Why Is Mary Stuart So Powerful
Mary Stuart inherited the throne of Scotland when she was just six days old. From that moment forward every decision made needed to provide for Mary’s personal safety, her claim to the Scottish throne, and her right to practice her Catholic faith (Ashby & Ohrn 47). When she was just a toddler, Mary’s mother chose to send her to be raised at court in France where she was well educated and free to attend Catholic services. In order to return to Scotland as a young adult Mary was forced to agree that Protestantism would remain the official religion of Scotland and that she would practice her Catholic religion in private. Later, when Mary was taken captive by her opponents in Scotland, she turned to Queen Elizabeth of England for help without
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She also continued to refuse to give up her claim to the English throne as her Catholic supporters insisted she was the true queen and if Elizabeth died childless, Mary was next in line. “William Cecil, Elizabeth’s Secretary of State, regarded Mary’s refusal to recognize Elizabeth as England’s rightful ruler as an act of treason and was convinced that Mary was forming a Catholic conspiracy to depose her as Queen. Over the next two decades, Cecil continued to see Mary as a threat to Elizabeth, and he did everything he could to curtail her power. In the end, Cecil would play a part in Mary’s death (Lotz & Phillips 52).” Eventually, Mary had two meetings that encouraged her to believe she could return to Scotland. The first was with the representatives of the Catholic church who assured her their 20,000 troops in the north were ready to support her if she wanted to openly oppose James Stuart, her half brother, and the Lords of the Congregation and wanted to fight to restore Catholicism as the official Scottish religion. The second was with James Stuart who initially asked Mary to give up her Catholic faith but when she refused, James compromised and agreed to allow Mary to return as Queen if she would acknowledge Protestantism as the official state church and practice her faith in private (Lotz & Phillips
She also continued to refuse to give up her claim to the English throne as her Catholic supporters insisted she was the true queen and if Elizabeth died childless, Mary was next in line. “William Cecil, Elizabeth’s Secretary of State, regarded Mary’s refusal to recognize Elizabeth as England’s rightful ruler as an act of treason and was convinced that Mary was forming a Catholic conspiracy to depose her as Queen. Over the next two decades, Cecil continued to see Mary as a threat to Elizabeth, and he did everything he could to curtail her power. In the end, Cecil would play a part in Mary’s death (Lotz & Phillips 52).” Eventually, Mary had two meetings that encouraged her to believe she could return to Scotland. The first was with the representatives of the Catholic church who assured her their 20,000 troops in the north were ready to support her if she wanted to openly oppose James Stuart, her half brother, and the Lords of the Congregation and wanted to fight to restore Catholicism as the official Scottish religion. The second was with James Stuart who initially asked Mary to give up her Catholic faith but when she refused, James compromised and agreed to allow Mary to return as Queen if she would acknowledge Protestantism as the official state church and practice her faith in private (Lotz & Phillips