Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Mary & Elizabeth I's Relationship, 1568-1569 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Why was the Arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots a Turning Point in Elizabeth’s Reign? - Summary
In the study of History, a turning point is an event that significantly changes the present and future of a civilisation. The identification of turning points helps historians to understand the significance and consequences of events in history. The arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots to England in 1568 was a turning point in Elizabethan history.
Due to the Divine Right [of Kings], Elizabeth strongly believed that Mary was the rightful Queen of Scotland. She condemned the Scottish nobles for prosecuting an anointed monarch. She also reminded her advisers that Mary was a mother. She had given birth to James in June 1566. Elizabeth understood that Mary’s marriage to Lord Darnley was an unhappy one. Darnley was an adulterer, a heavy drinker and lacked interest in his royal duties. He murdered Mary’s Italian secretary, David Rizzio, out of jealousy. Historians will never understand the truth behind Mary’s response to the murder of her husband. Mary’s arrival in England defined Elizabeth’s reign. The event challenged her principles of monarchy and family. |
Murder of Lord Darnley
In 1565, Mary, Queen of Scots married Henry Stuart (better known as Lord Darnley)
Both Mary and Lord Darnley had claims to the English throne through the Tudor family tree
Elizabeth was unhappy with the union
Elizabeth wanted to marry Mary to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Robert was a favourite in Elizabeth’s court. She believed Robert could control and limit the threat Mary posed
Elizabeth reluctantly permitted Lord Darnley to marry Mary
Mary gave birth to a son, James, in 1566
Mary had produced an heir to the Scottish throne. This strengthened Mary’s argument that she should be named Elizabeth’s heir
To English Catholics, Mary was proving her merits as Queen. The unmarried Elizabeth had no intention to have children. If Mary had been Queen of England, she would have secured the line of succession
Mary’s reign in Scotland fell apart in 1567 after the murder of Lord Darnley
Exam Tip
An exam question may ask you to what extent the murder of Lord Darnley affected Elizabeth's decision about Mary, Queen of Scots. The event shocked many Scottish and English people. Acquiring enough barrels of gunpowder to cause a significant explosion would have been expensive. Darnley had escaped from the house. His cause of death was strangulation, showing the intention of the explosion was to cause Darnley’s death. The identity of Darnley’s murderer remains a mystery today. In an exam answer, explain how Mary looked guilty of the murder. Elizabeth saw Mary as a danger to her personal safety.
Reaction of Scottish Nobles
Bothwell was not popular amongst the Scottish nobles
The nobles believed Bothwell was violent and power-hungry
They questioned why Bothwell became Mary’s most trusted adviser after the death of Riccio
Even though Bothwell was Protestant, this did not make the nobles support him
The Scottish nobles wanted to put Bothwell on trial for Darnley’s murder
Bothwell’s supporters intimidated the court until the judge acquitted him of murder
The Scottish nobles felt outraged about the speed in which Mary married Bothwell
Historians have debated if Bothwell forced Mary into the marriage or whether she saw the political benefits of marrying Bothwell
On 15th June 1567, the Scottish nobles declared a civil war on Mary
They wanted Mary to abdicate the Scottish throne and admit her guilt in the murder of Darnley
The nobles captured Mary at Carberry Hill outside Edinburgh
The Scottish nobles paraded Mary through the streets of Edinburgh
She was later imprisoned in Lochleven Castle. The castle was on an island in the middle of a loch
On 24th July 1567, the Scottish nobles forced Mary to abdicate
Her 13-month-old son, James, became the King of Scotland
The Scottish nobles took responsibility for James’ education
Mary escaped from Lochleven Castle on 2nd May 1568
She attempted to raise an army to win back the throne
On 13th May 1568, the Battle of Langside near Glasgow saw the defeat of Mary’s army
Mary's Escape From Scotland
After Mary’s defeat at the Battle of Langside, Mary decided to flee from Scotland
Immediately after the battle, Mary travelled south
She reached England by fishing boat on 16th May
By 18th May, local officials found Mary and took her to Carlisle Castle
Mary had not given up hope of regaining her Scottish throne
She believed that Elizabeth would help her defeat the Scottish nobles
Causes and Consequences of Mary’s Arrival in England
Exam Tip
Mary believed that travelling to England would be the right decision. She was certain that Elizabeth would help her. Both were queen regnant. Female rulers were rare in the 16th century. Mary believed that Elizabeth would want to restore her monarchy to prove that there were successful female monarchs. They were also second cousins. Family bonds were powerful in Elizabethan England. Mary wanted to emphasise the closeness of their relationship so Elizabeth would be more likely to protect her.
Elizabeth's Reaction to Mary's Arrival
Mary’s arrival in England in 1568 worried Elizabeth
She knew that Mary wanted her support to overthrow the rebellious nobles who had taken control of Scotland
She did not trust Mary. Elizabeth knew her intentions were to be named her heir
Mary’s damaged reputation worried Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s association with Mary could ruin her own reputation
Mary corresponded with Elizabeth by letter
Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots never met, despite Mary’s request for a meeting with Elizabeth
Mary wanted to explain to Elizabeth her innocence in the murder of Lord Darnley. Elizabeth was wary of discussing this because:
She was unsure if she could believe Mary’s version of events
Mary claimed she had not planned Darnley’s murder, despite being unhappy in the marriage
Mary, Queen of Scots claimed that Bothwell had kidnapped her and forced her into the marriage. These were serious allegations
An English court was about to hear Mary’s case. They would decide if she was guilty of Darnley’s murder
What Options Did Elizabeth I Have?
Elizabeth and her advisers considered multiple solutions to the ‘problem’ of Mary, Queen of Scots
What could Elizabeth choose to do with Mary, Queen of Scots?
Option | Positive consequences | Negative consequences |
|---|---|---|
Help Mary regain her Scottish throne | Mary would do anything to receive Elizabeth's help. She could insist that Mary drop her claim to the English throne | If Elizabeth restored Mary as Queen of Scotland, Mary could use her army to overthrow Elizabeth. The Earls in the north of England would be happy to help Mary restore Catholicism in England |
Return Mary to the Scottish lords | If the Scottish nobles imprisoned or killed Mary, she could not take the English throne. Mary’s return to Scotland would make Elizabeth’s government happy. They wanted to maintain a good relationship with the Protestant nobles in Scotland | The imprisonment or murder of an anointed monarch was not acceptable to Elizabeth. She would worry that English nobles would think it was acceptable to treat a monarch in this way |
Allow Mary to go abroad | Mary would be safe from the Scottish nobles. She could live her life peacefully in exile | If Mary took refuge in a Catholic country, she could use their resources to rebel against Elizabeth. Philip II of Spain would be happy to help Mary claim the English throne |
Keep Mary in England | Elizabeth could keep Mary under close supervision. Imprisonment in England would protect Mary from the Scottish nobles | Mary would remain a constant threat to Elizabeth. Mary would receive letters from Catholic plotters wanting to use her to overthrow Elizabeth |
Elizabeth's Decision About Mary
The English court lasted from October 1568 to January 1569
The Scottish nobles brought letters as evidence
These were called the ‘casket letters’, alleged correspondence between Mary and the Earl of Bothwell
The content of the letters indicated that Mary had plotted with Bothwell to kill Darnley
Mary undermined the power of the court
She stated that, as an anointed monarch, only God could judge her
Mary refused to offer a plea unless Elizabeth could guarantee an innocent verdict. Elizabeth refused to promise this
Elizabeth could not allow the English court to decide whether Mary was guilty of murdering Lord Darnley. An innocent or guilty verdict for Mary was dangerous for Elizabeth because:
If found guilty, Elizabeth would be responsible for overthrowing an anointed monarch. Her actions would validate that the people had the power to choose their monarch. This went against her belief in Divine Right
If found innocent, Mary could gain support from a Catholic country to overthrow Elizabeth
She decided to imprison Mary indefinitely
Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned for 19 years
She never saw her son James again
Exam Tip
If an exam question asks you to explain why Elizabeth imprisoned Mary, you could argue that the choice satisfied the majority of Elizabeth’s subjects and foreign powers. The religious tension in England had improved but was not resolved. Elizabeth could not afford to upset her people or the European Catholic powers. Despite pressure from her government to decide what to do about Mary, Elizabeth avoided the issue for 19 years.
Worked Example
Describe one feature of Elizabeth’s decision-making about Mary, Queen of Scots in 1569
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of Elizabeth’s decision-making about Mary, Queen of Scots (MQoS) in 1569 was the need to avoid upsetting foreign powers (1). Elizabeth knew that MQoS had the support of Catholic powers like Spain. If Elizabeth let MQoS go free, she could use Philip II of Spain to raise an army against Elizabeth (1).
Exam Tip
To achieve full marks, you must provide detailed knowledge about Mary, Queen of Scots to support the identified feature from the question.
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
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