Why did Elizabeth 1 want to execute Mary Queen of Scots?

Answer 1

James VI of Scotland, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, became King James I of England upon the death of Elizabeth I because he was her closest living relative. James was related to Elizabeth through her aunt, Henry VIII's sister, Margaret Tudor. Margaret was James' great-great grandmother and as Elizabeth had no children, he was the next in line for the English throne. With James' succession, began the House of Stuart.

Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII's sister, married James IV of Scotland who begat James V, who married Marie de Guise from France, and begat Mary, Queen of Scots, the mother of James VI, who eventually became James I of England.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_England#Proclaimed_King_of_England

Answer 2

Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII of England. His elder sister, Margaret Tudor, named for her grandmother, was married to the then King of Scotland, James IV. Margaret 's son James the V of Scotland was the father of Mary I of Scotland, the so called "Marie Queen of Scots." Mary's only child, the issue of her second marriage to Henry Stuart the Lord Darnley, was the the future double-crowned James the VI of Scotland and James I of England . James succeeded Elizabeth I to the throne of England upon her death in 1603. So Elizabeth's eldest paternal aunt was his great-grandmother.

Answer 3

Mary Queen of Scots was Elisabeth I's cousin. Mary was found guilty of plotting to overthrow Elizabeth. Although it doesn't have much to do with the execution, Elizabeth was jealous of Mary's beauty.

Answer 4

Mary Queen of Scots became Queen of Scotland by being the only legitimate child of her father James V of Scotland. She had an older half brother and sister but they were illegimate and could not inherit the Scottish throne.

Mary was also briefly Queen of France when her first husband Francis became king. However, he died before they had children so the French throne passed to his brother Charles.

Mary was also the great grandchild of Henry the VII of England. Her grandmother Margaret was Henry the VIII of England's older sister. Therefore she had a claim on the English throne as well. Henry VIII divorced his first wife against the wishes of the catholic church therefore, "the church" only recognised the right of his first child (also Mary) to his throne. When she died childless, the English throne passed to her half sister Elizabeth who was not recognised as legitimate by catholics therefore, they considered Mary to be the rightful heir.

Answer 5

Because of Treason. Mary Queen of Scots was planning on killing Elizabeth 1 and claiming the throne for herself. Mary was communicating with Catholics who wanted to put her on the throne. Elizabeth was a Catholic and when she found out she sentenced Mary to death.

Answer 6

Henry VIII of England's sister Margaret (Tudor) married James IV (Stuart) of Scotland who was Mary's grandfather, her father James V was Henry's nephew and Mary was Henry's grand niece.

Mary was a catholic and under the catholic church teachings only the pope could grant a divorce. Henry had a child (also Mary) with his first wife who he then divorced with out permission of the pope. In the eyes of the catholic church his subsequent children Elizabeth and Edward were illegitimate and could not inherit the throne. Henry sought to force the infant Mary into marriage with his son Edward to legitimise his claim on the throne and to try and force Scotland and England to unite under the English crown. Mary was sent to France where she married the heir to the French throne.

After Edward died (sons take president over daughters,) Mary Tudor (not Stuart) inherited the English throne as the oldest of his two remaining children (according to the catholic church she should have been Henry's heir) Mary Tudor died childless and the English throne passed to Elizabeth.

However, as Elizabeth was not recognised by the catholic church Mary I of Scotland was proclaimed by the catholic church as Henry VIII last legitimate heir. The king of France declared his daughter-in-law queen of England and Scotland. He died and Mary's Husband Francis became king of France and Mary Queen consort of France therefore at this time she was Queen of both France and Scotland with a claim on the English throne. Francis died before they had any children so his 10 year old brother became King of France.

Mary returned from France to Scotland and eventually married one of her cousins Lord Darnely, who was an English catholic also with a claim to the English throne. Elizabeth was concerned that any children they produced would also have a very strong claim. They had one son James VI, however their marriage started to fail and he was killed. Mary then married Lord Bothwell who was suspected of murdering Darnley!!

An uprising against Bothwell and Mary forced her from the Scottish throne and her and Darnely's 1 year old son, James VI was crowned in her place - he was raised as a protestant in the church of Scotland with Mary's illegitimate half brother the Earl of Moray (again a suspect in Darnely's murder,) named regent.

Mary feld to her cousin Elizabeth in England who imprisoned her as a threat to her throne. A plot was then discovered backed by the Spanish and a number of English catholics to dethrone Elizabeth and put Mary in her place and then march on Scotland to reclaim her throne so she was executed by Elizabeth.

Ironically Mary's son James VI of Scotland was named by Elizabeth I of England as her sucessor and became James I of England.

Answer 7

Mary, Queen Of Scots was the cousin of Elizabeth I thru her aunt (Henry VIII sister) Margaret. Because of this Mary Queen of Scots was Elizabeth's only heir.

However there was a problem, Mary was the catholic Queen of Scotland, who was in exile in England after being forced to Leave Scotland in favor of her son James VI (The future James I of England). Her very existence threatened the Protestant Elizabeth I and her court. There were many assassination attempts against Elizabeth's life by Catholics who wished to kill Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne.

Elizabeth was reluctant to have Mary executed, perhaps remembering how merciful her own sister Mary I had been on her life when Elizabeth Was the Threat Against A Catholic Mary I of England. So for a time Elizabeth Procrastinated, and simply put Mary, Queen of Scots under house arrest.

Eventually Elizabeth fell to pressure when news came that her former brother in law, Phillip II off Spain planned to send an armada and invade England thus placing Mary Queen of Scots on the throne.

With all this pressure Elizabeth reluctantly singed Marys death warrant, and Mary was executed. However Elizabeth was deeply distressed upon hearing of Marys execution.

Answer 8

James I was the next King of England because he was Queen Elizabeth I's cousin.

Answer 9

He is the cousin of Elizabeth I