Mary queen of Scots

• MQS Wass Henry VIII great granddaughter and elizabeths second cousin she was catholic and had a legitimate claim to the throne she was married to the French king Francis second and inherited the Scottish crown when she was 6 days old while Mary was in France her mother Mary of guise ruled Scotland
• Mary was catholic which meant many catholics including members of the nobility would support her claim to the throne
• MQS claim was strengthened by the fact that there were no concerns about her legitimacy
• Anne Boleyns marriage to Henry VIII was seen as invalid by catholics as the divorce between henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon was not condemned by the pope
• Mary was always the centre pop the catholic plots to overthrow Elizabeth
• on the death of Francis II in 1560 Mary returned to Scotland and married Henry Stuart (lord Darnley) producing and heir James Darnley was subsequently murdered
• after Darnleys death Mary then married the earl of Bothwell
• in 1568 the protestant Scottish lords rebelled against her imprisoned her and forced her to abdicate in favour of her son james
• Mary escaped imprisonment by the Scottish protestant lords and raised an army but this was deafened near Glasgow Mary subsequently fled to England seeking Elizabeth for help
• 1568 Mary was held in England in comfort but under guard while Elizabeth decided what to do with her
• Marys arrival in England created a problem for Elizabeth by remaining in England she could encourage a rebellion
• relations between the two monarchs was tense as Elizabeth became increasingly concerned about the presence of Mary in England
• help Mary regain the throne 


  would anger the Scottish nobility and leave Elizabeth facing a catholic monarch on her northern boarder the auld alliance could be revived to threaten her
• hand Mary over to the Scottish lords

  Mary was the widow of the French king her trial imprisonment AND execution by Scottish noblemen with elizabeths permissioncould provoke France driving them to an alliance with Spain with could lead t war with England
• allow Mary to go abroad

  allowing Mary to go abroad could see her return to France provoking a French plot
• keep Mary in England 


  keeping Mary in England was the best option for Elizabeth however it carried a risk that catholic plotters might try overthrow eliaeth and replace her with Mary
• another thing Elizabeth could have done was acknowledge

  Mary as her heir however this would anger English protestants especially the ones on her privy council