The Scottish Queen Mary Stuart lived a colorful life. Her tragic fate still attracts attention.

Childhood and early years

Mary Stuart - Queen of Scotland from her infancy, ruler of France (as the wife of Francis II) and one of the contenders for the throne of England, was born on December 8, 1542 in Linlithgow Palace, the favorite residence of the rulers of the Stuart dynasty.

The daughter of Princess Mary of Guise and Scottish V, the little heiress lost her father a few days after her birth. He died young, at the age of 30. The reason for such an early death was the severe and extremely humiliating defeat of Scotland in a military conflict with England, the betrayal of the barons who went over to the enemy’s side, and the death of two sons.

Since there were no direct and legal heirs left after Jacob, only after being born, his daughter was declared the new ruler of Scotland.

Since Mary, Queen of Scots, was unable to rule herself due to her age, a regent was appointed. This was her closest relative, James Hamilton.

Military conflict with England

The story of Queen Mary of Scots is full of unexpected twists and turns. Her father sought an alliance with France, and was at war with the English state. Regent James Hamilton, on the contrary, began to pursue pro-English policies. An agreement was reached on Mary's marriage with the heir to the English throne, Edward. By this time her coronation had taken place.

These plans were opposed by the Queen Mother, who advocated with a group of Scottish nobles for a new alliance with France. Their actions, as well as Henry VIII’s demand to immediately send little Mary to him, led to a sharp change in the situation in the country. Supporters of France came to power, and England immediately responded to this. Incursions into Scotland by English troops began. They ravaged villages and towns and destroyed churches. Supporters of Protestantism, advocating rapprochement with England, also became more active. All this led to the fact that the Scottish authorities turned to France for help. An agreement was signed on the marriage of Mary and the heir to the French throne, Francis. After this, the five-year-old Queen of Scots was taken to France.

Life at the court of Henry II

In the summer of 1548, little Maria with a small retinue arrives in Paris. She was given a very warm welcome at the court of the French king. Here she received an excellent education: she learned several languages, learned to play the lute and sing.

10 years after arriving in France, Queen Mary of Scotland and Francis were married. This union, one of the conditions of which was the transfer of France to Scotland in the event of the queen's childlessness, caused discontent in her homeland.

Queen Mary of Scots and Francis were together for only two years. After his accession to the throne in 1559, the country was actually ruled by Catherine de' Medici, the king's mother. Francis, in poor health, died in 1560. His death meant the return of Mary Stuart home.

Mother's Regency

The story of Queen Mary of Scots is like a tragic novel. From infancy she was drawn into the political games of thrones, lived outside her homeland for many years and ruled herself for a short six years.

During the years she lived in France, her mother, Marie of Guise, ruled the country in her stead. It was a difficult time for Scotland. The aristocrats were dissatisfied with the conditions of their queen's marriage, Protestants increasingly gained influence, which led to a split in society. Even more problems arose with her accession to the English throne. She was illegitimate, and Mary, Queen of Scotland, had more rights to inherit the crown of England. She acts as follows: she does not prevent Elizabeth from ascending the throne, but she also does not officially renounce her rights to it. But at the same time, Maria commits a rash act that forever spoils the relationship between the two rulers. She places the crown of England on her coat of arms, hinting that she is the rightful heir.

The Protestant revolution that began in Scotland at that time forced its supporters to turn to England for help, and Elizabeth I sent troops into the country. Mary, the Scottish queen, could not help her mother in any way, since she had no influence, and Catherine de Medici, who actually ruled France, did not want to come into conflict with England.

In the summer of 1560, Mary of Guise dies - she was the last obstacle to the final victory of Protestantism in Scotland. Dies soon after

Homecoming

In 1561, Mary Stuart returned to Scotland. The situation in which the 18-year-old queen found herself was extremely difficult. Supporters of an alliance with France were ready to support it in everything. The moderate wing would go over to her side only if Protestantism was preserved and orientation towards rapprochement with England. The most radical part of the Protestant aristocrats demanded the queen's immediate break with the Catholic faith and her marriage to one of their leaders, the Earl of Arran. In such conditions we had to act very carefully.

Board and politics

Queen Mary of Scotland, whose biography is extremely interesting, was cautious during her reign. She did not accept Protestantism, but she did not try to restore Catholicism in the country. She relied on the moderate bloc, introducing William Maitland and James Stewart, her half-brother, to key posts in the state. The radicals tried to plot against her, but it failed. The Queen officially recognized the Protestant religion, but did not break ties with Rome. This policy brought positive results - during the reign of Mary Stuart the country was relatively calm.

If the problems within the country were resolved without bloodshed, then foreign policy caused much more difficulties. The Queen of Scots resolutely refused to recognize Elizabeth I as the legal heir, hoping to exercise her rights to the English throne. None of them were going to reconcile.

Personal life

Any portrait of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, shows that she was a charming woman. There were many contenders for her hand. After the sudden death of Francis II and the queen's return to her homeland, the question of her new marriage was especially acute. Having met young Henry Stuart in 1565, she fell in love with him at first sight, and their marriage took place that same year. This caused strong discontent not only with the Queen of England, but also with Mary Stuart’s closest supporters. Her marriage meant the collapse of the policy of rapprochement with England. began an uprising against the queen, but she managed to find support and was able to expel the conspirator from the country.

It turned out to be unsuccessful. Being a mediocre ruler, Henry tried to take control of the country into his own hands, which Mary opposed. Gradually they moved away from each other. The queen increasingly relied on the help of her secretary David Riccio, and Henry, in revenge, became close to the Protestants and took part in a conspiracy against his wife's favorite. Riccio was killed right before the queen's eyes. She had to make efforts and even reconcile with her husband in order to destroy the conspiracy that had formed against her. But relations with Henry were already completely ruined. This was facilitated not only by the brutal murder of Riccio, but also by the queen’s new hobby - the courageous Earl of Bothwell. And her husband stood in the way of her happiness. He could recognize their newly born son Yakov as illegitimate, but this could not be allowed.

Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, died when a powder keg exploded in the house where he was staying on the night of 8–9 February 1567. He was found murdered in the garden while trying to escape.

In history, Mary's participation in the conspiracy against her husband is still considered a controversial issue. Darnley had other serious enemies, but popular rumor blamed everything on the queen. And for some reason she did nothing to prove to Scotland that she was not involved in the crime. On the contrary, the word is teasing everyone, less than a month after the death of her husband, she marries Bothwell.

Overthrow

This hasty marriage was a tragic mistake for the queen. She instantly lost support, and her opponents immediately took advantage of the situation. Gathering their strength, they marched against Mary and her new husband. The royal troops were defeated, the queen surrendered, having previously managed to clear the way for her escaped husband. At Lochvelene Castle she was forced to sign a renunciation of power in favor of her little son.

Escape to England. Failed attempt to regain power

Not all nobles agreed with the forced removal of their ruler. Unrest began in the country. Mary, the Scottish queen, managed to take advantage of this and escaped from captivity. The attempt to regain power failed. The opposition army was defeated and the deposed queen had to flee to England.

Intrigues against Elizabeth I

The Queen of England found herself in a delicate position. She could not help with military forces, nor could she send a relative to France - Maria would immediately begin to put forward claims to the English throne. Elizabeth began an investigation into the circumstances of the death of Mary's second husband and her involvement in it.

The queen's opponents produced letters (except for her poems, which were forged), which allegedly indicated that she knew about the conspiracy. As a result of the trial and the renewed unrest in Scotland, Mary finally lost hope of regaining power.

While imprisoned, she acted extremely carelessly, starting correspondence with other royal houses. Attempts to remove her from the throne did not stop against Elizabeth, and Mary remained the main contender for it.

Trial and execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots

Her name was attached to several discovered conspiracies against Elizabeth, but she hesitated, not daring to take extreme measures. Only when the correspondence of her rival with one of the leaders of the conspirators fell into her hands did the Queen of England decide on a trial. He sentenced Mary Stuart to death. Elizabeth waited for a tearful plea for mercy from her cousin, but in vain.

Mary Stuart, the Scottish queen, whose life story still haunts the minds of historians and artists, ascended the scaffold and was publicly executed in the early morning of February 8, 1587 at the age of 44. She behaved surprisingly courageously, and climbed onto the scaffold, holding her head high. Stefan Zweig brilliantly described the execution of the queen in his work dedicated to this amazing woman.

Scottish Queen Mary Stuart in art

Her tragic fate and cruel execution were the source of many works of art. Stefan Zweig and other writers dedicated their works to her. The execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, has become the motif of many artists' paintings.

Cinematography also did not stand aside. A life in which there were ups and downs, love and treachery, hope and betrayal, was reflected in feature films and documentaries.

There are many fictional stories associated with the name of this extraordinary woman. In the new series “Kingdom”, the writers distorted the historical truth - Queen Mary of Scotland and Sebastian, the illegitimate son of Henry II and Diana de Poitiers, are presented here as lovers. In fact, there has never been such a historical character.

In 2013, the film “Mary, Queen of Scots (Scotland)” was created, which told about the amazing fate of this ruler, who wears three crowns on her banner.

Friend Isabeleau gave me the idea to write a series of notes “Cursed Queens”, about famous rulers whose lives were tragically cut short: Maria Stuart, Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth of Bavaria, Alexandra Fedorovna.
I thought, this is interesting! All these ladies are completely different... like the suits of the cards. Each of them had its own character and destiny, which led to a sad ending.

Statue of Mary Stuart in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris ("Avenue of Queens")

And you, Marie, tirelessly,
you stand in a garland of stone friends -
French queens during it -
silently, with a sparrow on his head.
The garden looks like a cross between the Pantheon
with the famous "Breakfast on the Grass".
(Joseph Brodsky)

The most fatal queen of the listed ladies was, perhaps, Mary Stuart. By association, she is the queen of spades. The queen's biography is shrouded in a fatal romantic aura. Those close to Mary Stuart, who were capable of providing her with help and protection, died, and the queen alone remained face to face with her enemies. Others betrayed her, ignominiously fleeing for their lives.

Mary Stuart spent nineteen years in captivity of Queen Elizabeth Tudor, who for a long time did not dare to pronounce the death sentence on her “dear cousin,” although she was afraid of a conspiracy and Mary’s claims to the English throne. They say that Elizabeth’s personal hostility played a significant role.

Young Mary Stuart

It seemed that fate favored Mary Stuart; she laid claim to three crowns: Scotland, France and England. Daughter of the Scottish king and Frenchwoman Mary of Guise.

At the age of 16, Mary Stuart married the heir to the French throne, Francis, who became king in 1559. Mary's mother looked after the Scottish throne. However, the idyll did not last long - Mary Stuart's husband soon died. Mary remained Queen of France for only a year. In the same year, the queen's mother, who skillfully ruled Scotland, died. Mary Stuart had to return to her homeland; after the bright French court, her native land seemed dull.

Homecoming

The trouble of religious warriors began again, which claimed thousands of lives. In Scotland, Protestants seized religious power and were unhappy with the arrival of the Catholic queen.

In 1565, 23-year-old Mary married a second time, and Lord Darnley became her chosen one. Maria was counting on political support, but she was mistaken; her husband tried to remove her from government affairs. The Queen no longer trusted Darnley, and on all matters consulted her favorite Riccio, who was her favorite musician. They said that Mary Stuart was seriously carried away. Once again, as if a curse had darkened the queen’s happiness, Riccio was killed by mercenaries before her eyes. The conspirators wanted to intimidate the queen and cast suspicion of murder on her husband. However, Mary Stuart did not live up to the expectations of her enemies; on the contrary, she demonstratively made peace with Darnley... but not for long.

David Riccio - murdered favorite of Mary Stuart

Maria Stuart and Riccio

The Queen has a new favorite, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell.
The conspirators again took advantage of the queen's new weakness. In February 1567, Mary Stuart's husband and his servant were found strangled. The conspirators first blew up Darnley's mansion, who survived and ran out into the garden, where the killers were waiting for him. A scandal broke out; it was said that the queen and her favorite had killed the unfortunate Darnley. Mary Stuart did not listen to gossip and a few months later married her favorite Boswell. Such an act was perceived as the queen’s admission of guilt in the murder of her husband.

The Earl of Bothwell is the favorite turned husband. Didn't justify the trust. Fled to Norway during the rebellion

Protestants, enemies of the Catholic queen, took advantage of this. Mary Stuart had to flee from the rebels. She abdicated the throne in favor of her son James VI.

In the prophecies of Nostradamus there are lines dedicated to Mary Stuart.

The queen admits defeat
But he will retain courage and perseverance:
Riding a horse across the stream,
Flashing with nakedness, he will escape.

To escape from the rebels, Mary Stuart had to swim across the river.

The queen's enemies found "proof" of her involvement in the murder of her husband, the so-called "letters from the casket." Letters without a signature, the handwriting of which does not resemble that of Mary Stuart. This slander was also predicted by Nostradamus:
Letters found in the Queen's chests,
Among them there are no signatures, not a single name of the author.
The rulers will hide the gifts,
So no one will know who the fan is.

Letters from a casket

Having fled from Scotland, Mary Stuart turned for help to her cousin, the treacherous Queen Elizabeth Tudor. The Queen of England saw Mary Stuart as a rival - a contender for the throne. She did not refuse to help her cousin and even provided her with shelter, but she became thoughtful...

Stefan Zweig represents Elizabeth's feelings, her dissatisfaction that the lords of England are so kind to Mary Stuart:
“They are all clearly fascinated by the captive, and, distrustful and stupidly vain as a woman, Elizabeth soon abandons the magnanimous idea of ​​calling to court an empress who will outshine
her with her personal qualities and will be a desirable contender for those dissatisfied in her country.
So, only a few days have passed, and Elizabeth has already gotten rid of her philanthropic impulses and has firmly decided not to allow Mary Stuart to the court, but at the same time not to let her out of the country. Elizabeth, however, would not have been Elizabeth if she had expressed herself clearly and acted directly on any matter.”
The English queen had no equal in intrigue.

So in 1568, young Mary Stuart, who was 26 years old, became a captive. Realizing that Queen Elizabeth had deceived her, Mary Stuart tried to regain her freedom, but to no avail. All of Maria's letters were intercepted by agents. The enemies of Mary Stuart urged Elizabeth to get rid of her rival for the throne. Elizabeth herself was in constant anxiety.

The Duke of Norfolk was fascinated by Mary Stuart, for this cowardice he was executed as a conspirator

“But either Mary Stuart does not notice, or pretends not to notice, how treacherous this delay is. She vehemently declares that she is ready to justify herself - “but, of course, before a person whom I consider equal to myself by birth, only before the Queen of England.” The sooner the better, no, right now
She wants to see Elizabeth, “trustfully throw herself into her arms.”
She urgently asks, “without wasting time, to take her to London so that she can bring a complaint and defend her honor from slanderous slander.” She is gladly ready to appear before Elizabeth's court, but, of course, only to her court.
These are exactly the words that Elizabeth wanted to hear. Mary Stuart’s agreement in principle to justify herself gives Elizabeth the first clue to gradually drag a woman seeking hospitality in her country into legal proceedings.”- writes Zweig.

Queen Elizabeth

After 19 years, the opportunity arrived. An assassination plot against Elizabeth was uncovered.
This is how Alexandre Dumas describes this story, calling the execution of Mary Stuart one of the most notorious crimes in history.
“And in 1585, Elizabeth passed a law stating that anyone who encroaches on her person will be considered a person or acting in favor of a person claiming his rights to the crown of England; in this case, a commission of twenty-five members is appointed, which is tasked with bypassing any courts to examine all available evidence and pronounce a verdict on the accused, whoever they may be. Not discouraged by the example of his predecessors, Babington united around himself several of his friends, also zealous Catholics, becoming the head of a conspiracy whose goal was the murder of Elizabeth and the elevation of Mary Stuart to the English throne.

But his plans became known to Walsingham; he allowed the conspirators to act, but in such a way that their actions did not pose a danger, and on the eve of the day appointed for the assassination of the queen, he ordered their arrest.”

According to Dumas, Queen Elizabeth rejoiced at the successful opportunity to get rid of Mary Stuart:
“This reckless and hopeless plot brought great joy to Elizabeth, since, in accordance with the text of the law, it allowed her to finally become the mistress of her rival’s life.”

Mary Stuart moved from castle to castle for 19 years at the behest of Elizabeth. The living conditions were not very comfortable. Contemporaries believed that Elizabeth hoped that Mary would catch a cold and die.

Mary's final resting place was Fotheringhay Castle.
“There were already chambers prepared for her, the walls and ceiling of which were covered with black cloth, so that she stepped alive into her own grave.”- Dumas narrates picturesquely.

At this moment, Mary Stuart’s son, King James VI of Scotland, became seriously worried about his mother’s fate. Previously, he said “let her drink the beer that she brewed herself” (analogous to our proverb about brewed porridge), without thinking that Elizabeth would decide to kill.

The king sent ambassadors to Elizabeth asking her to pardon his mother. The ambassadors also proposed that Mary Stuart renounce her claim to the English throne in favor of her son.
These words infuriated Elizabeth.
“What are you saying, Melville? After all, this means giving my enemy, who has the right to one crown, the right to both!
“It turns out that Your Majesty considers my master his enemy?” - Melville inquired. “And he is in a happy delusion, believing himself to be your ally.”
“No, no,” Elizabeth realized, blushing, “I misspoke.” And if you, gentlemen, are able to settle everything, then I, in order to prove that I consider King James the Sixth to be my good and faithful ally, am quite inclined to show mercy. So try, and I will try on my part.”

Elizabeth signs her death warrant

The Queen told the ambassadors that she had not yet decided Mary Stuart's fate. Soon, a noble aristocrat was murdered in London, and suspicion fell on the Scottish ambassadors, who had to urgently flee.

Mary Stuart appeared in court, the death sentence was a foregone conclusion.

“Elizabeth had to make up her mind; she asked Davison for an order to carry out the sentence, and when he brought it, then, forgetting that her mother the queen ended her life on the scaffold, with complete dispassion she signed her name, ordered the large state seal to be attached, and said with a laugh:
“Go and tell Walsingham that Queen Mary is finished.” Just do it carefully, otherwise he is sick, and I am afraid that he will die of surprise.
The joke was all the more cruel because Walsingham, as everyone knew, was the most implacable enemy of the Scottish queen,” Dumas paints.

The news of the death was reported to the queen by the Earl of Kent; according to Dumas, the count said the phrase:
“Milady, do not hold a grudge against us for your death: it is necessary for the peace of the state and the success of the new religion.”

The theme of religious warriors is often seen in Dumas's novels. In his version of the story of the death of Mary Stuart, Dumas cites a heated debate between the Earl of Kent and the queen on the topic “whose religion is better.” This caused me bewilderment, even after bringing the news of death, the fanatic continues to preach, and the queen no less fanatically proves to him the superiority of her faith.

“My lady,” said the Earl of Kent, approaching the table and pointing to the New Testament, “this book on which you swear is not real, because it is the papist version, and therefore your oath should be considered no more reliable than the book on which it has been brought."

Mary Stuart's dying requests were: for the execution to be public, burial in France, a decent pension for her faithful servants and their return to their homeland. The queen was denied burial in France, they promised to take care of the servants, and a public execution was scheduled in advance.

The execution was scheduled for the next day at 8 am.
The Queen's personal physician asked that the sentence be postponed for at least a day. There is too little time to say goodbye to life. However, the messengers replied, “We cannot move for a minute.”

When the messengers left, Mary Stuart plunged into prayer, then counted her money and put it into wallets, to which she attached notes indicating which wallet was intended for which of the servants.

It's terrible, but the executioner failed to cut off the queen's head on the first try...

A colorful description of the execution is present in the novel by Stefan Zweig:
“In every execution, no matter how brutal it may be, in the midst of all the horrors there is a glimpse of human greatness; thus, before touching the victim to kill or torture her, the executioner had to ask her forgiveness for his crime against her living flesh. And now the executioner and his henchman, hidden under masks, kneel before Mary Stuart and ask her forgiveness for being forced to prepare her death. And Mary Stuart answers them: “I forgive you with all my heart, for in death I see the solution to all my earthly torments.” And only then the executioner and his henchman begin preparations.

Meanwhile, both women undress Mary Stuart. She herself helps them remove the “agnus dei” chain from their necks [* * * - Divine Lamb (Latin) – an image of a lamb cast in wax, symbolizing Christ]. At the same time, her hands do not tremble, and, according to the messenger of her worst enemy Cecil, she is “in such a hurry, as if she couldn’t wait to leave this world.” As soon as the black cloak and dark robes fall from her shoulders, the crimson underwear beneath them flares up hotly, and when the servants pull fiery gloves onto her hands, a blood-red flame seems to flare up in front of the audience - a magnificent, unforgettable sight. And so the farewell begins. The Queen hugs the servants and asks them not to lament and cry sobbing. And only then does she kneel on the pillow and read the psalm loudly, aloud: “In te, domine, confido, ne confundar in aeternum” [* * * - In you, Lord, I trust, let me never be ashamed (lat.) - Psalm 71.].

And now there is little left for her: to drop her head on the deck, which she wraps her arms around, like the beloved of an afterlife groom. Until the last minute, Mary Stuart was faithful to royal greatness. Not a single movement, not a single word shows fear. The daughter of the Tudors, Stuarts and Guises prepared to die with dignity. But what does all human dignity and all inherited and acquired self-control mean in the face of that monstrous thing that is inherent in any murder! Never - and this is where all the books and reports lie - the execution of a human being can represent something romantically pure and sublime. Death under the executioner's ax remains, in any case, a terrible, disgusting sight, a vile massacre.

At first the executioner missed; his first blow did not hit the neck, but hit the back of the head dully - a strangled wheezing, dull groans escaped from the sufferer. The second blow deeply cut the neck, blood sprayed out like a fountain. And only the third blow separated the head from the body. And one more terrible detail: when the executioner grabs the head by the hair to show it to the audience, his hand is only holding the wig. The head falls out and, covered in blood, rolls along the wooden floor with a crash like a bowling tiara. When the executioner bends down a second time and lifts her high, everyone looks in numbness: before them is a ghostly vision - the shorn gray head of an old woman. For a moment, horror grips the audience, everyone holds their breath, no one utters a word. And only the priest from Petersborough, finally coming to his senses, hoarsely exclaims: “Long live the Queen!”

With a motionless, dull gaze, the unfamiliar wax head looks at the nobles, who, if the lot had turned out differently, would have been her most obedient servants and exemplary subjects. For another quarter of an hour, the lips tremble convulsively, having suppressed the fear of the earthly creature with superhuman effort; clenched teeth grind. Sparing the feelings of the audience, a black cloth is hastily thrown over the headless body and Medusa’s head. Amid the dead silence, the servants hurry to carry away their gloomy burden, but then an unexpected incident dispels the superstitious horror that has gripped everyone. For at that moment, when the executioners lift the bloody corpse to take it to the next room, where it will be embalmed, something moves under the folds of clothing.

Unnoticed by anyone, the queen's beloved dog tagged along with her and, as if fearing for the fate of her mistress, clung closely to her. Now she jumped out, covered in blood that had not yet dried. The dog barks, bites, squeals, snaps and does not want to leave the corpse. The executioners try in vain to tear her away by force. She does not give in, does not give in to persuasion, fiercely rushes at the huge black monsters who burned her so painfully with the blood of her beloved mistress. With more passion than her own son, than thousands of subjects who swore allegiance to her, the tiny creature fights for her mistress.”

The Queen before her execution. She wanted to give the golden cross to her maid of honor as a gift, but the executioner did not allow it. “It’s mine by law,” he said.

The story of the execution performed by Dumas is no less picturesque.
“...on all four sides the scaffold was fenced with a barrier and covered with black cloth; on it there was a small bench, a cushion to kneel on, and a block, also covered with black cloth.

When, having climbed two steps, the queen mounted it, the executioner approached her, knelt down on one knee and asked forgiveness for being forced to fulfill his duties; at the same time, he hid an ax behind his back, but so awkwardly that Mary Stuart saw him and exclaimed:
- Ah! I would prefer to have my head cut off with a sword, as they do in France!
“It’s not my fault that your Majesty’s last wish cannot be fulfilled,” the executioner answered her. “I was not warned, and I did not take a sword with me, and here I only managed to find an ax, so I will have to use it.” But this will not prevent Your Majesty from forgiving me?
“I forgive you, my friend,” said Mary Stuart, “and as proof, here is my hand, you can kiss it.”

Having touched her hand, the executioner stood up and moved the bench. Mary sat down, on her left stood the Earl of Kent and the Earl of Shrewsbury, the sheriff and the executioner in front of her, Amyas Paulet behind, and behind the barriers around the scaffold crowded the nobles and knights, numbering no less than two hundred and fifty; Robert Beale announced the verdict for the second time; as soon as he began to read it, six servants of Mary Stuart entered the hall; the men stood on a bench near the wall, and the women knelt next to it; Together with the servants, a small spaniel, the queen’s favorite dog, slipped into the hall and, so as not to be driven away, lay down at the feet of the mistress.

The Queen did not listen too attentively, as if other thoughts occupied her; At the same time, her face was quite calm and even joyful, as if they were reading a decree of pardon to her, and not a death sentence; Having finished, Beale loudly shouted: “God save Queen Elizabeth!” - but no one picked up his cry, and Mary Stuart made the sign of the cross over herself, stood up, and her face did not change at all and seemed even more beautiful than usual, and said:

“My lords, I am a queen by birth, a sovereign sovereign, and your laws do not apply to me, moreover, I am the closest relative of the Queen of England and her legal heir.” I was a prisoner in this country for a long time and endured many hardships and evils that no one had the right to inflict on me, and now, to top off all my troubles, I will lose my life. Well, my lords, bear witness that I die a Catholic and thank God for allowing me to die for his holy faith. And I also declare - today, as always, publicly, as well as privately - that I never entered into conspiracies, did not plot or wish for the death of the Queen and did not participate in anything that would be directed against her person. On the contrary, I have always loved her and offered her acceptable and reasonable terms in order to stop the confusion in the kingdom and free me from imprisonment, but never, and you, my lords, know this very well, was I honored to receive an answer from her. Finally, my enemies achieved their goal, which is to kill me. Nevertheless, I forgive them, as I forgive everyone who has ever plotted against me. After my death it will be known who planned all this and who carried it out. I am dying, not blaming anyone for fear that the Lord will hear me and take revenge...

Execution of Mary Stuart

The executioner approached the queen to undress her, but she stood up and said to him:
“My friend, let me do it myself, I know better than you how to do it, especially since I’m not used to being undressed in front of such a crowd of people, and even with the help of such maids.”
She called Anne Kennedy and Elspeth Curle to help her and began to pull the pins out of her cap; the women who came to render the last service to their mistress could not resist and burst into tears, and then she addressed them in French:
– Don’t cry, I vouched for you.
Having said this, she made the sign of the cross over both of them, kissed them on the forehead and asked them to pray for her.

The Queen, having begun to undress herself, as she was accustomed to do before going to bed, first of all took off the golden cross and wanted to give it to Anne, saying to the executioner:
“My friend, I know: everything that is on me belongs to you, but this cross is of no use to you, let me give it to mademoiselle, and she will pay you double the price for it.”
But the executioner, without even allowing her to finish, snatched the cross from her, declaring:
- By law, he is mine.
The Queen, not at all taken aback by such rudeness, continued to take off her clothes until she was left in a corset and petticoat.

After this, she sat down again on the bench, and Anne Kennedy, taking from her pocket a cambric handkerchief trimmed with gold embroidery, chosen by the queen the day before, blindfolded her, which greatly surprised the earls, lords and nobles, since this was not customary in England; Thinking that they would cut off her head in the French style, Maria Stuart sat down on a bench, straightened up and stretched her neck to make it more comfortable for the executioner, but he, confused, stood with an ax in his hands and did not know what to do; Finally, his henchman took the queen by the head and began to pull her towards him, forcing her to kneel. Maria, having guessed what they wanted from her, felt for the block and put her head on it, and put both hands under her chin, from which she did not let go of her prayer book and crucifix, so that she could pray until the very last moment, but the executioner’s assistant pulled her hands out of there, fearing , as if they would not be cut off along with their heads.

When the queen said “In manus tuas, Domine,” the executioner raised his axe, and it was an ordinary axe, such as woodcutters use, and struck a blow, but it struck higher, on the skull, and, although it was so strong, that the prayer book and the crucifix fell out Maria's hands, but did not separate her head. However, the blow stunned the queen, and this gave the executioner the opportunity to repeat it, but this time he failed to cut off the head. Only on the third attempt did he manage to cut the neck.

The executioner raised the severed head and, showing it to those present, said:
- God save Queen Elizabeth!
“And may all her Majesty’s enemies perish in the same way!” – echoing him, shouted the dean from Peterborough.
- Amen! – Count Kent concluded, but no one’s voice joined him: everyone in the hall was crying.

And suddenly only the wig was left in the executioner’s hands, and everyone saw that the queen’s hair was cut short and gray, like that of a seventy-year-old old woman, and her face was so changed by agony that it became completely unrecognizable. Everyone let out a scream, for a terrible sight appeared to them: the queen’s eyes remained open, and her lips moved, as if she was trying to say something, and this convulsive movement of the lips of the severed head did not stop for another quarter of an hour.
Mary Stuart's servants rushed to the scaffold and raised precious relics - a crucifix and a prayer book. Anne Kennedy remembered the spaniel, which was clinging to the legs of its owner, and began to look around, looking for it, but in vain. The dog disappeared.

The executioner's assistant, who at that time was removing the blue satin garters with silver embroidery from the queen's legs, discovered the spaniel hiding under her skirt and pulled him out. But as soon as the henchman let go of the dog, he lay down between the neck and the severed head, which the executioner placed next to the body. The dog was stained with blood, whined, barked, but Ann took him in her arms, as the order was given for everyone to leave the hall. Bourgoin and Gervais lingered and asked Sir Amyas Paulet for permission to take the heart of Mary Stuart in order to take it, as they promised her, to France, but they were very rudely refused, and the guards pushed them out of the hall; only the corpse and the executioner remained behind locked doors.”

Dumas’s description of the funeral is detailed; I also give an excerpt:
“Two hours after the execution, the corpse and head were transferred to the very hall where Mary Stuart appeared before the commission, placed on the table at which the judges sat, and covered with black cloth; there they remained until three o'clock in the afternoon, when the Stanford physician Water and the surgeon from the village of Fotheringay arrived to perform an autopsy and embalm the body; the operation was carried out in the presence of Amyas Polet and the soldiers, so that anyone who wanted could shamelessly look at the deceased; True, the goal set by this vile demonstration was not achieved: a rumor was spread that the queen’s legs were swollen from dropsy, but everyone present at the autopsy was forced to admit that they had never seen such a beautiful, healthy and downright girlishly blooming bodies like that of Mary Stuart, executed after nineteen years of suffering and imprisonment.

The next day, at about eight in the evening, a hearse pulled by four horses with mourning plumes and covered with blankets of black velvet stopped at the gates of Fotheringhay Castle; The hearse itself was also covered with black velvet, and in addition, decorated with small pennants on which were embroidered the coat of arms of Scotland, which belonged to Mary Stuart, and the coat of arms of Aragon, which belonged to Darnley. Behind the hearse rode the master of ceremonies with a retinue of twenty mounted nobles, accompanied by servants and footmen; Having dismounted, the master of ceremonies, at the head of his retinue, proceeded into the hall where the coffin stood, which was lifted and transferred to the hearse with the greatest possible respect; all those who accompanied him uncovered their heads and maintained deep silence...

...At ten in the evening they set off, following the hearse; in front rode the master of ceremonies, accompanied by foot servants who carried torches to light the way, and behind were twenty nobles with their people. At two o'clock in the morning the procession arrived at Peterborough, where there is a magnificent church built by one of the Saxon kings, in which Queen Catherine of Aragon, wife of Henry VIII., is buried to the left of the choir; over this tomb rises a canopy with her coat of arms.
By their arrival, the entire church was already covered in black, a tent had also been erected in the choir, similar to the one erected in France over a hearse, but with one single difference - there were no burning candles around. The tent was made of black velvet and covered with the coats of arms of Scotland and Aragon, which were repeated on the pennants. A coffin was displayed under the tent, but without remains, upholstered in black velvet with silver patterns, on it lay a black velvet pillow, and on it a royal crown.

...The coffin was carried into the church without chants or prayers and in complete silence they were lowered into the grave. As soon as this was done, the masons set to work, covering the grave at floor level, leaving only an opening about a foot and a half by a foot and a half, into which they could see what was inside, and throw into it, as is the custom for the burial of kings, the broken the wands of dignitaries, as well as banners and banners with the coats of arms of the deceased..."

The thoughtful Queen Elizabeth pretended that the execution of Mary Stuart did not occur according to her will:
“However, Elizabeth, true to her character, ran through the first lines and feigned grief and indignation, cried out that her command had been misinterpreted and too hasty, and that Secretary of State Davison was to blame for this, to whom she handed the decree so that he would keep it until she made the final decision. decision, and not at all in order to send him immediately to Fotheringhay. The result was that Davison was sent to the Tower and fined ten thousand pounds for having betrayed the queen's trust."

Death mask of Mary Stuart, the executed queen was 45 years old
Beautiful facial features

In honor of the execution of Mary Stuart, Queen Elizabeth organized public festivities “Simultaneously with the news of the execution, shameless popular celebrations, similar to those that took place when the verdict was announced, resumed. The whole of London was in illuminations, they were burning at every door, the general enthusiasm was so great that the crowd broke into the French embassy and took wood there to support the fires of the dying fires.

After the death of Elizabeth I, Mary's son Stuart became king of England, who transferred his mother's ashes to Westminster Abbey, where Elizabeth was buried. So the rival queens were buried nearby.

At all times and eras, the life of ruling monarchs was full of dangers. Even in those countries where the reigning person was deified, there was no guarantee that ambitious relatives or associates would not try to vacate the throne using poison or a noose. Riots and revolutions also did not promise anything good for monarchs - the rebellious masses were always not averse to bleeding the main symbol of the hated regime. Much less frequently, monarchs ascended to the scaffold following a court verdict. Nevertheless, history knows many examples when reprisals against deposed sovereigns were carried out in accordance with the letter of the law...

Mary Stuart

Mary Stuart became Queen of Scotland when she was six days old, after her father, King James V, died. By that time, there were no male heirs left, and the newborn Mary was proclaimed sovereign.

Mary I Stuart.

The fate of Scotland and Mary herself was decided by the regents, who in the summer of 1543, when the queen was only a few months old, concluded the Treaty of Greenwich, according to which Mary was to marry the son of King Henry VIII of England, Prince Edward, which meant in fact the unification of Scotland and England under under the rule of one royal dynasty.

However, a war soon broke out between England and Scotland, in which King Henry II of France took the side of the Scots. After this, the hand and heart of the little queen were promised to the heir to the French throne, Francis.

In 1558, Mary Stuart became the wife of Francis, and in 1559, after the death of Henry II, the Queen of France. At the same time, Mary Stuart also had rights to the English throne, which by that time had been occupied by her cousin, Elizabeth I.

Wedding of Mary Stuart and the heir to the French throne, Francis. 1558

But soon happiness began to betray Mary. Her husband died a year later at the age of 16. France had enough of its own contenders for the throne, so the 18-year-old Scottish queen was returned to her homeland, where confrontation between various political parties was raging.

Some recognized Mary's authority, others did not. Nevertheless, the queen’s supporters managed to temporarily assert her power. In 1565, Mary married a second time - to her cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. This marriage, in which Mary had a son, Jacob, finally upset the fragile balance of power in Scotland. The queen's opponents began to rebel one after another.

Mary's husband, Lord Darnley, suddenly died under mysterious circumstances. This happened when the queen began to actually openly express her affection for James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, who then became her third husband.

Whether Maria was involved in the death of her legal spouse or not is not known for certain. But her opponents accused the queen of adultery and the murder of her husband, raising an uprising against the “criminal and adulteress.”

Mary Stuart and Lord Darnley. 1565

In June 1567, Mary Stuart's army was defeated, and the queen herself was forced to abdicate in favor of her son. The deposed Queen of Scots then fled to England, hoping for help from her cousin Elizabeth.

Elizabeth I, however, did not support Mary in the struggle for the Scottish crown. She was extremely embarrassed by the fact that Mary Stuart never renounced her claims to the English throne, which, however, she did not say out loud.

Deprived of her crown, friends and son, Mary Stuart lived under surveillance at Sheffield Castle. She did not want to accept her fate and fell into the trap of being drawn into provocative correspondence, which talked about an alleged plot to overthrow Elizabeth and put Mary Stuart on the throne.

The correspondence fell into the hands of Elizabeth, who brought her cousin to trial. The English royal court found Mary Stuart guilty of high treason and sentenced her to death.

Mary Stuart. The night before execution.

After the death of Elizabeth I, the English throne passed to the son of Mary Stuart, who became king of England and Scotland under the name James I. In 1612, on his orders, the remains of his mother were transferred to Westminster Abbey, where they were buried in close proximity to the grave of Queen Elizabeth.

Charles I

The fate of Mary Stuart was shared by her grandson, King Charles I of England. The second son of James I, Charles, became heir to the English throne after the unexpected death of his elder brother, Prince Henry.

In 1625, Charles I ascended to the English throne. His policy can hardly be considered balanced and reasonable - during a quarter of a century of rule, the king, who strived for absolutism, ruined relations with almost all layers of English society.

Predatory taxes, ruinous wars, ill-conceived religious reforms led to a large-scale uprising breaking out in Scotland in 1637. The king was ready to make concessions, but the political crisis only grew and in 1642 escalated into a full-scale civil war in England.

Charles I.

On July 14, 1645, the royal army was defeated at the Battle of Nesby. Charles fled to Scotland, where he found himself virtually in the position of a prisoner. In 1647, the Scots surrendered the monarch to the English Parliament for £400,000.

But even after this, neither Charles I himself nor his moderate opponents could even think that the king would face the scaffold.

The head of the parliamentary army, Oliver Cromwell, was ready to conclude an agreement with Charles that would allow the king to remain in power, but the monarch, not feeling the seriousness of his position, did not accept the conditions, continuing secret negotiations with various political forces.

The fact that the deposed king continued to intrigue became known to the radical officers of the parliamentary army. Having expelled the moderates from parliament, they secured a trial against Charles I. The verdict in such conditions was beyond doubt.

The trial of Charles the First.

On January 30, 1649, Charles I ascended the scaffold at Whitehall. Before his death, the monarch made a speech in defense of absolutism, after which the executioner deprived him of his head. After the execution, the head was sewn to the body and the remains were taken to Windsor, where they were buried.

Louis XVI

When the rebels of Paris stormed the Bastille in 1789, King Louis XVI of France exclaimed: “But this is a riot!” “No, Your Majesty, this is a revolution,” one of those close to him corrected the monarch.

Louis XVI is perhaps the most famous of the monarchs to ascend the scaffold. The French king, who gained power at a time when the era of absolutism was coming to an end, was not able to understand the seriousness of the changes taking place around him.

Louis XVI.

That is why, in the first period of the Great French Revolution, when it was only about limiting the rights of the monarch, and not about his deposition, Louis made a fatal mistake, planning to “punish the mob” and return everything to normal.

On the night of June 21, 1791, the king and his family secretly traveled towards the border, hoping, with the help of other monarchs, to restore the previous order in France.

The king was recognized and returned to Paris under escort. His authority in the eyes of the people collapsed. Moreover, even after returning to Paris, the king did not stop contacts with foreign counter-revolutionaries.

As a result, the king was deposed and put on trial in January 1793 on charges of conspiring against the freedom of the nation and a number of attacks on the security of the state. The king was tried by the Convention, which on January 20, 1793, by a vote of 383 to 310, sentenced him to death.

Execution of Louis XVI.

The matter was not shelved, and on January 21, 1793, Louis XVI ascended the scaffold. Before execution he said: “ I die innocent, I am innocent of the crimes of which I am accused. I am telling you this from the scaffold, preparing to appear before God. And I forgive everyone who is responsible for my death.”

Louis XVI, figuratively speaking, became a “victim of progress” - he became the first monarch to be beheaded by the guillotine.

Joachim Murat

Not everyone knows that one of Napoleon’s most brilliant commanders was rewarded with a royal crown. In 1808, the marshal became king of Naples.

This step did a disservice to both Napoleon and Murat. The French emperor, who during the Napoleonic wars won many European thrones for his relatives and associates, very quickly realized that he had made a serious mistake. The newly-minted monarchs began to weave intrigues against their benefactor, greatly complicating his life.

Murat, married to Napoleon's sister, was no exception.

Joachim Murat.

In 1814, the king of Naples concluded a secret treaty with Austria and sided with Napoleon's opponents. True, Murat did not show any activity, trying to negotiate the best conditions for himself either from the coalition or from Napoleon.

The French emperor wrote to his protege: “The title of king has torn your head off. If you want to keep it, position yourself correctly and keep your word.”

While this issue was being resolved, Napoleon fled Elba and again seized power in France. The famous “100 days” have begun. Murat again decided to switch sides and declared war on Austria, but was very quickly defeated.

Then Murat decided to go to France and again join Napoleon’s troops, but the emperor did not accept him. Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo actually put an end to Murat's royal ambitions. He took refuge in Corsica with a small group of supporters.

Joachim Murat on his way to Corsica.

Austria condescendingly gave him a chance to meet his old age with dignity, issuing a passport to Murat on the condition that he renounce the title of king and submit to Austrian laws, granting the title of count and residence in Bohemia.

But Murat decided to do the same thing that Napoleon had previously done. He decided to land in Naples in the hope that the local residents would support him. However, the ships with Murat's supporters were caught in a storm, and in the end he abandoned his plans.

On October 8, 1815, Murat with 28 soldiers in full uniform landed on the shore in Calabria near the town of Pizzo. This penchant for special effects cost him his life. He was soon detained by the gendarmes, who placed him in prison.

During interrogations, Murat argued that he landed on shore without the intention of causing an uprising, having been swept away by a storm. This was almost true - by the time of the landing there was no talk of an uprising. But to Murat’s misfortune, in his things they found a proclamation calling for an uprising, which they forgot to destroy during the landing.

Execution of Joachim Murat.

On October 13, 1815, a military court sentenced Murat to death with immediate execution. Standing in front of the soldiers, Murat kissed the medallion with his wife’s portrait and commanded: “Save face, aim for the heart!” After which he was shot in a salvo from 12 guns.

Maximilian I

Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph von Habsburg, the younger brother of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, became commander of the empire's fleet at the age of 22. This was not a nominal position - Maximilian devoted a lot of time to the development of the fleet, the construction of new bases, and scientific research.

Things turned out much worse with my political career. In 1857, he was appointed viceroy of Lombardy, but two years later his elder brother Franz Joseph removed him from office, outraged by the viceroy's excessive liberalism.

Maximilian, married to the Belgian Princess Charlotte, had no children. The couple adopted the grandchildren of Emperor Agustin Iturbide of Mexico.

This happened after Maximilian, with the support of the French Emperor Napoleon III, was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico in 1863.

Maximilian I.

Agustin Iturbide, whose grandchildren were adopted by Maximilian, was the first emperor of Mexico. The fight against opponents of the monarchical system ended with the death penalty for him in 1824.

By the time Maximilian I became emperor, the situation in Mexico had not changed at all, and the monarchy had more than enough opponents, unlike supporters. In fact, the power of Maximilian I rested only on the bayonets of the French troops.

The liberal emperor wrote letters to his main opponent, Republican leader Benito Juarez, with a proposal to join forces in leading the country out of the crisis.

The policies of Maximilian I really did not differ much from the policies of the Republicans, which greatly irritated the conservatives who relied on him. On the other hand, the Republicans did not agree to reconciliation with the monarch.

When the American Civil War ended, the United States began to support the Republicans, while France withdrew its troops from Mexico. It became clear that the power of Maximilian I was about to collapse.

The emperor, however, decided to gather his army. To win the support of conservatives in the Mexican army, he supported a number of their initiatives, including a proposal to shoot on sight for Republican supporters captured in arms. Perhaps it was this last decision that cost the emperor his life.

The last minutes of the life of Emperor Maximilian I.

Surrounded by the remnants of his army, he was captured. The liberal views of the 34-year-old emperor were known throughout the world, so prominent politicians and public figures called on Benito Juarez to pardon the deposed monarch. Juárez, however, placed the emperor's fate in the hands of a military court, which sentenced to death "Maximilian of Habsburg, who calls himself Emperor of Mexico."

On June 19, 1867, Maximilian I, along with the generals Miguel Miramon and Tomas Mejía who remained loyal to him, was shot on the Las Campanas hill.

The body of the executed emperor was taken to his homeland, Austria, and buried in the Imperial Crypt of the Vienna Kapuzinerkirche.

Queen Elizabeth I and her rival

The material was “taken away” from the site http://site/

After the death of her young but sickly husband Francis II in 1561, she returned to Scotland. Four years later, when she turned 23, she became his wife Henry Darnley. This marriage turned out to be extremely unsuccessful, since Darnley himself had a weak personality and clearly could not keep up with his active wife. He was a limited and weak-willed person.

As a result of the conspiracy, Darnley was killed by the Scottish lords. At the head of this dangerous undertaking was the Earl of Bothwell, the future third husband of Mary Stuart. Despite the fact that the queen was aware of the impending attempt on her life Darnley's wife, she did nothing, and, in fact, was indirectly responsible for his death. Her quick marriage to Bothwell led to an uprising in the country. The Scottish nobility took up arms against them, so Mary Stuart was forced to flee to neighboring England. There she was caught and imprisoned, by order Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart

Numerous attempts were made to free her, but they all ended in failure. Even representatives of the English nobility took part in these attempts, primarily Lord Norfolk, who paid for this with his life, as well as all the other conspirators who tried to rescue Mary Stuart from imprisonment. Until recently she did not want to resort to extreme measures against her restless relative, but she left her no choice. It became clear that a living Mary would pose a constant threat to her power. Therefore, according to the verdict of the English court, signed by Elizabeth, the Scottish Queen Mary Stuart was beheaded in 1587. The sentence was carried out at Fotheringhay Castle.

This is the outwardly dramatic fate of the Scottish queen, who had a frantic character and ardent nature. Subsequently, England and Scotland would still unite when James I, the son of Mary Stuart from her marriage to Darnley, ascended to the throne of England.

Refusing to share her power with her husband, she remained childless, thereby ending the Tudor dynasty. It was rumored, however, that she had an affair with Sir Robert Dudley, which lasted until his death. Despite the fact that the queen herself claimed that their love was purely platonic and she remained a virgin until her death, there is evidence to the contrary. One of the letters found under Francis Engelfield, a Spanish minister who spied at the English court for many years, mentioned the arrest of an Englishman suspected of espionage. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted that he was the illegitimate son of Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, and his name was Arthur Dudley. Many historians are inclined to believe this version...

Oh no, I won't wear a starched petticoat! No, only silk,” Elizabeth told the main custodian of the royal wardrobe. - Yes, starch maintains the shape of clothes well; Yes, we don’t need much time to get dressed, but how many other hassles arise with these starched things! The slightest contact can be disastrous for a starched skirt, and in the wind it inflates like a sail and flutters like a swaddle... A silk skirt, please, it is nicer and more comfortable. Silk skirt with silver embroidery.

Silk is light, like the gentle touch of a hand, it trembles and bends, like a girl’s figure in the arms of a dear friend - isn’t it, my child? - the queen added with a smile, turning to her beloved maid of honor Jane.

“You’re right, madam,” she answered, “silk is very pleasant to the body.”

What about my dear friend? - the queen continued to smile.

You're embarrassing me, madam...

Well, well, well, my dear! - the queen patted her on the cheek. - When should we gossip, if not while getting dressed in the morning? Everyone here is our own and we don’t have to worry that our little secrets will become known to the court... What about your young gentleman? His name is Anthony, I think? Do you like him, admit it?

But madam, I didn’t think... - Jane answered, but the queen interrupted her:

The underdress is also silk, white,” she told the main keeper of the wardrobe. - With silver and blue stones from Persia - what are they called? I forgot...

So do you like your Anthony? - the queen turned to the maid of honor.

“He’s not mine at all, madam,” Jane objected.

Yes? In vain. The men we like should be entirely ours. You don’t need to make a lot of effort for this, because men by nature are surprisingly simple and ingenuous, and we can do whatever we want with them. You won’t believe it, Jenny,” the queen whispered, leaning towards the lady-in-waiting’s ear, “but I have to pretend when talking with Sir William and Sir Francis in order not to offend them: I often feign lack of understanding when I have long understood everything, the amazement of which there is no trace of it, and admiration, sometimes hiding annoyance. We, women, extol men not according to their merits, and especially those we love - it’s in our blood...

The outer dress is made of velvet, if you please,” the queen said to the chief keeper of the wardrobe. - No, not that! It won't fit the hoops, it's less than four feet wide - it needs to be sold. You can put a good price on it, right? The dress worn by Elizabeth, the ruler of England by God's grace, cannot be cheap... But give me another one, made of red velvet, stitched with gold thread. Yes, yes, this is, it is fashionable: with puffs on the shoulders, with a rigid bodice and a deep neckline.

A deep neckline is simply necessary for ladies who are not noted for beauty,” the queen said with a grin, looking at Jane. - It attracts the gaze of men, making them forget about our shortcomings.

Elizabeth's courtiers were perplexed why they were called to the Throne Room: Her Majesty's negotiations with the ambassador were a secret matter and were usually conducted in the presence of those closest to Elizabeth, but today there were too many people here.

Her Majesty, Queen of England! - shouted the important master of ceremonies, hitting his cane on the floor.

Everyone knelt down and froze; the queen walked to the throne and took her place.

The courtiers rose, and a whisper swept through the hall: under Elizabeth there was not a single royal regalia, and meanwhile, the Spanish ambassador arrived at the palace on an official visit. Such disregard for etiquette could mean one of two things: either Elizabeth showed open disdain for the ambassador, or she, on the contrary, emphasized a particularly trusting, friendly relationship with him. The latter was unlikely: everyone knew that the queen did not like Don Bernardino, she was outraged by the ambassador’s intrigues directed against her, but Elizabeth was even more indignant at the policy of the Spanish sovereign, which he had been pursuing lately.

A scandal was brewing. The courtiers looked impatiently at the open main doors of the hall and glanced at the master of ceremonies standing near them, who was supposed to announce the arrival of Don Bernardino. Finally, the master of ceremonies struck his cane and proclaimed:

His Grace Don Bernardino de Mendoza, Ambassador Plenipotentiary of His Majesty Philip the Second, King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, the Netherlands, Supreme Overlord of the Holy Roman Empire, King of the West Indies - and so on, so on, so on!

Don Bernardino entered the hall at the head of his retinue. He looked arrogant, his lips were compressed contemptuously, his eyes were cold. Glancing sideways at Elizabeth's courtiers, he paused for a moment, and then signaled to his retinue to follow him: if the queen wishes to conduct a conversation in front of witnesses, so be it.

The ambassador walked through the entire hall, stopped in front of the dais with the throne and bowed to the queen. Then he looked up at her and became numb. There was no crown on Elizabeth’s head, the queen had no regalia at all - moreover, her hands were bare, without gloves!