Elizabeth’s Options for Dealing with Mary, Queen of Scots

This section explores Elizabeth I’s options for dealing with Mary, Queen of Scots and her threat on Elizabeth’s reign. Mary, Queen of Scots, posed a significant threat to Elizabeth I and the stability of England. Her Catholic faith, dynastic claim to the English throne, and connections to powerful European allies made her a focal point for Catholic plots against Elizabeth. However, deciding what to do with Mary required careful consideration, as each option carried significant political and diplomatic risks.

Elizabeth’s Options for Dealing with Mary

Sending Mary Out of the Country

Elizabeth could have sent Mary back to Scotland or France, removing her immediate presence from England.

• Advantages:
  • It would distance Mary from English Catholic supporters who might rally behind her cause.
  • It would reduce domestic tensions by removing a Catholic figurehead from England.
• Disadvantages:
  • In Scotland, Mary could potentially regain her throne and organise opposition to Elizabeth.
  • In France, Mary’s allies, particularly her powerful Guise family, could use her as a rallying point for Catholic action against England.
  • Sending Mary abroad risked allowing her to gather more support to challenge Elizabeth’s rule.

Keeping Mary Imprisoned

Elizabeth could choose to confine Mary in England, preventing her from acting as a figurehead or gathering support.

• Advantages:
  • It would limit Mary’s ability to communicate with supporters or foreign allies.
  • Elizabeth could maintain tight control over Mary’s movements and influence.
• Disadvantages:
  • Imprisoning Mary without a formal trial risked provoking international condemnation.
  • Foreign Catholic powers, particularly France and Spain, could view Mary’s imprisonment as an act of aggression and retaliate against England.
  • Prolonged imprisonment might make Mary a martyr-like figure for Catholic opposition.

Executing Mary

Executing Mary would permanently eliminate her as a threat and send a strong message to potential challengers.

• Advantages:
  • It would remove Mary as a figurehead for Catholic plots, reducing the risk of rebellion.
  • Mary’s death could discourage foreign powers from attempting to place her on the English throne.
• Disadvantages:
  • Executing a fellow monarch could provoke outrage from Catholic powers like Spain and France, increasing the likelihood of war.
  • It set a dangerous precedent for the execution of royalty, which could undermine the sanctity of the monarchy.
  • Elizabeth would face backlash from Catholic subjects and potentially some Protestants who opposed the idea of executing an anointed queen.

Elizabeth’s Initial Decision

In the short term, Elizabeth chose to keep Mary imprisoned, officially as a closely guarded royal "guest."

• Mary was moved from castle to castle to ensure she did not become the focal point of Catholic plots.
• This strategy allowed Elizabeth to maintain control over Mary without immediately escalating tensions with foreign powers or her Catholic subjects.

Growing Pressure to Act

Despite Elizabeth’s efforts to contain the threat, Mary remained a central figure in numerous Catholic plots, including the Ridolfi Plot (1571) and the Throckmorton Plot (1583). These conspiracies aimed to overthrow Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne, with support from foreign powers like Spain and France.

By 1572, Elizabeth faced mounting pressure from her MPs to take decisive action against Mary. Parliament argued that:

• Keeping Mary alive only encouraged further plots and endangered Elizabeth’s rule.
• Executing Mary would eliminate the primary threat to Protestant England’s stability.

However, Elizabeth hesitated, fearing the consequences of executing a fellow monarch. She remained cautious, balancing the demands of her MPs and advisors with the need to avoid provoking a diplomatic crisis.

Conclusion

Elizabeth’s handling of Mary, Queen of Scots, reflected the complexity of ruling a divided nation. While imprisoning Mary provided a short-term solution, it did not eliminate the threat she posed. Over the next two decades, Mary’s continued involvement in Catholic plots and the rising tension between England and Catholic powers forced Elizabeth to make increasingly difficult decisions about her cousin’s fate. Ultimately, Mary’s execution in 1587 would mark the final resolution of the "Mary question," but it also left a legacy of tension between Elizabeth and Catholic Europe.