Rosemary Goring

One of the most famous queens in history, Mary Stuart lived in her homeland for just twelve years: as a dauntless child who laughed at her friends' seasickness as they sailed to safety in France and later, on her return as an 18-year-old widow to take control of a nation riven with factions, dissent, and religious strife. Brief though her...

One of the most famous queens in history, Mary Stuart lived in her homeland for just twelve years: as a dauntless child who laughed at her friends' seasickness as they sailed to safety in France and later, on her return as an 18-year-old widow to take control of a nation riven with factions, dissent, and religious strife. Brief though her...

From the moment Mary, Queen of Scots set foot on English soil in 1568 until her execution at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587, she was the prisoner of her cousin, Elizabeth I. Unlike Mary's time on the Scottish throne, the dramatic events of these years—almost half her life—took place while she was a captive. But while trouble was perpetually...