All I can tell you is that I account myself one of the happiest women in the world. These words were written by the fifteen-year-old Mary Queen of Scots on the morning of her wedding to the Dauphin of France in 1558. It is almost impossible to believe that these sentiments are associated with the … Read more
This blog is adapted from an interview, recorded for my podcast, The Tudor History & Travel Show. Our historian is Dr Steven Reid, Senior Lecturer in Scottish History at the University of Glasgow. He specialises in the intellectual, political and religious history of Scotland between c.1450 and c.1650, with a strong interest in Mary Queen of Scots … Read more
It is impossible to write a series of blogs about Mary, Queen of Scots without talking about Holyroodhouse, also known as The Palace of Holyrood. It was one of Mary’s most favoured residences. It was the place in which she spent her first night on Scottish soil after her return from France in 1561; the … Read more
For a fleeting period of time, in the autumn of 1566, those standing around the bed of Mary, Queen of Scots thought she was dead. Her near demise has often been blamed on an extraordinary 50-60 mile round-trip that Mary undertook, on horseback, from the town of Jedburgh to visit the badly wounded Earl of … Read more
This month, The Tudor Travel Show podcast celebrates the life of Mary Queen of Scots. We will be delving into some of the most iconic places in which she lived during her time in Scotland. Of course, the tale is one of two halves. Mary’s first stint in Scotland covers her early childhood. In the … Read more
Stirling Castle was one of Scotland’s premier strongholds during the medieval period. It was also a place with a particularly bloody history. In my quest to follow in the footsteps of Mary, Queen of Scots, we must travel to this austere fortress, where we will explore a brief history of the building before looking at … Read more
Mary, Queen of Scots was perhaps never happier than during the time spent in France. Initially, as a child, she was adored, both by her father-in-law, the King of France, Henri II, and later by her young husband, Francois. Tragically he died, aged 16, just 17 months after becoming King of France in 1560. A … Read more
On the anniversary of the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587, we wind back the clock to the dramatic events which preceded Mary’s flight from Scotland and, in particular, focus on the place in which she was first imprisoned after her surrender at the Battle of Carberry Hill, … Read more
Outside, a fierce winter terrorises the landscape. Scotland and the north of England lie covered by a deep blanket of snow, making the roads connecting the two neighbouring countries nigh on impassable. From time-to-time, hoarfrosts cast their magic across the countryside, leaving every twig and blade of grass glistening like a carpet of flawless diamonds … Read more
There is something strangely compelling about making a pilgrimage to the site from which your Tudor heroine or hero departed this earthly life. It is the place in which they last drew breath and uttered their last words – often with a good deal of drama surrounding the occasion to boot. To stand where a … Read more