Mary, Queen of Scots' Claim to the English Throne (Edexcel GCSE History)

Why Was Mary, Queen of Scots a Legitimate Threat to Elizabeth? - Summary

Mary, Queen of Scots was a constant problem during the early reign of Elizabeth I. This stemmed from the fact that she had a legitimate claim to the throne of England. Legitimacy was vital in Elizabethan England. The people believed that God chose the monarch and bestowed them with Divine Rights. To have the approval of God, an heir's bloodline had to be ‘pure’ and fully connected to a previous monarch. If doubt about a monarch’s legitimacy existed amongst the population, the monarch would face rebellion.

Mary, Queen of Scots was a member of the Tudor royal family. Unlike Elizabeth, her parents had not divorced before or after Mary’s birth. This increased Mary, Queen of Scots’ legitimacy. From the perspective of an English Catholic, Mary deserved to be Queen of England. She was a devout Catholic. She also, through marriage and birth, had claims to the Scottish and French thrones. English Catholics believed that Mary, Queen of Scots could restore England’s reputation as a European power.

The Treaty of Edinburgh, 1560

What caused the Treaty of Edinburgh? 

• In 1559, the Scottish Protestant lords began a rebellion against Mary of Guise

  • Mary, Queen of Scots was with her husband, King Francis II of France

  • The majority of the Scottish nobles were Protestant

  • The nobles did not want a foreign power to rule their country

  • Mary of Guise was Mary, Queen of Scots mother

  • Mary of Guise ruled Scotland on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots

  • The Scottish nobles hated French influence on their country

• Elizabeth and her government wanted to eliminate the threat of Mary, Queen of Scots

  • Elizabeth felt uncomfortable deposing an anointed monarch

  • Elizabeth was forced by her advisers (such as Sir William Cecil) to help the Scottish nobles. Cecil threatened to resign if Elizabeth refused to send aid to Scotland. This is because there was a real threat of France invading England

  • Elizabeth secretly gave money and troops to the Scottish rebels 

What were the terms of the Treaty of Edinburgh? 

• In 1560, the rebellion of the Scottish lords ended

  • Mary, Queen of Scots used French help to secure her throne

• The Treaty of Edinburgh (1560) ended the Scottish conflict

  • Mary, Queen of Scots maintained her position as Queen of Scotland

    • To ensure this, the treaty stated that Mary had to give up her claim to the English throne

    • Mary personally never approved the Treaty of Edinburgh

• The death of King Francis II in November 1560 forced Mary’s return to Scotland

  • Francis and Mary did not have children

  • Francis’ younger brother, 10-year-old Charles, succeeded him

  • Mary took her throne in Scotland in 1561

    • Although she was Queen, Mary had no real power

    • The Scottish lords controlled the government

• Mary’s return to Scotland reignited Mary’s claim to the English throne

  • She reminded others that she did not endorse the Treaty of Edinburgh

  • She wanted Elizabeth to name her as heir to the English throne

    • Elizabeth had no intention of naming Mary, Queen of Scots heir

The Legitimacy of Mary, Queen of Scots

• Mary, Queen of Scots had a strong claim to the English throne

• Mary was a direct descendant of the first Tudor King, Henry VII

  • This made Mary, Queen of Scots Elizabeth’s second cousin

  • The below family tree shows how strong Mary’s claim to the English throne was:

• Mary’s background also strengthened her claim to the English throne over Elizabeth’s

  • Mary’s parents James V and Mary of Guise were married before and after Mary’s birth in 1542

    • Elizabeth’s father Henry VIII beheaded her mother Anne Boleyn when Elizabeth was nearly 3 years old

    • Henry VIII publicly declared Elizabeth illegitimate and removed her from the royal succession. Henry reinstated Elizabeth’s claim in the Act of Succession in July 1543

    • Many opponents of Elizabeth argued that she was an illegitimate monarch

Support of English Catholics

• Many English Catholics wanted Mary, Queen of Scots to be Queen of England

• From 1553 to 1557, England had been under the Catholic rule of Mary I

  • In 1558, the majority of England’s population were Catholics

  • Many English Catholics believed that Mary, Queen of Scots was the rightful heir after Mary I’s death in 1558. She could continue strengthening Catholicism within England

• Mary’s mother, Mary of Guise, was a member of a Catholic noble family from France

  • Her lineage gave Mary, Queen of Scots a powerful connection to France, whose power was rising in the 16th century

  • This connection to France would increase England’s strength and reputation in Europe

• Mary, Queen of Scots had the support of Philip II of Spain

  • Philip wanted a Catholic monarch to rule England. He believed England should remain a Catholic ally of Spain after the death of his wife, Mary I

  • After Elizabeth rejected Philip II’s offer of marriage, Philip wanted Elizabeth deposed. Mary, Queen of Scots was the logical successor to the throne if Elizabeth was removed