Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Murder of Lord Darnley
Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Murder of Lord Darnley

Author: Alison Weir

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2007-12-18

Total Pages: 722

ISBN-13: 0307431479

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BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Alison Weir's Mary Boleyn. Handsome, accomplished, and charming, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, staked his claim to the English throne by marrying Mary Stuart, who herself claimed to be the Queen of England. It was not long before Mary discovered that her new husband was interested only in securing sovereign power for himself. Then, on February 10, 1567, an explosion at his lodgings left Darnley dead; the intrigue thickened after it was discovered that he had apparently been suffocated before the blast. After an exhaustive reevaluation of the source material, Alison Weir has come up with a solution to this enduring mystery. Employing her gift for vivid characterization and gripping storytelling, Weir has written one of her most engaging excursions yet into Britain’s bloodstained, power-obsessed past.

Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots

Author: Antonia Fraser

Publisher: Delta

Published: 2014-04-30

Total Pages: 913

ISBN-13: 0804152586

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“A book that will leave few readers unmoved.”–San Francisco Chronicle She was the quintessential queen: statuesque, regal, dazzlingly beautiful. Her royal birth gave her claim to the thrones of two nations; her marriage to the young French dauphin promised to place a third glorious crown on her noble head. Instead, Mary Stuart became the victim of her own impulsive heart, scandalizing her world with a foolish passion that would lead to abduction, rape and even murder. Betrayed by those she most trusted, she would be lured into a deadly game of power, only to lose to her envious and unforgiving cousin, Elizabeth I. Here is her story, a queen who lost a throne for love, a monarch pampered and adored even as she was led to her beheading, the unforgettable woman who became a legend for all time. Praise for Mary Queen of Scots “She was sometimes reviled as a scheming whore, sometimes revered as a misunderstood martyr. But she was invariably regarded as fascinating. Antonia Fraser’s richly readable biography demonstrates that Mary’s great fascination continues unabated.”—Time “Compassionate, illuminating, rich in human interest.”—The New York Times ”One of the most fascinating figures in history.” —The Columbus Dispatch “With grace, sensitivity, and a sharp eye for detail, lady Antonia Fraser has succeeded not only in recapturing the real Mary from the symbol but also in illuminating the chaotic age in which she lived.”—Newsweek

The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots
The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots

Author: Kate Williams

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2018-11-13

Total Pages: 515

ISBN-13: 1643130870

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Elizabeth and Mary were cousins and queens, but eventually it became impossible for them to live together in the same world.This is the story of two women struggling for supremacy in a man’s world, when no one thought a woman could govern. They both had to negotiate with men—those who wanted their power and those who wanted their bodies—who were determined to best them. In their worlds, female friendship and alliances were unheard of, but for many years theirs was the only friendship that endured. They were as fascinated by each other as lovers; until they became enemies. Enemies so angry and broken that one of them had to die, and so Elizabeth ordered the execution of Mary.But first they were each other’s lone female friends in a violent man’s world. Their relationship was one of love, affection, jealousy, antipathy – and finally death. This book tells the story of Mary and Elizabeth as never before, focusing on their emotions and probing deeply into their intimate lives as women and queens.They loved each other, they hated each other—and in the end they could never escape each other.

Mary, Queen of Scots and the Casket Letters
Mary, Queen of Scots and the Casket Letters

Author: A. E. MacRobert

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2002-07-26

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 0857714643

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Mary Queen of Scots - tragic heroine or adulteress conniving in murder? This book adds to the mysterious drama, covering an historical detective story which has absorbed readers for over 400 years. Yet it is much more than a powerful tale with human tragedy, suffering and death at its heart: it was played out for the highest political stakes - including the stability of the English and Scottish crowns, the Protestant Reformation and threat from powerful European neighbours. The Casket Letters consist of eight letters, twelve love sonnets and two marriage contracts, allegedly written by Mary to Bothwell, later her third husband, appearing to implicate her in the murder of her second husband, Darnley, and proving her adultery. This forensic re-examination of the Casket Letters and contemporary documents, and their long and chequered history, examines the conduct and motives of the principal actors and ventures on ground much-trodden by writers who both condemn and exculpate Mary. The author guides the reader through the twisting labyrinth of Scottish and English politics; examines possible forgery; rejects Mary's role in Darnley's murder (despite his impossible conduct that included drunkenness, neglect of business and intriguing for the crown); and looks at the change in her attitude to Bothwell. The Casket Letters were a gift to her enemies in England, the Scottish Protestant church and nobility, and led directly to her imprisonment and finally to execution.