The TudorsHow Dangerous Was Mary Queen of Scots?

• To analyse sources to explain the threat Mary Queen of Scots (MQS) posed to Elizabeth I.

• To undertake a source-based enquiry to evaluate how dangerous MQS was to the reign of Elizabeth I.

• To break the code MQS used in her plot against Elizabeth I.

• To make a sustained judgement on how much danger Mary Queen of Scots posed to Queen Elizabeth I’s throne.

Learning Objective

Success Criteria

What Was the Threat to Elizabeth I?Read through the list of threats against Queen Elizabeth’s life.

Fill in the details of your suspect on the suspect sheet.

15th – 19th JuneActivity 1 - Who were the

main threats?

Elizabethan SpiesToday, we have all heard of spies, espionage and MI5. We are aware that there are threats against every country and secret intelligence services (spies) play an important role in national security.

Queen Elizabeth’s main advisors, William Cecil and Francis Walsingham first developed this role, to ensure the protection of their queen.

By the late 16th century, Sir Francis Walsingham had developed a major network of spies across the country and abroad.

Who Was Sir Francis Walsingham?Queen Elizabeth was one of the greatest female monarchs of British history. She was popular, strong and a true symbol of female independence. However, her inner circle was composed of men.

When Elizabeth first came to the throne, her most trusted advisor and protector was William Cecil (Lord Burghley). They were very close, but with the growing threat of Catholic plots, Elizabeth needed someone who was capable of forming an intelligence network to protect her life.

15th – 19th JuneActivity 2 - Create a CV for

Walsingham.

Who Was Mary Queen of Scots?15th – 19th June

Activity 3 - Using the information cards, plot a living graph based on

Mary Queen of Scots’ life.

Was Mary Queen of Scots a Threat?Walsingham and his network of spies were constantly monitoring threats to Elizabeth and had to make constant judgements on who was likely to attack and who was a threat.

Walsingham had always thought Mary was responsible for many of the threats against Elizabeth’s life, but he had a problem in proving it. Mary was Elizabeth’s cousin and her natural heir. She was also a queen and had a divine right, just like Elizabeth.

22nd – 26th JuneActivity 1 - Colour in the dang-o-meter to make a

decision how dangerous you feel Mary is to Elizabeth.

The Babington PlotWalsingham knew Mary Queen of Scots was involved in many of the plots against Elizabeth, but he was finding it difficult to get the Queen to accept the full danger Mary posed.

In 1586, Walsingham noticed Mary was writing to a group of Catholics led by Anthony Babington. He had a double agent in this group called Gifford. Gifford managed to sneak messages into Mary’s prison which were coded using the Babington Code.

22nd – 26th June 2020

Activity 2 - Decode the Babington letter using the Babington Code.

Colour in another dang-o-meter and decide if the danger level has changed!

There are several symbolswithin the cipher whichhave no meaning and aremeant to confuse, theseare labelled as such. Also,there is no letter ‘w’ so ‘w’is substituted with ‘uu’.

Walsingham was able to read every message Mary sent and received. All he needed was for Mary to write a letter incriminating herself and he would have all the proof he needed for treason.

Was Elizabeth Right to Execute Mary?Once Mary had written the letter agreeing for Elizabeth to be killed, she had committed treason. Though she tried to argue that no monarch with a divine right could be tried by a court, she was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Her execution at FotheringhayCastle didn’t go to plan. The executioner missed three times and it took over 15 minutes for her to die.

22nd – 26th June

Activity 3 - Make your judgement – Was Elizabeth right to execute her cousin Mary Queen of Scots? Explain your

answer.