Soon Mary herself was in the court of public opinion. The explosion, she was warned by her ambassador in Paris, had shocked and astonished all of Europe. The story was spreading that she was “the motive principal of the whole of all, and all done by your command.” Her role was keenly debated in France, and “for the most part interpreted sinisterly.” Catherine de Medici was no friend to Mary, and even the Guise family were disowning her.
