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Why was Mary Queen of Scots executed (She was a long term threat (Less…
Why was Mary Queen of Scots executed
She was a long term threat
This meant that people would always be drawn towards Mary, if she was to be the next queen
Mary posed a threat because she offered a clear succession
Mary posed a threat because she was next in line to the throne
Mary had a son, James I which would secure a long term future
Mary posed a threat because she offered an alternative to Elizabeth
Less important
It seemed as though this threat from Mary could be contained
threat from Mary could have been minimised by simply keeping her in prison forever
Elizabeth seemed to be happy to manage the situation by imprisoning Mary between 1568 and 1586
Important
So long as Mary was alive, people were more likely to plot against Elizabeth, since Mary provided such a good alternative to Elizabeth as queen
The threat to Elizabeth seemed to be even greater in the 1580s
underlying precondition for Mary’s execution
Threat to religious settlement and protestantism
Mary’s existence also encouraged foreign countries, especially France and Spain
By Mary being alive and living in England, Catholic were encouraged to rebel
Mary was a ‘magnet’ for discontented Catholics, especially the Catholic nobles
Less important
Protestantism seemed to be ‘winning’ the war of religion in England, so it was never really threatened by Mary.
threat from Catholics was not particularly great
everyone believed that she would make England a Catholic country if she became queen
Important
Mary was alive and living in England, it increased the likelihood of invasion and of a civil war between Catholics and Protestants
This became particularly relevant by early 1587, when it became clear to Elizabeth and her government that Philip II of Spain was planning a major attack on England.
This was a catalyst for Mary’s execution
Mary was disliked by the Privy council
This said that if anyone were to attempt to take the throne from Elizabeth or plot to kill her, then that person would have to be executed
Privy council were also mainly Protestants who disliked Mary
Parliament had created a special law in 1584 called the Bond of Association
They recognised that if Elizabeth were killed, they would likely lose their status and power
constant pressure from Parliament for Elizabeth to have Mary put on trial for treason
Less important
Elizabeth had often ignored the advice of Parliament and the Privy Council before
Parliament and the Privy Council had limited power to get Mary executed
could not force Elizabeth to act and sign the death warrant
Important
It took Parliament and the Privy Council to convince Elizabeth to act more firmly against Mary
Elizabeth herself seemed to favour imprisoning Mary indefinitely
seems to have been an important prerequisite for Mary to be executed
Mary's role in the Babington Plot
The Babington Plot proved that Mary was a real threat to Elizabeth.
Francis Walsingham had produced incriminating evidence that showed Mary supporting and planning Elizabeth’s death
clearly an act of treason and could not be allowed to go unpunished
even gave some advice on the planning of the assassination
Mary had been directly involved in the Babington Plot
Less important
If anything, the Babington Plot was much less dangerous than the other plots
The Babington Plot was just another piece of evidence in the case against Mary
The Babington Plot was no different from any of the other plots
Important
it was at this moment that Elizabeth finally chose to act and have Mary executed
This was the first time that there was clear and direct proof that Mary was plotting Elizabeth’s death
This was the trigger for Mary’s execution