The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I and Her Greatest Rival

by Kate Williams

Overview

Elizabeth and Mary were cousins and queens, but eventually it became impossible for them to live together in the same world.

This is the story of two women struggling for supremacy in a man's world, when no one thought a woman could govern. They both had to negotiate with men-those who wanted their power and those who wanted their bodies-who were determined to best them. In their worlds, female friendship and alliances were unheard of, but for many years theirs was the only friendship that endured. They were as fascinated by each other as lovers; until they became enemies. Enemies so angry and broken that one of them had to die, and so Elizabeth ordered the execution of Mary.

But first they were each other's lone female friends in a violent man's world. Their relationship was one of love, affection, jealousy, antipathy-and finally death. This book tells the story of Mary and Elizabeth as never before, focusing on their emotions and probing deeply into their intimate lives as women and queens. They loved each other, they hated each other-and in the end they could never escape each other.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643134833
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	07/14/2020
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	347,344
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Kate Williams is the author of the New York Times bestseller Becoming Queen Victoria, which was the inspiration for the Academy Award-winning film The Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She is also the author of Ambition & Desire, a biography of Josephine Bonaparte. Kate works as CNN's British royalty and historical expert. She lives in England.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vii

Prologue 3

Introduction 5

1 'Conducted by the Winds' 7

2 'It Will End with a Lass' 14

3 'Rough Wooing' 26

4 'A Princess on This Earth' 32

5 'Marvellous in Our Eyes' 44

6 'A Thousand Deaths' 53

7 'Excluded and Banned' 61

8 'A Calm Mind' 69

9 'Not of Ladies' Capacity' 79

10 Queen of All Realms 87

11 'A Rash and Hazardous Young Man' 96

12 'I Will Never See You Again' 105

13 'A Stone of Marble' 119

14 'Malicious Talk' 128

15 'To Use Me as Her Sister or Daughter' 137

16 'The Scots Proclaim Much But Their Threats Are Not Carried Out' 148

17 'I Would Have Taken My Husband's Dagger and Stabbed Him with it!' 154

18 Looking Through Their Fingers 162

19 'So Horrible and Strange' 175

20 The Mermaid 186

21 'Whether She Would or Would Not' 193

22 'So Wearied and Broken' 200

23 'They Have Robbed Me of Everything I Have in This World' 208

24 'The Conspiracy for Her Husband's Murder' 217

25 'Forced Out of My Kingdom' 226

26 'Pain and Peril Seem Pleasant to Her' 233

27 'With Her Own Hand' 244

28 'You Have Promised to Be Mine' 251

29 'Unnatural Sister' 263

30 'No One Can Cure This Malady as Well as the Queen of England' 274

31 'That Devilish Woman' 286

32 'Green Ribbons' 297

33 'I Am a True Queen' 304

34 'Shipwreck of My Soul' 311

35 'We Princes Are Set upon Stages' 318

36 'I Am Ready' 327

37 'An Abundance of Tears' 335

Notes 345

Bibliography 359

Index 393

Acknowledgements 405

Editorial Reviews

"Kate Williams has succeeded brilliantly in bringing us a fresh Mary--one who she has set in a gloriously rich context, while making her tragic heroine irresistibly real and relevant. But the true triumph of this book lies in the perfect balancing of Williams's excellent research with the need to keep the pages turning. Its pace is perfect, and there isn't a line wasted in this taut, dramatic, and utterly beguiling biography."--Charles Spencer, author of To Catch a King

"Looks past tired stereotypes to give fresh insights into Mary's tumultuous life and death."-- "The Daily Record (UK)"

"There is much to cover in this elegant synthesis of royal biography and political thriller, and Williams is adroit in her handling of it. A scintillating, provocative analysis of Mary and Elizabeth's reigns and their relationship."-- "The Telegraph (UK)"

"What makes [the book] special is Williams's understanding of how gender shaped Mary's life."-- "The Times (Ireland)"

"A refreshing, engaging biography. Tudor-Stuart enthusiasts will appreciate the greatly vibrant tone in this account."-- "Booklist"

"A sharp new history of two adversarial monarchs. Though parts of the story may be well-known to readers of royal history, Williams injects enough fresh viewpoints to make it a satisfying whole."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Williams expertly and entertainingly details the twisty and sordid path to the monarch's execution. In framing Mary's story as being one about 'how we really think of women and their right to rule, ' Williams hints at its ongoing resonance."-- "Christian Science Monitor"

From the Publisher

This very readable and fast-paced biography relates the story of Mary Stuart in a fresh and engaging way. Highly recommended.

Historical Novels Review

"A refreshing, engaging biography. Tudor-Stuart enthusiasts will appreciate the greatly vibrant tone in this account."

Booklist

09/24/2018
In this sharp new history of two adversarial monarchs, Williams (Becoming Queen Victoria) tells the story of a monarch who “tried to be as autocratic as a king,” but was thwarted by conspiracy and female disempowerment. She begins with a basic but skillful recounting of how Mary came to Scotland’s throne in 1542 while her cousin Elizabeth I established her rule in England. Mary contended with significant threats to her reign and her authority; from within, aristocrats jostled for power, and, across the border, Elizabeth maneuvered to prevent Mary from claiming the English crown. According to Williams, Mary’s downfall stemmed from her attempt to claim her rightful power and rule on her own terms. The Scots nobility regarded Mary as a woman first, queen second, and they conspired to control her by exploiting her body: as Williams renders in chilling detail, Mary was raped by and consequently forced to marry the Earl of Bothwell. Williams’s analysis of this episode, unlike historians who have “judged her complicit” because she did not escape, is informed by contemporary insights into sexual assault. Forced to abdicate, Mary fled to England hoping for assistance from Elizabeth, who instead detained her and subsequently ordered her execution. Though parts of the story may be well-known to readers of royal history, Williams injects enough fresh viewpoints to make it a satisfying whole. Illus. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Williams expertly and entertainingly details the twisty and sordid path to the monarch’s execution. In framing Mary’s story as being one about ‘how we really think of women and their right to rule,’ Williams hints at its ongoing resonance."

Christian Science Monitor

"There is much to cover in this elegant synthesis of royal biography and political thriller, and Williams is adroit in her handling of it. A scintillating, provocative analysis of Mary and Elizabeth’s reigns and their relationship."

The Telegraph (UK)

"Looks past tired stereotypes to give fresh insights into Mary’s tumultuous life and death."

The Daily Record (UK)

"What makes [the book] special is Williams’s understanding of how gender shaped Mary’s life."

The Times (Ireland)

"A refreshing, engaging biography. Tudor-Stuart enthusiasts will appreciate the greatly vibrant tone in this account."

Booklist

"Kate Williams has succeeded brilliantly in bringing us a fresh Mary—one who she has set in a gloriously rich context, while making her tragic heroine irresistibly real and relevant. But the true triumph of this book lies in the perfect balancing of Williams’s excellent research with the need to keep the pages turning. Its pace is perfect, and there isn’t a line wasted in this taut, dramatic, and utterly beguiling biography."

Charles Spencer

Williams has penned a biography that draws us in and makes us feel as though we're intimately acquainted with a woman who is recognized by millions but truly known by just a few.

Bookreporter.com (Young Elizabeth)

A briskly written, admirably probing, and sympathetically voiced exploration of the elements that went into the formation of the woman we now know to be a very successful monarch.

Booklist (Starred) (Young Elizabeth)

As Anne Flosnik narrates, listeners learn of Mary Stuart’s life as she moves from Scotland to France and back again. After a tumultuous reign, she flees across Scotland to safety in England under the protection of Queen Elizabeth I. This biography focuses on betrayals in the various courts where Mary lived. Betrayed by her Scottish counselors and spouses before, during, and after she takes her place on the Scottish throne, Mary Stuart lives an unsettled life. Flosnik delivers the historical and political narrative in a husky, clear voice. Scarce dialogue and documents are read more tersely, using subtle accents that add variety to this new study of the life of this famous queen. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2019 - AudioFile