Dark History of the Tudors: Murder, Adultery, Incest, Witchcraft, Wars, Religious Persection, Piracy (Dark Histories)

by John, Judith

  The actual reason behind Rizzio’s death is cause for speculation. Darnley was jealous and tempestuous, certainly capable of wanting his wife’s lover dead.

  Mysterious Death

  The actual reason behind Rizzio’s death is cause for speculation. Darnley was jealous and tempestuous, certainly capable of wanting his wife’s lover dead. Elizabeth herself is rumoured to have supported plans to destabilize the Scottish Queen, although whether she would have knowingly gone as far as having a heavily pregnant woman held at gunpoint is unlikely. But Mary proved herself of stern stuff. She lived through the terrifying attack and carried her unborn child safely to term. Unfortunately for the Scottish Queen, life still had a lot more to test her with.

  Darnley himself, always unpopular, was now practically an outcast. While relations between him and Mary improved on the birth of their son, James, Stuart still demanded that Mary bestow the Crown Matrimonial rights upon him, hoping to snatch the absolute power of the King. But the controversy of Mary and her men was not over yet. On 10 February 1567, Darnley was in Kirk o’ Field, one of Mary’s estates near Edinburgh. Nothing was out of the ordinary until the early hours of the morning, when two barrels of gunpowder placed directly under the foundations of Darnley’s sleeping quarters exploded. Adding to the intrigue, when Darnley and his valet’s bodies were found, they had not died in the blast. They lay in the grounds, with Darnley still in his night attire, and near the bodies lay a cloak, coat, dagger and chair. Closer examination found something stranger still – they had both been strangled.

  Mary’s second marriage was even briefer than her first. Darnley met a sticky end in February 1567, after being wed for less than two years. Note the bodies of Darnley and his groom at the top right of the image, both men having fled the house during the night.

  … when Darnley and his valet’s bodies were found, they had not died in the blast … they had both been strangled.

  Hepburn: Delusions of Power

  Already steeped in suspicion after Stuart’s death, Mary did herself no favours with her second marriage. She had made it known that she wanted rid of her unsatisfactory husband, and the careless Queen found herself surrounded by more intrigue when she married James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, on 15 May 1567, just three months after Darnley’s murder. Hepburn was one of the men accused of murdering Darnley – he stood trial but was fully acquitted.

  BOTHWELL’S WOMEN

  JAMES HEPBURN (pictured) had quite a past long before his dastardly conduct with Queen Mary. He was still married to his second wife, Jean Gordon when he carried off the Queen. Hepburn then divorced Jean on 7 May – on the grounds of his adultery with one of her servants – just eight days before he married Mary. Making his behaviour even more dubious was the fact that Hepburn was already married under Norwegian law. He had wed Anna Throndsen in 1559, whom he brought home to Scotland from Norway. When he ran out of money Hepburn sent his bride back to Norway to ask for more money from her wealthy family. She never returned to him. On his arrival at Bergen in Norway, Anna and her family discovered his return and had him arrested for abandonment. When the news of his suspected involvement in Darnley’s murder broke, King Frederick imprisoned Hepburn in Dragsholm Castle. Hepburn is thought to have spent the final years of his life chained to a pillar, growing progressively insane until his death in 1578. His ghost is said to haunt the castle grounds to this day!

  Mary, Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate in July 1567, when her rash decisions became too erratic for even her supporters to explain away. Even in this tense painting, Mary looks defiantly at her accusers before signing her kingdom over to her son, James.

  Controversy remains over the conditions of this marriage. Mary was making her way to Edinburgh from Stirling, where she had been visiting her son, James, for what would be the last time. On 24 April, during the journey, Mary was abducted by Hepburn and his men. She was told that they had come to protect her from plots on her life. Hepburn took Mary to his castle in Dunbar, where it is alleged that he raped her to ensure she would comply. This story remains controversial as it is unclear how far Mary was a willing participant in the abduction, as she was previously thought to have been fond of Hepburn. He and Mary were married eight days later on 15 May 1567. Whatever the circumstances of their union, the marriage remained highly contentious and split the Lords and country down the middle. Violence erupted in June, at which stage Hepburn fled the country, never to see Mary again. He ended up in Norway, where his past caught up with him and he spent his last days in prison until his death.

  Hepburn … and Mary were married eight days later … Whatever the circumstances of their union, the marriage remained highly contentious and split the Lords and country …

  Mary’s Mistakes

  Hepburn’s actions resulted in Mary fleeing to England to escape the wrath of her countrymen, all remaining support for the Queen washed away by her feckless behaviour. She was imprisoned in Loch Leven castle, on the isolated island in the middle of the Loch. Things went from bad to worse when she suffered a miscarriage, only then discovering that she had been carrying twins. Shortly after, Mary was compelled to abdicate, passing the throne to her son James, then only one year old.

  The castle of Loch Leven looks peaceful and idyllic here, but its isolated position surrounded by water made it the ideal location for a prison. Mary was only able to escape because she was aided by the brother of the castle’s owner, Sir William Douglas.

  Mary spent the following year under virtual house arrest as she was moved from various locations … while Elizabeth took her time in deciding the Scottish Queen’s fate.

  In May 1568, Mary escaped her prison. She still had some supporters who wanted to reinstate her as Queen, but her forces were defeated at Langside by James Stewart – Mary’s half-brother and Regent of Scotland – and Mary fled to England for safety. It was here that she made yet another mistake. Believing that she could trust her cousin Elizabeth, she requested help in reclaiming the Scottish throne. Mary spent the following year under virtual house arrest as she was moved from various locations, never too close to Scotland or London, while Elizabeth took her time in deciding the Scottish Queen’s fate. An inquiry was held, during which letters between Mary and Hepburn came to light, although their validity is unproved. The eventual result of the inquiry was inconclusive. James Stewart remained Regent of Scotland with a Protestant government in power and Mary languished in English custody. With no charges proven, she was treated well but her movements were much curtailed and the crafty Queen was closely watched.

  In 1571, Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spymaster, uncovered a plot to assassinate the Queen and replace her with Mary. The Queen of Scots had become something of an icon for Catholic dissidents to gather around. Thomas Howard was the forth Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth’s great-uncle. He had wanted to marry Mary, but Elizabeth refused the union and threw him in the Tower in 1569 to cool his passion. In retaliation, Howard joined forces with Roberto di Ridolfi, a banker from Florence who raised foreign troops to depose Elizabeth and restore England to Catholicism under Mary and Howard. Both were in agreement, largely due to Elizabeth’s treatment of them and their own personal lust for power. The Ridolfi plot grew in support and could have been a real threat to Elizabeth, had her intelligence network not informed her of it. Ridolfi’s messenger was arrested on arrival at Dover, and the whole plot was revealed under torture. Howard was sent to the Tower and executed in 1572. Ridolfi only escaped punishment by never returning to England.

  Mary looks favourably at her rescuers as they spirit her away from captivity. The image was painted by William Craig Shirreff in 1805. By this time, most of Mary’s indiscretions had been forgotten and she was remembered as the romantic heroine she is seen as here.

  THE CASKET LETTERS

  CONVENIENTLY FOR ELIZABETH, the discovery of a silver casket containing letters between Mary and Hepburn was discovered in 1567. Moray presented these letters as proof that Mary was embroiled in the pl
ot to kill Darnley, as they apparently stated in her own hand that she hoped Hepburn would soon rid her of him. At the time, the letters were largely regarded as genuine, however Mary insisted that they were forgeries and later historians have speculated on the possibility of forged text being inserted into Mary’s genuine letters. The originals were thought to have been burned in 1584 by James VI, Mary’s son and then King of Scotland, so the truth may never be uncovered.

  The ‘secret correspondence’ between Mary, Queen of Scots and her accomplices was often written in cipher, or code. This example shows the different symbols and letters used to make up the cipher, which Babington here reveals to Walsingham’s agents.

  Here pictured is Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I’s spymaster. Walsingham was convinced that Mary was embroiled in the plots to replace Elizabeth. He was proved correct in 1586.

  Thomas Howard, shown here, was keen to marry Mary, Queen of Scots, but Elizabeth denied his ambition as their union would make Mary her clear successor. Eager for power, his involvement in the Ridolfi plot against Elizabeth later resulted in his execution.

  … the forth Duke of Norfolk … had wanted to marry Mary, but Elizabeth refused the union and threw him in the Tower…

  However, Elizabeth could not yet rest easy. As long as Mary lived she could be used as a figurehead for any Catholic uprising that gathered enough force. In 1583, with Mary still under house arrest in England, Francis Throckmorton conspired with his father, Nicholas, plus French and Spanish dignitaries to replace Elizabeth with Mary and return England to Catholicism. Walsingham uncovered the plot and arrested Throckmorton, who confessed under torture. Throckmorton was executed in 1584 for high treason. The result of this and the Ridolfi plot was that the Bond of Association was passed that same year, which made it punishable by death to attempt to depose or assassinate Elizabeth I. It also included the stipulation that anyone in the line of succession could be removed from this line and executed even if the plot was carried out in their ignorance. Should she decide to do so, Elizabeth now had the ammunition she needed to execute Mary, leaving her unable to even plead ignorance of these intrigues.

  Elizabeth finally signed the death warrant for Mary, Queen of Scots after she was given irrefutable proof of Mary’s involvement in plots to depose her. Elizabeth was later furious when Mary was executed, saying that she had never wanted the warrant acted upon.

  MARY THE MARTYR

  MARY DRESSED HERSELF carefully for her execution, playing the role of Catholic martyr to the end, despite the hypocrisy of her affairs and collusions. She carried a crucifix in her hand and wore another round her neck. When her black cloak was removed, she was left wearing a dress of deep red, symbolizing the colour of religious martyrs.

  Mary went to her executioner praying to God and encouraging the crowd to pray with her. After three strokes of the axe her head was severed from her body. Mary had been carrying her small terrier in her gown, which struggled after her death and caused people to believe her headless body was moving!

  Despite Spanish support, O’Neill’s uprising ended with Elizabeth’s forces crushing the Irish. Here pictured is Hugh O’Neill when he finally submitted to the English in 1603. Elizabeth died before the Irish issue could be fully resolved, until James I ended the fighting.

  … the Bond of Association … made it punishable by death to attempt to depose or assassinate Elizabeth I.

  Despite these measures to ensure Elizabeth’s safety, yet another plot to replace her with Mary was uncovered in 1586. The Babington Plot saw France and Spain join forces again under Philip II of Spain – whom Elizabeth had refused to marry after her sister’s death – to depose the Queen and restore the Catholic faith under Mary. The loyal Walsingham used a double agent to smuggle letters to Mary, realizing that she would need to incriminate herself to prove her involvement and warrant her arrest under the terms of the Bond of Association. The conspiracy worked perfectly and Walsingham soon had his proof, written in Mary’s own hand. A total of 16 men were executed for treason before Mary herself was beheaded on 8 February 1587, her cousin Elizabeth having signed her death warrant.

  Beyond the Pale

  While the various plots of assassination, her intriguing private life and the defeat of the Spanish Armada often take precedence when describing Elizabeth’s reign, the harsh treatment of hostilities in Ireland should not be glossed over. With a largely Catholic faith, the Irish had suffered the same religious reforms as England and were heartily tired of religious doctrine being imposed on them by the English monarch. Elizabeth also feared a Spanish attack through the supportive Irish borders. Lands throughout Ireland were therefore granted to English nobles to keep them under control and weaken the nation’s chances of banding together. However, a phase of uprisings culminated in Elizabeth employing a scorched earth policy in 1582. Here, lands were burned, destroying crops and all matter of livelihoods. The resulting devastation saw over 30,000 men, women and children die from starvation in Munster alone. Rebellions built up until things reached boiling point in 1594.

  With the vicious scorched earth policy realized and the stench of burning still fresh in their nostrils and memories, the Nine Years’ War began in 1594 and would rage until Elizabeth’s death. While in previous years the chieftains had been too fragmented to band together successfully, two chieftains called Hugh O’Neill and Hugh Roe O’Donnell banded together to fight against the English rule they had long endured. With many resentful of Elizabeth’s intentions to advance this rule across the entire country, as well as many Catholics wanting to rid themselves of Protestantism, O’Neill had enough support in Ireland to make England fear for the safety of her borders. In addition, O’Neill sought help from Scottish mercenaries and Elizabeth’s old adversary, Philip II. This support, along with Scottish aid and Irish mercenaries, boosted his troops to over 8000 men, an unprecedented number with which to attack the English. By 1601, many Irish were starving and it was only the arrival of Spanish support in the same year that kept the war going.

  The Nine Years’ War caused a strain on Elizabeth’s army throughout the rest of her reign, with peace only being settled when James I ended the conflict. This was partly due to the fact that its huge expense was crippling to England. Peace was preferable, but it was also a lot cheaper.

  After years of negotiations and squabbling, the Battle at Yellow Ford saw a victory for Ireland when 2000 English troops were killed. This led to further uprisings across the country. In response, Elizabeth sent Robert Devereux – Dudley’s stepson and Elizabeth’s new pet at court – to Ireland in 1599 with 17,000 Englishmen prepared to quell the Irish uprisings. However, his occupation was short-lived and unsuccessful. The troops were spread too thin and many were ambushed, with thousands of others dying from disease brought on by unsanitary living conditions. Devereux agreed a truce with O’Neill and returned to England in 1599, defying Elizabeth’s orders for him to remain. On presenting himself to the Queen, who was much displeased at his return, Devereux found himself charged with desertion of duty. Cecil and Raleigh were united in trying to get rid of him, but such was his influence and popularity with Elizabeth that she let him off gently.

  … lands were burned … The resulting devastation saw over 30,000 men, women and children die from starvation in Munster…

  Devereux later signed his own death warrant when he and his men tried to force his way into the Queen’s chambers in 1601. He was then arrested, tried and found guilty of treason, having the dubious claim to fame of being the last person ever beheaded on Tower Green.

  Back in Ireland, George Carew – Devereux’s replacement – managed to crush the worst of the rebellion by 1601. The crippling cost and damage did not entirely fade from memory until Elizabeth’s death. The Queen had proven how brutal and decisive she could be in the face of adversity. These traits would be proven once again during the Spanish Armada and its aftermath.

  In this famous and memorable image, Elizabeth is dressed from head to toe in a deep red, th
e colour mirrored throughout the rest of the image. Purposefully depicting the Queen as strong and in control, Elizabeth’s haughty expression dares anyone to defy her authority.

  This is Elizabeth’s signature, hinting at a woman of bold and determined character. Fittingly, this signature sealed the death warrant for Robert Devereux, the Queen’s one-time favourite. He became yet another man that Elizabeth cast aside rather than submit to.

  Her vanity, jealousy, fierce nature, religious indifference and a nature so mercurial that it drove members of her council to distraction …

  A True Queen

  Shadows of her father can be seen in Elizabeth’s one-sided and self-serving views, but still it is Mary who is ‘Bloody’ and vicious, perhaps as she attacked people’s faith and beliefs. Elizabeth, however, was by no means seen as perfect or flawless. Her vanity, jealousy, fierce nature, religious indifference and a nature so mercurial that it drove members of her council to distraction and rage could have made her despised and ridiculed across Europe. But her immense charisma, glory, love of her people and ability to turn a phrase made her beloved and almost worshipped by many. The cult of the Virgin Queen became part of English culture from the time of her reign, which is unusual. It is generally years after someone’s death that his or her own persona becomes moulded into a beloved icon (as with Henry VI, the miracle worker) or a force for evil (as with Bloody Mary). It is a sign of Elizabeth’s own strength of character and ability to present herself in the right way that she became the stuff of legend even before her death. Her power reaches from beyond the grave and continues to enthrall to this day.