The National Library of Scotland is launching a new visitors center. One of the key exhibits in the official launch of the center will be displayed the last letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots. It hasn’t been on display in over thirty years and the display will be very temporary to preserve the precious document.
Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I are, in my opinion, two of the most fascinating people in history. They were in power, or lack of power in the case of Mary, during one of the most interesting historical periods. They also represented the role of women leaders during that time period. Both were women ruling their respective countries and doing it in very different ways. It goes without saying that Elizabeth I was the more successful of the two. Obviously, she survived whereas Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed for allegedly attempting to overthrow Elizabeth’s government on several occasions.
Even though the two were kin, peers and Mary came to Elizabeth for help when she was faced with exile and then imprisoned by Elizabeth for many years, history tells us that the two never met face to face. It also tells us that Elizabeth was loath to execute Mary. She kept her Sister Cousin in prison for many years, resisting pressure to have her executed.
History also tells us that Elizabeth executed her cousin because of attempts on Mary’s part to overthrow Elizabeth and claim the English throne as her own. She was tried, convicted and executed for treason for participating in three different conspiracies to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. I’m sure there is truth in that. There is also the likelihood that Mary’s claim to the thrown was a real and present threat to Elizabeth. Mary had a great deal of support from the power of the Catholic Church which saw her as the legitimate heir to the thrown. Elizabeth eventually had her executed, eliminating her as a threat to her claim to the throne. Ironically, it was Mary’s son, James I, who succeeded Elizabeth I as King of England and Scotland. And so, the rivalry between Elizabeth and Mary ended with the ascension of Mary’s son to the throne of England upon the death of Elizabeth I.
Just six hours before she was to be executed at Fotheringhay Castle, Mary wrote a letter to her Henri III, King of France. He was the brother of Mary’s deceased husband, Francois II. The letter was dated February 8, 1587. In the letter she expressed her belief that she was dying a religious martyr as opposed to the political reasons claimed by the English government. She also requested that King Henri see that her servants were paid their wages after her death. She bemoaned the fact that she was denied last rights by a Catholic Priest and sent an Anglican Priest instead. She complained of the treatment she had suffered at the hands of ‘The Queen, my cousin’ for almost twenty years and that she was condemned to death by the Queen even though she was not her subject.
The 422-year-old manuscript has not been on display in over 30 years. It is considered priceless and has been kept in controlled conditions to prevent any deterioration of the document. For those reasons, it will only be on display for seven days, beginning on September 15, 2009. A digital reproduction has been displayed in the past.
The reason the letter is being brought out at this time is to celebrate the opening of the new visitors centers. Other precious documents will be on display through November 8, 2009. They included a Gutenberg Bible, David Hume’s autobiography, original artwork from Alasdair Gray’s Lanark, and a first edition of Pride and Prejudice,
