Category: Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots was Queen Dowager of France and Queen of Scotland, from only a few days old. She was eventually held captive by her cousin, Elizabeth I of England, and executed in 1567.

Book Review – ‘Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens’ by Jane Dunn

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Jane Dunn 'Elizabeth and Mary' (2003)
Jane Dunn ‘Elizabeth and Mary’ (2003)

Jane Dunn, Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens (London: HarperCollins Publishers, 2003), Hardback, ISBN 978-0-00-257150-1

Title: The lives of Elizabeth and Mary are always tied together – noticeably because one queen orders the execution of another. They are tied together not only by blood (Elizabeth’s father and Mary’s grandmother were brother and sister) but by their rivalry over their respective countries and their queenship of the same.

Preface: Explores the surface relationship of Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I. Gives some background to them both, and the popular sources and existing biographies on the pair. It outlines the relationship between the two, and what caused them to develop a deadly rivalry. Gives an overview of what will be discussed in the book itself. Continue reading “Book Review – ‘Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens’ by Jane Dunn” →

Book Review – ‘Tudor: the Family Story’ by Leanda de Lisle

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Leanda de Lisle
Leanda de Lisle

Leanda de Lisle, ‘Tudor: the Family Story 1437-1603’ (London: Chatto & Windus, 2013) Hardback, ISBN 978-0-701-18588-6

Title: The title suggests that the book doesn’t just discuss the events of the reigns of the Tudors, but actually the people involved – the monarchs, consorts, politicians and wider royal family. The focus on the people offers a different perspective on the Tudor era.

Preface: The introduction/preface introduces the ideas that shaped the Tudor dynasty and the ideas that allowed them to come to the throne – namely the killing of kings. It also discusses the beginnings of the Wars of the Roses (the Yorkist and Lancastrian lines).

Citations: The citations are very well done. They are clear and concise, and make it easy to find exactly the text you’re looking for. Divided down by chapter and then numbered within that makes it very easy. The extra information also included in the notes adds something to your knowledge. Continue reading “Book Review – ‘Tudor: the Family Story’ by Leanda de Lisle” →

Spotlight: Mary, Queen of Scots

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Name: Mary Stuart / Mary Queen of Scots / Queen Mary of Scotland

Title/s: Queen Regnant of Scotland / Queen Consort of France / Lady Darnley / Countess of Bothwell

Birth / Death: 8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587 (executed)

Spouse: Francis II of France 1544-1560 / Henry Stuart Lord Darnley 1545-1567 / James Hepburn Earl of Bothwell 1534-1578

Children: James VI of Scotland and I of England 1566 – 1625 (by Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley)

Parents: James V of Scotland 1512 – 1542 & Mary of Guise 1515 – 1560

Siblings: James, Duke of Rothesay 1540-1541 / Robert, Duke of Albany 1541 Continue reading “Spotlight: Mary, Queen of Scots” →

UPDATE: English Monarchs and When They Ruled

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This post is an update on a previous post. Instead of just listing the monarchs and consorts and when they ruled I have also listed the legitimate children of each union and their title.

William I (1066 – 1087) … Consort – Matilda of Flanders

Children – Robert, Duke of Normandy d. 1134

Richard d. 1075

William II d. 1100

Henry I d. 1135

Adelaide d. 1113

Cecily d. 1127

Matilda d. 1086

Constance, Duchess of Brittany d. 1090 Continue reading “UPDATE: English Monarchs and When They Ruled” →

Meaning of Tudor Names

~ Helene Harrison ~ 22 Comments

  • Anne

    Anne of Cleves by Hans Holbein 1539
    Anne of Cleves by Hans Holbein 1539
Anne Boleyn Hever Castle Portrait
Anne Boleyn Hever Castle Portrait

Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves

French form of ‘Anna’. ‘Anna’ is a form of Channah used in Greek and Latin. In Hebrew it means ‘favour’ or ‘grace’. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire, and was later used to honour Saint Anna, mother of the Virgin Mary. In Anne Boleyn’s coronation procession, there was a pageant showing her as the mother of the Virgin Mary, but it boded ill, as Mary only gave birth to a girl, and not the son Anne Boleyn desperately wanted and needed to give Henry VIII. In the end, Anne only gave birth to a girl. Anne of Cleves was shown favour after she accepted the end of her marriage to Henry VIII – instead of execution as Anne Boleyn had, Anne of Cleves was accepted as the king’s sister, and outlived him. Partly this was because of her having a standing similar to that of Katherine of Aragon – she had powerful relatives who would probably have avenged her death.   Continue reading “Meaning of Tudor Names” →

Timeline of the Scottish Reformation

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John Knox 1572.
John Knox 1572.

1514 – Probable date of birth of John Knox.

1536 – Knox is ordained as a priest.

1542 – James V dies and is succeeded by his daughter, Mary Queen of Scots.

James V dies and his successor is his first daughter, Mary, who becomes Mary Queen of Scots. The Stuarts were known for being Catholics, and that is partially why Henry VIII didn’t wish for the succession to pass to the children of his sister Margaret (the mother of James V). Mary was only a year old when she succeeded to the throne and at one point there were plans to marry her to the future Edward VI of England.

1543 – Knox converts to Protestantism.

1545 – Knox becomes an associate and bodyguard to George Wishart.

1546 – Wishart is executed / martyred. Continue reading “Timeline of the Scottish Reformation” →