Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots remains one of the most fascinating figures in Scottish history and the wealth of published material grows every year into a quite bewildering array of history, biography, and academic history titles, rivalled only by books about her contemporary, Queen Elizabeth I. (Jane Dunn’s Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens, gives a realistic portrait of the two characters. There is also Two Queens in One Isle: the Deadly Relationship of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots by Alison Plowden.)
Recent years have seen the publication of books relying more on biographical insight into the life of Mary with the award-winning My Heart is my Own by John Guy (published in the US as Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart).
Antonia Fraser’s essentially sympathetic biography Mary Queen of Scots won the James Tait Black Prize for Biography in 1969 and the book has been reprinted many times. Jenny Wormald’s Mary Queen of Scots: Pride, Passion and a Kingdom Lost is less sympathetic, arguing that the queen’s weaknesses, personal and political, contributed strongly to her downfall. Rosalind Marshall’s illustrated Queen of Scots is a classic, dramatic account of the life of the queen, and leans heavily on the queen’s actual words.
The most heavily illustrated book on Mary is the beautiful Mary Queen of Scots by Susan Watkins and Mark Fiennes, published by Thames and Hudson. Over 150 illustrations on Mary and her world are featured.
More academic titles come in the form of Jayne Elizabeth Lewis’ Mary Queen of Scots: Romance and Nation, Gordon Donaldson’s Mary Queen of Scots, and Marcus Merriman’s The Rough Wooings: Mary Queen of Scots, 1542-1551.
Jean Plaidy’s Royal Road to Fotheringhay is historical fiction based upon the queen’s life, as is her Mary Queen of Scots: Fair Devil of Scotland with Moira Miller’s Masque for a Queen, also fiction but aimed at young adults. Equally, aimed at children are the titles, Queen of Scots, by Fiona MacDonald and Maggie Downer and the Mary Queen of Scots: Activity Book, published by the National Museums of Scotland.
For those interested in retracing Mary’s steps, there is the budget-conscious, A Wee Guide to Mary Queen of Scots, by Joyce Miller, and On the Trail of Mary Queen of Scots by J. K. Cheetham which offers a guide to over 200 sites of interest in Scotland, England and France.
Books about Mary, Queen of Scots
- An Accidental Tragedy: The Life Of Mary, Queen Of Scots
Based on contemporary documents and histories, the author paints a unique picture of Mary that sees her neither as a Catholic martyr, nor as a husband-murdering adulteress, but as a young girl adrift in the dangerous seas of 16th century politics. - Elizabeth And Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens
This is a joint biography of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, their reigns and relationship with each other. These rival queens embodied opposing characteristics, resulting in a relationship that is punctuated by murder and psychological and actual warfare. - Mary Queen Of Scots
As the subject of a biography, Mary Queen of Scots remains one of the most romantic and controversial figures in British history. Antonia Fraser's masterly biography is a fascinating interpretation of the life of a girl destined to die a martyr. - Mary Queen Of Scots
In this text, the author re-creates the world in which Mary lived - the landscapes, the palaces and the courtly culture, and the fine details of the domestic scene - in vivid word pictures. - Mary, Queen Of Scots: Activity Book
Mary, Queen of Scots tells the story of Scotland's most famous monarch, from her early life at the French court to her eventual imprisonment and execution in England. - Mary, Queen Of Scots: Politics, Passion And A Kingdom Lost
When Elizabeth I ordered her rival and kinswoman, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, to be beheaded in 1587 she did so in resigned frustration rather than as an act of political wrath. This biography of Mary is told by a specialist of the 16th century. - Mary Queen Of Scots: Romance And Nation
As an historical figure, Mary Queen of Scots has been perpetually represented on canvas, page and stage, capturing the British imagination since her death in 1587. This work sheds light on the 'real' Mary Stuart, who has remained an enigma. - 'My Heart Is My Own': The Life Of Mary Queen Of Scots
The life of Mary Stuart is one of unparalleled drama and conflict. The portrait that emerges in this book is not of a political pawn or a manipulative siren but of a shrewd and charismatic young ruler who relished power and, for a time, managed to hold together a fatally unstable country. - On The Trail Of Mary Queen Of Scots
On the Trail of Mary Queen of Scots traces the major events in the turbulent life of the Queen. The text details places to visit that were significant in her life, such as Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, Sheffield Castle, and Fotheringhay. - Mary's Women: Female Relatives, Servants, Friends And Enemies Of Mary, Queen Of Scots
Marshall examines Mary's life, discovering the extent to which she was influenced by the women she knew: Mary of Guise, the mother from whom she was separated at a young age; Catherine de Medici, the mother-in-law rumoured to be her deadly enemy; and Lady Lennox, the aunt who played a part in her marriage to Lord Darnley. - Queen Of Scots
The mystery of Mary, Queen of Scots, has intrigued people ever since her death in 1587. Drawing on 16th century sources, Marshall tells the story of Mary's life, using, wherever possible, actual words spoken and written by the tragic Queen. - The Rough Wooings: Mary Queen Of Scots, 1542-1551
Mary Queen of Scots was a subject of debate from birth. One of the Rough Wooings for her hand in marriage was the last major war between Scotland and England. This is the story of her beginning, which involves major figures of early modern history. - Two Queens In One Isle: The Deadly Relationship Between Elizabeth I & Mary Queen Of Scots
A gripping mixture of royal ambitions, political intrigue and religious conviction destined Elizabeth and Mary to a life and death struggle. This study of their relationship also includes a discussion of the threat to the Protestant church. - A Wee Guide To Mary, Queen Of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots was one of Scotland's most enigmatic monarchs. This text traces the story of her life, from her marriage to the Dauphin of France, her return to Scotland as queen, and her imprisonment and execution in England.
Other titles
- An Accidental Tragedy, by Roderick Graham
- Mary of Guise, by Rosalind K. Marshall
- Darnley: A Life by Caroline Bingham
- Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George
- Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller (drama)
- Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off... by Liz Lochhead (drama)
- Needlework of Mary Queen of Scots by Margaret Swain
- In My End is my Beginning: A Life of Mary Queen of Scots by James Mackay
- Bittersweet Within my Heart: The Collected Poems of Mary, Queen of Scots by Robin Bell
- Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley by Alison Weir
- Scotland under Mary Stuart by Madeleine Bingham
Mary, Queen of Scots
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