggles I always thought exaggerated in drama, were hardly exaggerated at all: this was how it was. These brutal ‘nobles’ of sixteenth century Scotland, plotting like contemporary gangs to get the upper hand, to knife or be knifed. And Mary herself, brought up and educated in France—a woman culturally finer, and a nicer person—not, despite best efforts, equipped to deal with the brutality, the cunning of it all.

Antonia Fraser is fascinated by her: and yet one doesn't feel she is manipulating the evidence in the interests of intensifying heroic stature. She has a dry way of commenting which is very appealing. When Mary celebrates her disastrous marriage to Darnley—seduced by his youth, his good looks, his height—Fraser says simply of their first night in bed together: “It is to be hoped that Mary Stuart, who had sacrificed so much for this match, found at least this part of the ceremony to her satisfaction”.

How sad—how deep the irony—that she fell for Darnley because she nursed him while ill. She had a strong motherly streak—and he was young, and good-looking, and weak, and grateful, and well-born. And thoroughly silly and spoilt. It seems likely that the illness which gave rise to her infatuation was probably syphilis, presumably acquired during Darnley’s well-trumpeted life style. He was a horrible young man and he met an ignoble death, in nothing but a night-gown in the garden of the house where assassins had intended him to die in an explosion. He tried, and failed, to escape.

And Bothwell, who kidnapped and probably raped Mary herself, met a much more gruesome end, while Mary herself died magnificently, with phenomenal courage. Oh what a death! She was larger than life. She was amazing. And this book, which recreates the complex events leading up to the execution, in which Mary’s own son James could have—but chose not to—save her from death, is a wonderful piece of narration. My head is still buzzing from it.

“Remember”, she said to her ‘judges’ in October 1586, “that the theatre of the world is wider than the realm of England.” And so it is, and so it is.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary of Scotland always pulls at my heartstrings.

Mary was married to Francis the Dauphin of France from 1558 until his death in 1560 of an invasive ear infection at 16 yrs. old.

Catherine de Medici was happy to ship her back to Scotland. Mary was a Catholic. Scotland was predominantly Protestant at the time.

Mary never failed to fail. From the time she arrived, there was contention over her faith.

Queen Elizabeth I of England was not about to let this young upstart with possible rights to the throne of England marry a consort of power.

She sent the handsome Robert Dudley the Earl of Leicester as a suiter.
Mary was insulted. Lord Dudley was of low rank and was Elizabeth's master of horse.

Elizabeth had elevated his rank to Earl to try to make him more suitable. Mary was a sovereign Queen in her own right.

To Elizabeth's rage, Mary rejected Leicester and, without Elizabeths permission, married her half cousin Lord Henry Stuart Lord Darnley. They had a son who would become the future King James VI of Scotland.

Mary's Consort turned out to be a callow scoundrel visiting brothels and ale houses. He treated Mary badly, jealous of her rank. He became insufferable and insolent. To top it off, he became riddled with the pox. A euphemism for syphilis.

Darnley was murdered in 1567. Mary was thought to be possibly involved in the murder that was planned with James Hepburn the 4th. Earl of Bothwell.

Mary fled south to England, hoping for Queen Elizabeth's help and Sanctuary. She was promptly captured by Elizabeth and was imprisoned for 19 years until her execution in 1587.

She never saw her son James again after she fled Scotland, and Mary never saw her husband James Earl of Bothwell, whom she married after the murder of Darnley.

Bothwell fled to hide in Denmark. He was arrested and imprisoned in a filthy dungeon for the remainder of his life.

He was chained to a pillar, and he could only stand halfway up the whole time.

He spent approximately ten years imprisoned at Dragsholm Castle, where he is said to have worn a groove in the stone floor around he pillar, walking back bent in an endless circle day after day.

Lord Bothwell went mad long before he died. The pillar that he was chained to is still visible to the public to this day.

Mary of Scotlands execution was ordered by Queen Elizabeth, and it was gruesome. It took multiple strokes of the axe to decapitate her. Her suffering was unimaginable.

Mary had a little dog believed to be a Skye Terrier that was always by her side. When her lifeless body was raised, the concealed trembling little dog that would not leave her was found.

Mary was a young, beautiful royal woman with a wild heart that came alone to a strange land and made fatal choices and paid a terrible price.

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I turned 44 this month, it seemed an appropriate time to fill in a gap in my learning with this acclaimed biography of Mary Queen of Scots (executed aged 44 in 1587). A detailed account from birth to death, sticking to facts while also speculating on what might have been and pondering some of the unknowable mysterious that surround this tragic life. Neither the Scottish nobles or English come out of it particularly well - loyalty was a rare quality at this time. The book also makes a mockery of film portrayals which seem to have ignored some of the simplistic facts of her life. A fascinating read and one that evokes both anger and sympathy, while recognising the faults, naivety and wrong choices she was guilty of.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that before reading this, I mainly knew Mary Queen of Scots from the film Elizabeth, where she was presented in a minor part as a sensual French Catholic traitor prolonging a bloody war with England.
In actuality, her story is almost more fascinating than that of Elizabeth, her cousin: Mary serves as Queen of France until her husband the King dies, when they're both barely 20. She returns to Scotland as Queen. But Scotland is still very medieval, plus it's protestant and she's Catholic, which pits her against many of the ruling nobles, even though she shows herself to be tolerant of her Protestant subjects.
Her undoing is her private life: Her second husband is murdered leaving her a widow again, and more importantly to those seeking power, single and free to remarry. One of her advisers takes advantage of this, kidnapping her (probably with her knowledge) and then to ensure she will marry him and make him king, he rapes her. This all leads to her removal from the Scottish throne and eventual imprisonment and beheading.
And those are just the cliff notes.
This is my second Antonia Fraser book and now i see her pattern as a historian who's out to clear the name, or at least explain, some of the most hated/misunderstood women in history. In both books, she puts herself on the side of the queen, explaining their actions, defending them from some of their harshest critics, though she also does acknowledge their faults.
But it seems necessary. Mary's problems during her reign of Scotland can be attributed as much to the fact that she was a woman as that she was Catholic.
It's fascinating to think about Mary, a ruling women in the 16th century whose marriages proved her undoing and led to her beheading, versus Elizabeth, who ruled in the same time but never married (never sharing her power) and had a far more successful reign that ended in natural death. Obviously, there were many other factors at play - they were very different women. Mary is more trusting, Elizabeth more guarded. Mary was a Catholic in a Protestant land, whereas Elizabeth shared the religion of her subjects. But still, it shows the vulnerabilities of being a female ruler during a time when marriage, not elections, was the key to gaining power.
One of Fraser's greatest strengths is how she delves into who these women were so that they become three-dimensional and so that it's more like reading a novel than a history book. Mary read, not romances like Marie Antionette, but history books, Greek and Latin classics. She had long beautiful fingers, long auburn hair or sometimes wigs.
One of the most compelling parts was the section where Fraser described Mary's last night before being beheaded. It's as if we're in the room with Mary as she's deciding who should get what of hers, waiting to see what she will do in her last few hours. And we see how in the end she transforms herself from merely a wronged queen into a stoic Catholic martyr.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember that time you thought your closest cousin was trying to have you assassinated and you thought it might be a good idea to execute her (after wrongfully imprisoning her for nineteen years)? Don't bother, 'cause you're going to die childless and her son is going to take over your throne, thus ensuring the survival of her line--not yours--for at least thirteen generations.

That's what I got out of this book. Oh, and also that rebel lords aren't nearly so fun as they sound.

[Bap · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hesitate recommending this book because the writing is often dull and the author has an annoying habit of placing latin and french quotes without a translation. But in the end I do recommend this book because the story of Mary Queen of Scots tragic life is compelling. Twice a Queen, first of France than of Scotland. Mary was almost six foot tall in an age when five feet for woman was average. Beautiful, athletic, pampered, intelligent, naive and a magnet for misfortune. Her first husband died soon after becoming king. Mary goes to Scotland where she marries a rake who murders one of Mary's courtiers before her eyes while she is pregnant with her son the future James I. Her husband is later murdered and then a Scottish warlord rapes Mary Sicilian style as part of foreplay to wed her. The scottish nobles revolt once again. She flees Scotland seeking the protection of her cousin Queen Elizabeth who imprisons her for twenty years before beheading her. She dies with dignity after defending herself brilliantly in her trial.

Before she died, Mary said the history of England is awash with blood.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

1969 - that sounds about right. I used to stare at it on the high shelf in K-Mart's very limited section of books during our weekly shopping. It was such a leap from what the World Book Encyclopedia had to offer. Mary, so regal- and Antonia on the back cover, so equally regal and so sexy. No one ever seemed to buy it and the copy became shopworn (was that from me?)... and then one day there was a paperback edition on a low shelf and I saved my pocket money and bought it. It was dense with words, a thick book that needed a dictionary for me to read along and it had my first footnotes. I spent a summer imbibing it and reciting the old poem "Mary, Queen O' Scots" (Go ; think of it in silence and alone ;
Then weigh against a grain of sand the glories of a throne.) I hadn't yet heard Sandy Denny's "Fotheringhay" of this same period.

I may still have that paperback somewhere - it still gives a thrill. And that reminds me now that I am old I want to read this: My History: A Memoir of Growing Up by Antonia Fraser.

[Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well-written, thoroughly researched history of Mary, Queen of Scots. I thought I had a good general understanding of Mary’s life, but I learned quite a bit. At various points in Mary’s history, where there still exists or has existed differences of opinions among historians, Ms. Fraser does an excellent job of recapping the supporting evidence and explaining her opinions or conclusions without drastically disrupting the narrative.

Mary’s life can read at times like a modern-day soap opera, but Ms. Fraser provides background at the appropriate points on the living standards in the 16th century, the politics among the Scottish nobility and the personalities and the shifting alliances of Scotland, France, Spain and England. We feel the harshness and brutality of the times, the quicksand nature of royal politics. We see the world through Mary’s eyes: she is royal; the rules that apply to the rest of us do not apply to her. But she is kind, charitable and personable. To her own detriment, she often only sees the best in people. She is patient, much more patient than most would be in her postion.

If you like detailed history, if you like reading the history of royals, then you will probably love this history of Mary, Queen of Scots. For me, it dragged in places and was long, but I enjoyed the writing and was enlightened at numerous points.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tome represents an impressive amount of research--too much if one expects a quick and easy read. While the portrayal is sympathetic, the picture which emerges of Queen Mary is not very positive. She was, as might be expected, spoiled, selfish and adolescent, certainly not one who might have been competent as an autocrat unless shepherded by ministers. As it was, she was poorly guided, both by her supposed allies and by her own unregulated desires. I was reminded of the late Princess of Wales, another sad figure unequal to her role.

Of course, when one thinks of the roles such as Mary and Diana were expected to fulfill, one wonders if, in comparison, those who do well fill them aren't the real monsters. If taken out of the inflated context, both of these women were actually rather normal and it is to this that Fraser is sympathetic.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am very much interested in Mary's story, but haven't studied any history of the period since I was at secondary school. I chose to read Fraser's account of hers because she is so well revered; I thought that if anyone could present her tale in a fascinating and memorable way, it would be her. Alas, I have a few issues with the book. Mary Queen of Scots held my attention for the first 150 pages or so, but I felt as though it shifted after that point, losing some of its initial sparkle. Fraser's effort is also a little protracted; it would have been better, and far more successful, had it been presented in a book of half this size. As it is, Mary Queen of Scots (book, not person - although she did stand at the height of five foot eleven...) was rather a behemoth.

The entirety is very repetitive; there is so much emphasis placed upon the (frankly largely unimportant) details of Mary's appearance and height, and the reiteration of such things feels unnecessary. Fraser's writing is not bad, but given her stature as a biographical historian, I had expected that it would be far tighter, better structured, and more expansive. Much of the vocabulary is used again and again, sometimes in the same sentence. The book could have been riveting - indeed, I thought it would be after reading the witty and amusing introduction - but it felt flat.

I would like to pick up another Fraser in future to see how it compares, but I shouldn't think I will be doing so for quite some time. After all, the wrist ache needs to subside first...

[Czarny Pies · Rating 4 out of 5]

« Marie Stuart, reine de France et d'Écosse » est un livre qui plaira énormément à tous ceux qui aiment la littérature et culture française. L’intrigue est terriblement tragique comme celle d’un roman cap et épée d’Alexandre Dumas. Cependant, l’auteure comme son sujet est grande admiratrice de Ronsard, de Bellay et de Brantome et elle raconte l’histoire avec beaucoup de finesse,
Marie devient reine de l’Écosse six jours après sa naissance en 1542. Alors on l’envoie en France pour son éducation. En 1558, elle épouse François le fils du roi Henri II. L’année d’après, Henri II meurt et François devient roi. Quand son mari meurt deux ans après, Marie retourne en Écosse et son cauchemar commence.
En 1565, elle épouse son cousin Lord Darnley. En 1567, son fils Jacques 1er de l’Angleterre est né. La même année son mari Lord Darnley est assassiné. Le comte Bothwell, un des responsables de l’assassinat de Lord Darnley, l’enlève, la viole et l’oblige à l’épouser. Les autorités l’arrêtent peu après. Elle passera 18 ans en détention avant de se faire trancher la tête dans la tour de Londres en 1587.
Pendant sa captivité, on l’accuse d’avoir participé dans l’assassinat de Lord Darnley et d’avoir comploté contre sa cousine Elisabeth Ière de l’Angleterre. Les accusations sont fausses mais on fabrique des preuves de toute pièce afin d’obtenir sa condamnation.
Fraser est outrée par les multiples outrages commises contre Marie Stuart. Aux yeux de Fraser, Marie Stuart était une femme admirable. Elle loyale, généreuse et d’une intégrité absolue. Elle adorait la poésie, l’exercice en plein air, et la bonne compagnie. Finalement, elle était une catholique exemplaire.
Le tout semble un peu romanesque mais Fraser a réussi a imposé son point de vue. Depuis 1969, l’année ou le livre est sorti, personne ne conteste la vision de Marie Stuart proposée par Mme. Fraser. Le défi n'était pas d'innocenter Marie Stuart car les preuves étaient abondantes. Le problème était que celui qui clame l'innonence de Marie Stuart dénonce inévitablement Elisbeth 1ere comme meurtière.

[sariya · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite historical biography—I've now read it twice. Mary Stuart was a courageous, magnetic woman whose story never ceases to fascinate and inspire me. Fraser captures Mary's essence here beautifully and truthfully, rendering the consecutive tragedies of her life with care, dignity, and compassion as she maps her development from birth to the scaffold. It is an honest portrait: Fraser's approach to analysing and acknowledging, not only the queen's ill fortune—the cultural and political forces beyond her control—but her own missteps and natural shortcomings that led to her destruction, does true justice to Mary's character, which has, for much of history, been either unjustly blackened or impossibly romanticized with little in between.

It is not enough for a work of non-fiction to be well-researched (though this one unquestionably is). Here, Fraser displays an immense and uncanny talent for recreating the past: her writing is so rich with sense and image and feeling that it orients you directly in the scene, such that the bloody happenings of centuries ago feel as equally raw in the present. There is not a dry passage to be found in this work. Instead, I find myself so moved by each word that I thirst to return to this book again to lap up every detail—and be beguiled once more by the infamous Queen of Scots.

5/5 stars.

[Carolina Casas · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best biographies on Mary, Queen of Scots. It is well researched and detailed; you don't have to be a history buff to enjoy this book. Fraser's writing style is very good, she keeps you hooked from the start. I do have some minor criticisms, one of them is how she presents Mary at tragic moments in her life. I felt like she was romanticizing her there. Other than this however, the book was great. I highly recommend it.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my End is my Beginning.

Boom!

[Kelly]

I want to read this because I want to answer the question, 'Why is everyone so fascinated by this damn woman??'. I've never liked her. I've always thought she was stupid, petty, petulant and self-indulgent. I pity her, but I've never respected her in the least. She seems to have some rabid fans. I'm curious as to why. Perhaps Fraser, whose voice I really like in her stories of Henry VIII's wives, will be able to explain it to me.

[Colleen Chi-Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading strong women classics since after college when it was a choice. And a good one. Everyone should know the history of those who came before us. Mary Q of S!! So compelling. Bravo Antonia Fraser!

[Michela Marie Mifsud · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heavy read for sure...it's definitely not for bedtime as one has to be focused and attentive in order to grasp the history...also a basic knowledge of British history would not do harm in reading this book, as is perhaps the norm when reading such biographies. The story of this sad, unfortunate queen is of great interest to all lovers of history. It is riddled with tragedies and injustices and while reading one perhaps asks himself how much more this queen could have endured especially during her very long confinement in an English prison, being driven from one English castle to another. What I did not particularly care for and the reason for my 3 star not 4 rating, is the very intricate detail that is present in the book. I do understand the difficulty Fraser must have had to cut details and keep the sense of the story, but at times I felt certain information did merit a boring stance to the read. A good and very interesting biography nonetheless, especially for the history lover out there.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read quite a few in Antonia Fraser's books now, but unfortunately thiss one wasn't one of her best. I enjoyed the beginning, there is a lot of detail about Mary's early life at the French court and her relationship with Francis and her 'Mary's'. I loved the description of her wedding, and felt Antonia had captured the perceived personality of the queen well.

However, at the point that Mary returns to Scotland, I thought the book started to get very bogged down in minute details. A lot of time was spent going over the details of the casket letters, which I could have lived without (especially considering they may not even be genuine). And her years of confinement were quite boring to read about (it's confinement, it's going to be boring I know).

Lots of details, and well researched, but unfortunately not quite as entertaining as some of Antonia's other titles.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

First section on Mary's early life through her departure from Scotland was interesting enough. Unfortunately, the middle section of her generation in captivity under her cousin Elizabeth was rather a dull slog. The final section on the plots in which she was said to have been involved, the extent of which is fairly ambiguous, made the book rally a bit to coast to the end. My verdict is that her sub-optimal decisions in Scotland laid the foundation for the English tragedy. Audio narrator did a good job with material she had to work with.

[Vickie (I love books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Full history of Mary’s life although some parts are more dense. A tragic life of someone I think who never understood the realities of the situations she kept putting herself into. She had a good life in France but after Francis died her life was a mess up till she was beheaded. There are lots of names to keep up with.

[Tom Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.
Definitely a seminal work on Mary Queen of Scots. Fraser’s writing is engaging and stylised, and her analysis is precise, particularly in her interrogation of the Casket Letters. Although, I think sometimes I felt like I was reading more about *her* idea of Mary Queen of Scots (she notes in her foreword that she fell in love with the historical figure as a child, this is clear through her sympathetic and remarkable insight into Mary’s life and inner thoughts). This left me unsure if a fully accurate historical image is thus shown, and in my view an overly romanticised version of her life emerges. Nevertheless, a very strong biography that I would recommend.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary is cast in a very understandable and sympathetic light. The author does a marvelous job of showing Mary’s intelligence, courage, queenly bearing, and strength, while also including her education, style, travels, appointments, involvement in games and sports, her reading, political stances, her choice of clothes and jewelry, and motivations in her choice of husbands. Mary is brought thoroughly to life by the author’s skill in portraying the historic woman and equally the feminine woman, the young highly-educated daughter and wife.

The author is outstanding in the research depth under-girding this book, and yet she does not flaunt the scholarship, or overburden the reader with her erudition. Still, the author covers this short life in great depth, requiring 555 pages supported by useful relevant illustrations and charts of the families involved in the Scottish and English throne successions of the 15th to 17th centuries.
What might have become a book overwhelming in nature, perhaps tedious and stultifying, has in Fraser’s hands become a picture of a many-sided rich life given absorbingly in a rapid pace. The pace gracefully carries the reader along through the varied trials and tribulations of royalty.

Through the entire story there is the strong ever-present religious background, the severe contest of Protestantism versus Catholicism during the years of the Reformation, when countries and thrones are won and lost over religious stringencies and freedoms. In the broadest terms, the religious conflicts of these ages is positively overwhelming. They destroy people and tragically build prejudice of monumental proportions. Mary, Queen of Scots is shown in rich absorbing detail to be a classic case.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

BBC R4

Now for the film:

Vanessa Redgrave ... Mary Queen of Scots
Glenda Jackson ... Queen Elizabeth
Patrick McGoohan ... James Stuart
Timothy Dalton ... Henry - Lord Darnley
Nigel Davenport ... Lord Bothwell
Trevor Howard ... William Cecil
Daniel Massey ... Robert Dudley
Ian Holm ... David Riccio

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sad biography of the Queen of Scots. I have given this book three stars though my enjoyment was edging towards two stars. This is my second book of Antonia Fraser and I much prefer The Wives of Henry VIII. My interest lagged even though I love Fraser's writing style, I never felt pulled into this sad account of the misunderstood queen of Scots. I plan on reading her other books and I hope that I can enjoy them much more than I had of this one.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I like the way Antonia Fraser goes about things...brisk but factual, leaving you with the impression that she really has done her research. We'll see if it lasts!

[Elysium · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book about Mary Queen of Scots that wasn't boring. I still think Mary was an idiot but the book was good.

[Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not me crying over Mary’s beheading like I didn’t know it was coming for the entirety of the book

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheesh. Did the English- and Scotsmen do anything other than scheme? Truly so vile. The only people with a shred of decency or conscience were Mary and Elizabeth. What a tragedy. Read this for object lessons in total depravity.

I listened to the audiobook over several weeks while out walking or running. (Total listen time was close to 25 hours.) It "read" more like a novel than a history book. Very well-researched. I only have two small quibbles. First, the chapter on the Casket Letters was too academic, disrupting the flow of an otherwise well-told story. (I would recommend skipping to the end of the chapter for a summary of her findings.) Second, her inferences would occasionally veer into commentary. That said, sometimes biographies or history books can be tedious and dry. So many names, places, dates. But Antonia Fraser brings these historical figures to life. The final chapter is particularly vivid.

I was curious to see if other experts had the same perspective as Fraser, so I listened to the BBC Radio's podcast In Our Time episode on Mary Queen of Scots. These experts seemed much more sympathetic to Queen Elizabeth than Fraser, but equally condemned Mary and Elizabeth's advisors.

Interesting tidbits and timeline:
- The name Stuart originates from the word steward because one of Mary's ancestors was a steward and married the daughter of Robert the Bruce.
- There are two spellings, Stuart and Stewart. "Stuart" is the French form of "Stewart." Mary chose the Stuart spelling while living in France because there's no "w" in the French alphabet.
- James V died just before Mary's birth.
- Mary was the only surviving child of James V and the youngest of three. Both of her older brothers died the same year.
- After Mary's birth, Henry VIII sought to arrange the marriage of Edward VI and Mary in order to gain influence over Scotland. When that failed, he pursued a strategy of "rough-wooing."
- Henry VIII died in 1547, but the English still warred with Scotland.
- Mary's governor, Aaron Hamilton, also had hopes that his son would marry Mary. Initially Protestant, he flip-flopped and converted to Catholicism to prevent the betrothal between Mary and Edward VI. After another devastating battle, the Scots turned to France for protection, throwing Mary's betrothal to Henry II's son into the bargain.
- After much trading of alliances, Mary was taken to France to be educated and protected until she could wed Francis II.
- During the 1550’s, Austria dominated the landscape of Europe under the HRE, Charles V. He gave control over Spain to his son, Philip II. Sandwiched between them was France, led by Henry II. England had ties to Spain because of Mary Tudor's marriage to Philip II. Scotland had ties to France because of Mary Stuart's betrothal to the son of Henry II and Catherine de Medici.
Timeline
1542 - 1567
Reign of Mary, Queen of Scots.
8 Dec 1542
Mary, Queen of Scots is born, daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise.
1542 Rome renewed its own Inquisition in 1542 when Pope Paul III created the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition to combat Protestant heresy. This Inquisition is best known for putting Galileo on trial in 1633.
9 Sep 1543
Coronation of Mary, Queen of Scots in Stirling Castle.
1558 - 1603
Reign of Elizabeth I of England.
1558 Act of Supremacy
This act gave full ecclesiastical authority to the monarchy and abolished the authority of the Pope in England. This act restored a law that had previously been issued by Henry VIII in 1534, and partially repealed by Mary I in 1555.
1558 Act of Uniformity
Re-introduced the English Book of Common Prayer, with the order of prayer changed to make the Protestant book more acceptable to traditional Catholic worshippers and clergy. It also established that all persons go to Church once a week or suffer a fairly steep fine.
Treason Act 1558
Declared that directly saying, publishing, declaring, or holding the opinion that the Queen or her heirs are not the rightful Queens or Kings was Treason. Anyone so accused would lose their land and property to the Crown before being imprisoned for the rest of their lives.
1558 First Fruits and Tenths Act
This Act restored the “First and Tenths”, a tax on the clergy of Great Britain. The clergy would pay a portion of their first year’s earnings, and thereafter pay a tenth of their revenue once per year. This tax had originally been established by Henry VIII to claim money intended for the papacy.
24 Apr 1558
Mary, Queen of Scots marries Prince Francis, the future King Francis II France.
1559 - 1560
Mary, Queen of Scots reigns as Queen Consort to Francis II of France.
1560
Mary, Queen of Scots returns to Scotland from France.
Dec 1560
Francis II of France, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, dies.
29 Jul 1565
Mary, Queen of Scots marries her second husband, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley.
9 Mar 1566
Mary’s private secretary, the Italian David Rizzio (aka Riccio) is murdered by a gang led by the queen's husband Lord Darnley.n
19 Jun 1566
James Stuart, son of Mary, Queen of Scots and future King James VI of Scotland and James I of England, is born in Edinburgh Castle.
10 Feb 1567
Lord Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, is murdered in a plot led by the Earl of Bothwell and likely known to the queen.
15 May 1567
Mary, Queen of Scots marries her third husband, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell.
Jul 1567
Scottish rebels led by James Douglas, Earl of Morton, defeat an army of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Jul 1567
Mary, Queen of Scots is imprisoned in Lochleven Castle. (Willie Douglas pegged all of the boats except one. He played the Abbot of Unreason with Mary following him around during May Day festivities. The Queen retired to her room, with the excuse that she was too exhausted, but where she secretly awaited the signal from George Douglas. She disguised herself in clothes befitting a countrywoman, stole out the main gate, and escaped by boat.)
24 Jul 1567
Mary, Queen of Scots is obliged to abdicate in favour of her son who becomes James VI of Scotland.
24 Jul 1567
James VI of Scotland becomes king following the abdication of his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots.
May 1568
Elizabeth I of England confines the exiled Mary, Queen of Scots.
13 May 1568
Mary, Queen of Scots makes one last attempt to regain her throne but is defeated by the regent, James Stewart, the Earl of Moray at the battle of Langside.
14 May 1568
Mary, Queen of Scots flees Scotland and seeks sanctuary in England. (BIG MISTAKE!! - Why not France?)
1569
There is a rebellion in the north of England against Elizabeth I of England and stirred up by the earls of Northumberland and Westmorland.
Feb 1570
The Pope issues a papal bull (Regnan in Excelsis) excommunicating Elizabeth I of England.
1571
The Duke of Norfolk plots with Spain to mount an invasion of England and crown Mary, Queen of Scots the queen of England (the Ridolfi plot).
1580s Association of Mary Queen of Scots and James VI
1584 Act of Association - act of Parliament
1584
The Throckmorton Plot sees a Spanish ambassador work with Mary, Queen of Scots to try and replace Elizabeth I of England.
1586
The Babington Plot sees Mary, Queen of Scots embroiled in a plot with Anthony Babington to oust Elizabeth I of England.
14 Oct 1586
Mary, Queen of Scots is tried and, found guilty of plotting against Elizabeth I of England, is condemned to death.
1 Feb 1587
Elizabeth I of England signs the death warrant of Mary, Queen of Scots. (Elizabeth's signature was secured through duplicitous means: The warrant was placed in the middle of a stack of papers requiring her signature.)
8 Feb 1587
Mary, Queen of Scots, guilty of plotting against Elizabeth I of England, is executed.
1588 Spanish Armada invasion of England
24 Mar 1603
Elizabeth I of England, aged 69, dies of ill health at Richmond Palace.
25 Jul 1603
Coronation of James VI of Scotland as King James I of England in Westminster Abbey.

[Gayla Bassham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this (gasp) thirty years ago in high school and decided to revisit it after seeing the Mary Queen of Scots movie this year. I was really pleased with how well it holds up! Meticulously detailed, so you have to really commit to understanding the finer points of Scottish history, but well-written. And it's hard to be bored when there are so many moments that feel like they were ripped from a modern soap opera.