For More Events on This Day in Scottish History - https://bagtownclans.com/index.php/thisday/may-8/
Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I’m your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we reflect on a poignant and controversial chapter in the turbulent history of the British Isles—the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, on this day, May 8th, 1587. A queen born to rule, entangled in dynastic rivalry, political intrigue, and religious upheaval, her death sent shockwaves through Europe and forever changed the course of Scottish and English relations. And if you’re curious about other pivotal events that happened on this day in history, be sure to check out my blog at bagtownclans.com/thisday. You’ll find the link in the description.
Mary Stuart was born into the storm. Just six days old when she became Queen of Scots, her life was shaped by both destiny and danger. Raised in the opulent courts of France, she was a queen who wielded beauty, charm, and intelligence in equal measure. Yet, as fate would have it, her return to rule in Scotland was far from triumphant. She stepped into a land deeply divided by religious strife—Catholics versus Protestants—and burdened by noble factions, each vying for influence over the throne.
Mary's reign in Scotland was marked by controversy and tragedy. Her marriage to Henry, Lord Darnley, a union intended to solidify her claim to both the Scottish and English thrones, quickly unraveled in scandal. Darnley was murdered in 1567 under suspicious circumstances, and Mary’s subsequent marriage to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell—widely suspected of orchestrating Darnley’s death—turned public opinion against her. Forced to abdicate in favor of her infant son, James VI, Mary fled across the border into England, seeking the protection of her cousin, Elizabeth I.
It was a fateful decision. Instead of sanctuary, Mary found herself a prisoner. For nearly nineteen years, she lived in confinement under the watchful eye of English wardens, a queen without a throne, her very presence a threat to the Protestant crown. To English Catholics, she was the rightful monarch, and to foreign powers like Spain, she was a rallying symbol for restoring Catholic rule in England.
Her downfall came with the Babington Plot—a conspiracy aimed at assassinating Elizabeth and placing Mary on the English throne. Whether Mary truly sanctioned the plot remains a matter of historical debate. But letters intercepted and decoded by Elizabeth’s spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, provided enough evidence to seal her fate. In a closed trial, Mary was found guilty of treason. The sentence: death.
On the morning of February 8, 1587, Mary faced her execution at Fotheringhay Castle with a grace that stunned even her enemies. Dressed in a gown of black velvet, she descended the scaffold steps with dignity. She spoke words of forgiveness and reaffirmed her Catholic faith, refusing a Protestant minister. And then, in a grim and botched execution that required three strokes of the axe, Mary, Queen of Scots, met her end.
Her death was more than the end of a life—it was a political earthquake. Across Catholic Europe, outrage was swift and fierce. In Scotland, the reaction was more complex. James VI, her son, was deeply grieved and publicly condemned the execution. For a time, diplomatic relations between Scotland and England were severed. Yet James, ever the pragmatist, bided his time. When Elizabeth died in 1603, it was James who would inherit the English throne, uniting the crowns of Scotland and England as James I of Great Britain.
In the centuries since, Mary has been remembered in vastly different lights. To some, she is a tragic heroine—a martyr sacrificed to English paranoia and Protestant ambition. To others, a political actor undone by her own missteps and romantic entanglements. What cannot be denied is her enduring legacy. Her life and death have inspired poets, painters, and playwrights for generations.
Today, Mary’s story reminds us of the dangerous currents of power, faith, and identity that have always shaped the destiny of nations. Her execution was not just the silencing of a rival—it was a moment that defined an era, pitting monarchy against monarchy, church against church, and cousin against cousin.
Thank you for joining me today on This Day in Scottish History. I hope you’ve found today’s tale as haunting and powerful as I have. For more stories of courage, intrigue, and upheaval from Scotland’s rich past, visit my blog at bagtownclans.com/thisday. I’m Colin MacDonald—Haste Ye Back!
Share this post