Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Mary, Queen of Scots' Claim to the English Throne (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
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. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Many students confuse Mary, Queen of Scots with Mary I (also known as Mary Tudor). Mary I was Elizabeth’s half-sister and ruled England with Philip II of Spain. Mary I died on 15th November 1558. Mary, Queen of Scots was Elizabeth’s second cousin. She died in 1587. In an exam, writing ‘Mary, Queen of Scots’ may be time-consuming. When writing an answer, write 'Mary, Queen of Scots (MQoS)' once. This will allow you to write ‘MQoS’ throughout the rest of your answer and ensure the examiner knows who you are referring to.
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 as her 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
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
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An examiner would not expect you to know the explicit details of the Tudor family tree. You can see that Mary, Queen of Scots had a connection to Henry VII. Her claim was strong because her lineage was more simplistic than Elizabeth's. Henry VIII had six marriages and Elizabeth was the last of his three children to become monarch. You may have also noticed another claimant to the throne was Henry Stuart (who was better known as Lord Darnley). Lord Darnley’s claim to the throne concerned Elizabeth. Similar to Mary, Lord Darnley was a blood relative of Henry VII. Many people in England would have preferred a male monarch to a queen regnant. Although Mary, Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley were half-cousins, they both knew marriage would strengthen their claim to the English throne.
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
Worked Example
Describe one feature of Mary, Queen of Scots claim to the English throne
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of Mary, Queen of Scots (MQoS) claim to the English throne was her relationship to the Tudor dynasty (1). MQoS was the great-granddaughter of Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question focuses on the key features and characteristics of Mary, Queen of Scots claim to the English throne. Testing your knowledge and understanding will help you achieve full marks.
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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