Just a Queen (22 page)

There, I had said it.

‘Are you sure that is what you wish me to write, Your Grace? It is a terrible thing to ask any God-fearing man to do, even one as loyal to you as Sir Amyas.'

‘Do not presume to prate to me, master secretary. You – all of you – are very happy to see the Queen of Scots dispatched from this world, aye, and in a horrifying and bloodthirsty manner. You are pleased as long as the responsibility for her judicial murder is carried by me and not by you. I beg you – you who profess undying love for me at every opportunity – to dispatch her quietly, gently even, with a pillow, perhaps, or a strong sleeping draught, so we achieve the same end but without the heavy price you wish me and her to pay – and you answer that it offends your morals!'

‘There is a difference between carrying out the sentence of a legally constituted court according to
the law of the land, done publicly and without shame or subterfuge, and the stealthy hand of the assassin, Your Grace.'

‘Do not lecture me, Master Davison!' I could feel spittle flying from my lips with every word. ‘Write it as I have commanded you.'

The man flinched in the face of my fury and did as he was told, but I knew that he wrote every word with great and horrified reluctance.

For all my passion, no one – not Davison and certainly not the upright Sir Amyas Paulet – would help relieve me of my onerous task. Indeed, if my secretary had been horrified by my request, Sir Amyas was even more appalled. His written lecture about the reasons for his refusal to carry out my wishes was too stinging for me to read.

Now, as I look back on my behaviour in the dark days leading to Mary's martyrdom, I think I was half mad. I gave one contradictory instruction after another. One minute I was all set to execute the warrant, the next I was desperate for my servants to do no such thing. Poor Master Davison (I must tell Cecil to get him out of the Tower) looked grey as he scurried this way and that, carrying contradictory messages. Eventually Cecil, Hatton and Davison could stand the confusion no longer. They decided that as they had a signed warrant for Mary's execution, they would proceed without further consultation. All the men of my privy council, gathered together in haste, agreed. All had decided they would prefer to weather my fury after the deed was done than exist in a maelstrom of panic and indecision any longer. I have been furious with them all. (I cannot ask Cecil to see to Davison's release; he is still banished.) And I remain angry at their presumption. Would they have treated a king so? I cannot help wondering.

On 7th February, unknown to me, they told Mary she was to die on the next morning. Her attendants lamented the lack of time she had to prepare, but Mary accepted the news with composure. If such a fate is to be yours, methinks it is easier to have it come quickly, than in stops and starts as it did for my poor mother. Mary met her grisly fate at 8 o'clock the next day at Fotheringay, where she had been tried and held under sentence of death. When her weeping ladies hesitated at the foot of the scaffold from dread, it was Mary who steadied them. ‘
Allons donc
,' she said – so let us go. She died horribly (two blows, sweet Jesu, two blows) and I do not want to think upon her last moments. It will undo me yet again if I allow myself to conjure the scene in my head.

Cecil was afraid to tell me of what had been done in my name and no wonder. I knew something was amiss the moment I saw him. He had scratched at his beard so thoroughly that I could glimpse little scabs on his chin. For a mad moment I hoped he was going to tell me Mary had died of natural causes – whether with the help of Sir Amyas Paulet or not I would not enquire. But then it dawned on me that such news would be good, not bad, given our current predicament and a dread presentiment fell upon me.

‘The Queen of Scots was executed this morning at Fotheringay according to the deed of warrant and the sentence imposed upon her by the court.'

‘The deed is done, my lord? Even without my say so?'

‘It is, Your Grace. The council decided to proceed, it being neither fit nor convenient to trouble Your Majesty about it any further.'

I was so amazed by this unexpected development that I did not, at first, quite know how to react to Cecil's news. ‘I suppose it had to be done, my lord.'

I could see the relief on his face. ‘It had to be done, Your Majesty. May the Lord have mercy upon her soul.'

‘And upon mine, my lord.'

‘Your Majesty has nothing to beg forgiveness for. You have carried out her lawful sentence, as is your right under God.'

I think I suffered from a kind of shock when I first heard the news – a numbness of the soul and of conscience. It was not until the middle of the night when the full horror of what I had done forcibly presented itself to me. I fell asleep easily that night, not a common occurrence lately, perhaps from exhaustion, I know not. But I woke with a start in the witching hours and the full weight of what I had done descended upon me.

The next morning, sleepless and distraught, I commanded
Davison be taken to the Tower, threatened to have him hanged and then I summoned Cecil to come before me.

‘You, William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, are a traitor, a false dissembler and a wicked wretch! You are to leave my court this instant and you are not to return until I send you word. You have acted without my leave and usurped your natural position. You are subordinate to me. I am your master and you are not mine and I see that you have forgotten it. Get out of my sight!'

And he left, almost weeping.

I was dry-eyed, but trembling with rage and fury. Leaving my attendants without a word, I shut myself in my chamber for these past four days and four nights.

I am calmer now. I am back at my desk, although I still mourn for my poor cousin and for my own reputation. My hand as I hold my pen, I notice, still shakes a little. While I have been in my apartments, protests have arrived from around the world. My name is spoken with horror and my deed condemned from thrones and pulpits, in alehouses and cottages. It is as I knew it would be, yet I feel a quieter grief than I did when I first shut myself away in my extremity. It has done me good to relate the story of Mary's calamitous reign and her tragic history. It has shown me that what has happened was inevitable. I do not know if it was ordained by almighty God that I must kill my cousin. I do not know if that was his plan or whether by her sins and impetuousness Mary disrupted his plan and so set herself on the path of her own destruction. I do know this, from the moment of Darnley's mysterious death and her subsequent marriage to James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, there was no saving her.

If I am to suffer eternal damnation for the killing of an anointed queen, so be it. If I am to be judged harshly by history for Mary's death, then so be it. It is done. It cannot be undone. I know now what my penance must be. Mary said the words herself as she walked with such courage and dignity towards her execution.

Allons donc
.

I must go on.

Cast of Characters

HOUSEHOLD OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I

KATHERINE (KAT) ASHLEY, nee CHAMPERNOWNE (1502–1565)

Governess to Princess Elizabeth from 1537, she married Sir John Ashley, Elizabeth's senior gentleman attendant and cousin of Anne Boleyn. On Elizabeth's accession she became chief gentlewoman of the privy chamber until her death.

BLANCHE PARRY (1507–1590)

Attendant to Princess Elizabeth from 1533 and cousin to William Cecil. On Kat Ashley's death, she became Queen Elizabeth's chief gentlewoman of the privy chamber. Like her mistress, she never married.

PHILADELPHIA CAREY (LADY SCROPE) (1552–1627)

Daughter of Elizabeth I's first cousin Henry Carey, 1st Baron of Hunsdon, she was lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I from 1558 until the queen died in 1603. She married Thomas Scrope, 10th Baron of Scrope and went on to serve Queen Anne (wife of James I).

MARY SIDNEY, nee DUDLEY (1530–1586)

Daughter of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland (executed for treason in 1553), and sister of Robin Dudley, Earl of Leicester, she was lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I from her accession in 1558 until retiring due to ill health in 1579. She was also the mother of Sir Philip Sidney.

CATHERINE KNOLLYS, nee CAREY (1524–1569)

First cousin to Elizabeth I, she was the daughter of Anne Boleyn's sister, Mary, and her husband, Sir William Carey, although rumours persisted that her father was Henry VIII, which would have made her Elizabeth's half-sister. She was made chief lady of the bedchamber on Elizabeth's accession. She married Sir Francis Knollys.

BESS THROCKMORTON (1565–1647)

Daughter of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, she was lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I from 1584. In 1591 she married Sir Walter Raleigh, a secret marriage which gained Elizabeth's lasting disapproval.

LETTICE KNOLLYS, COUNTESS OF ESSEX (1543–1634)

Daughter of Francis Knollys and Catherine Carey, Lettice Knollys was Elizabeth I's first cousin once removed. Maid of the privy chamber from 1559, she married her second husband Robert Dudley in 1578 and was banished from court. Her son was Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex.

COURT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I

ELIZABETH TUDOR, QUEEN OF ENGLAND (1533–1603)

Youngest daughter of Henry VIII and only child of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, she ruled England single-handedly for almost forty-five years.

WILLIAM CECIL, 1st BARON OF BURLEIGH (1520–1598)

Member of parliament and political advisor, he was first a servant of Edward VI, then Mary I, finally transferring his allegiance to Elizabeth before she inherited the throne. He then served as her chief councillor until his death. She made him Lord Burleigh in recognition of his great service and regarded him as a father figure.

ROBERT or ROBIN DUDLEY, EARL OF LEICESTER (1532–1588)

Playmates as children, he was Elizabeth's great friend and favourite, becoming her master of horse on her accession. Many considered he was her one true love and there were rumours they would marry when his first wife died in mysterious circumstances. They never did; he later married the Countess of Essex. Elizabeth I made him Earl of Leicester and he was the most richly rewarded of her courtiers.

AMY DUDLEY, nee ROBSART (1532–1560)

Robin Dudley's first wife, she was found dead at the bottom of the staircase at their home in Cumnor Place, her neck broken. Rumours that her husband had her murdered so he could marry Elizabeth I continue to this day.

SIR CHRISTOPHER HATTON (1540–1591)

Member of parliament and favourite of Elizabeth I, from gentleman pensioner and a gentleman of the privy chamber, he rose to become Elizabeth's lord chancellor and a knight of the garter.

SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM (1532–1590)

Principal secretary to Elizabeth I from 1573 until his death, he was popularly remembered as her spymaster.

WILLIAM DAVISON (1541–1608)

Secretary to Elizabeth I, he was made the scapegoat for the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was arrested and imprisoned, tried and fined. Released in 1589 he never again worked for Elizabeth.

SIR FRANCIS KNOLLYS (1511–1596)

He served both Elizabeth I's father and brother, but as a staunch Protestant and relative by marriage to Anne Boleyn, he fell from favour when her sister came to the throne. Reinstated under Elizabeth, he rose from vice-chamberlain of her household to treasurer. He married Elizabeth's cousin Catherine Carey.

OWEN OGLETHORPE, CATHOLIC BISHOP OF CARLISLE (unknown–1559)

He was the only bishop prepared to officiate at Elizabeth I's coronation.

NICHOLAS THROCKMORTON (1515–1571)

Elizabeth I's ambassador to France and then Scotland, he was always suspected of being too close to Mary, Queen of Scots. He was also implicated in the Duke of Norfolk's plot to marry the Scottish queen. He was the father of Bess Throckmorton.

ALEXANDER NOWELL, DEAN OF ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL (1507–1602)

Protestant clergyman who was Dean of St Paul's Cathedral for much of Elizabeth I's reign. After a sermon lecturing her about marriage it is said she never spoke to him again.

THOMAS HOWARD, 4th DUKE OF NORFOLK (1536–1572)

The pre-eminent nobleman in Elizabeth I's court, he was also her second cousin through her grandmother Elizabeth Boleyn, nee Howard. He held many prominent positions despite his Catholic sympathies until he was suspected of plotting to marry Mary, Queen of Scots. He was eventually executed for treason for his part in the Ridolfi conspiracy.

RICHARD TOPCLIFFE (1531–1604)

A member of parliament, he worked for both Walsingham and Cecil as an investigator and, most famously, interrogator. He was fanatically anti-Catholic and gained a reputation as a sadistic torturer.

MATTHEW PARKER, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY (1504–1575)

Originally chaplain to Anne Boleyn, he was an influential Anglican theologian chosen by Elizabeth I to be Archbishop of Canterbury. His moderate approach matched the queen's own.

THOMAS PERCY, 7th EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND (1528–1572)

His father, Sir Thomas Percy, was executed as the chief instigator of the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion during Henry VIII's rule. He was one of the driving forces behind the Rising of the North. He was executed for his part in the rebellion in York and the title passed to his brother, Henry Percy.

CHARLES NEVILLE (6th EARL OF WESTMORLAND) (1542–1601)

A devout Catholic, he was the leader of the Rising of the North against Elizabeth I. He escaped to Flanders where he lived in poverty. In 1588 he commanded an English force as part of the planned Spanish invasion of England – the Spanish Armada. He never returned to England.

JANE NEVILLE, nee HOWARD, COUNTESS OF WESTMORLAND (1533–1593)

Wife of the exiled Earl of Westmorland and sister of the executed Duke of Norfolk, Jane was heavily implicated in the Rising of the North and the plot to marry her brother to Mary, Queen of Scots. She lived under house arrest after the failure of the rebellion in 1569 until her death.

SIR WILLIAM WADE (1546–1623)

A politician and informant, he was prominent in the prosecution of Mary, Queen of Scots, interviewing her in 1584, and then in 1585, searching her apartments for incriminating papers and arresting her secretaries.

SIR PHILIP SIDNEY (1554–1586)

A poet, intellectual and soldier, he was the son of Elizabeth I's great friend and attendant Mary Sidney and nephew of her favourite Robin Dudley. He was killed fighting the Spanish in the ill-fated expedition to help the Protestant Dutch.

ANTHONY BABINGTON (1561–1586)

A prominent Catholic nobleman, he was convicted of plotting the assassination of Elizabeth I to put Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne. Along with his co-conspirators he was hung, drawn and quartered.

SIR AMYAS PAULET (1532–1588)

A hardline puritan, he was appointed gaoler to Mary, Queen of Scots and was present at her execution.

GEORGE TALBOT, 6th EARL OF SHREWSBURY (1528–1590)

The longest serving gaoler of Mary, Queen of Scots, he was responsible for her at Tutbury, Wingfield, Chatsworth and Sheffield.

ELIZABETH TALBOT, COUNTESS OF SHREWSBURY (1527–1608)

The Earl of Shrewsbury was her fourth and final husband. With him, she became the gaoler and friend to Mary, Queen of Scots. The exiled queen and the countess were both accomplished needlewomen and worked together on the Oxburgh Hangings.

FRENCH COURT

FRANCOIS II, KING OF FRANCE (1544–1560)

Eldest son of Henry II and Catherine de Medici, he became King of France in 1559 at fifteen, but ruled for little over a year. He was the first husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and, through her, was also king consort of Scotland.

HENRY II, KING OF FRANCE (1519–1559)

Inheriting his throne when his elder brother Francois died, he was a staunch Catholic and persecuted heretics throughout his reign. He married Catherine de Medici by whom he had ten children, but was famous for his long-term relationship with Diane de Poitiers to whom he gave Chateau de Chenonceau.

FRANCOIS DE LORRAINE, DUKE OF GUISE (1519–1563)

A powerful French nobleman and politician, he was the brother of Mary of Guise and so uncle to her only daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots.

CHARLES DE LORRAINE, CARDINAL OF LORRAINE (1524–1574)

Powerful and controversial as a churchman, he was the brother of Mary of Guise and so uncle to Mary, Queen of Scots. Between them, he and his older brother the Duke of Guise were powerful allies for their niece.

GABRIEL, COMTE DE MONTGOMERY (1530–1574)

The captain of Henry II's Scots Guards, he mortally wounded the king in a jousting accident.

CATHERINE DE MEDICI, QUEEN OF FRANCE (1519–1589)

One of the most powerful women of the period, Catherine de Medici only achieved real power once her husband Henry II died. While he was alive, he relegated her to constant childrearing (she had ten children). After his death, she became the power behind the throne for three of her sons.

JEAN DE SIMIER, BARON DE SAINT MARC (unknown)

The Duke of Anjou's great friend and master of his wardrobe, he was sent to England to woo Elizabeth I on his master's behalf.

FRANCOIS, DUKE OF ANJOU AND ALENCON (1555–1584)

The youngest son of Henry II and Catherine de Medici, he was the last of Elizabeth I's serious suitors, and was briefly the leader of the Netherlands. His early death meant that the Huguenot Henry of Navarre became heir to the throne of France.

GASPARD II DE COLIGNY (1519–1572)

The leader of the French Huguenots, it was his attempted assassination that triggered the St Bartholomew's Day massacre, in which he was also murdered.

DIANE DE POITIERS (1499–1566)

Beloved mistress and confidant of Henry II, Diane de Poitiers wielded great influence while her lover was alive. She ended her life in the exquisite Chateau de Chenonceau.

HENRY III, KING OF FRANCE (1551–1589)

The fourth son of Henry II and Catherine de Medici, he was not expected to inherit the throne and was briefly King of Poland, a position he renounced when he inherited the throne of France. He died leaving no heir and so precipitated the wars of succession and the end of the House of Valois.

CHARLES IX OF FRANCE (1550–1574)

The third son of Henry II and Catherine de Medici, he was king during the St Bartholomew's Day massacre which followed the wedding of his sister Margaret of Valois to the Huguenot Henry of Navarre. He died with no heir and was succeeded by his brother Henry III.

COURT OF SCOTLAND

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS (1542–1587)

She came to the throne of France aged only six days on the
death of her father James V. Brought up in France as
the fiancée to the Dauphin, she was briefly queen consort of France as the wife of Francois II. Her second husband, her cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, died under suspicious circumstances, precipitating her fall from power. Her third husband, the Earl of Bothwell, was widely believed to be her second husband's assassin. She spent the last twenty years of her life as the prisoner of Elizabeth I and was executed in 1587. She was the mother of James VI of Scotland who, on succeeding Elizabeth I, became James I of England, uniting the two countries.

JAMES HEPBURN, 4th EARL OF BOTHWELL (1534–1578)

Widely regarded as an ambitious scoundrel, he had three wives, the last being Mary, Queen of Scots. He is believed to have orchestrated the murder of her second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. He fled Scotland when Mary lost her throne and he died, insane, in a dungeon in Denmark.

MARY OF GUISE, QUEEN OF SCOTLAND (1515–1560)

The French second wife of James V, she was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was a formidable political strategist and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 until 1560.

SIR WILLIAM MAITLAND OF LETHINGTON (1525–1573)

An astute politician and diplomat, he was Mary, Queen of Scots' ambassador to Elizabeth I's court. He was involved in the murder of David Rizzio, but managed to regain Mary's favour. He married one of her most faithful attendants, Mary Fleming.

SIR JAMES MELVILLE OF HALHILL (1535–1617)

A diplomat and memoirist, he was sent by Mary, Queen of Scots to reconcile her cousin, Elizabeth I, to her marriage to another cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.

HENRY STUART, LORD DARNLEY (1545–1567)

Grandson of Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII's elder sister, he was first cousin to both Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots. He was Mary's second husband and king consort until his murder. He was the father of Mary's only son, James VI of Scotland and James I of England.

DAVID RIZZIO (1533–1566)

Italian courtier and musician, he was Mary, Queen of Scots' secretary. He was so intimate with Mary that her husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, became jealous and joined a Protestant conspiracy to murder Rizzio. He died at the pregnant queen's feet.