Why did Elizabeth not execute Mary queen of Scots?

Answer 1

Did Mary Queen of Scots deserve to be executed in 1587?

Mary Stewart was the daughter of King James V of Scotland. THAT IS WRONG!!!!!!! HER FATHER WAS ACTUALLY Henry VIII <<< NO IT WASNT IT WAS JAMES ELIZBETH WAS HENRYS DAUGHTER HENRY WAS MARYS UNCLE AND ELIZABETH WAS HER COUSIN <<<< THAT ONE IS THE CORRECT ONE!!!!

She was the Queen of Scotland. But she was executed on February 8th 1587. We will now discover whether Mary deserved to die or whether she was executed unjustly.

At the trial in 1572 of Mary's crimes, Mary had no lawyer and since she wasn't there on time, they began without her! However, when she arrived, she denied all knowledge of her accusations. When they showed her the letters, she changed tack and accused Babington of setting her up. She never stood a chance. Even though she presented herself like a Queen, and held her case like a lawyer, the court was already decided. She was accused to be guilty.

Elizabeth hesitated to sign the death warrant of Mary Queen of Scots. She was probably worrying about all of the responses she would get from the other Catholic countries when they heard that the Catholic icon had been executed. They might have invaded and Elizabeth wouldn't have enough strength to stop them all. In fact one of them did in the form of the Armada and she just managed to repel one country! Elizabeth may have also had mixed feelings about ordering the execution of her blood relative even though she had been but a thorn in her side for many a year. Perhaps even, there were fake accusations and Elizabeth's conscience was objecting to condemning Mary to death for unreal reasons.

Parliament was also incredibly eager to condemn Mary because they probably thought she posed a threat to the throne of England and if she took the throne from Elizabeth, she would take all of Parliament's lives. For instance, they exaggerated in the trial by saying that Mary wanted the Duke of Norfolk to rebel against Elizabeth's orders that they were not to marry, when in fact, it was the Duke of Norfolk who urged Mary to go against Elizabeth's commands. Also, they made it plain that they did not like her by saying that she has 'wickedly challenged the crown of England'. The Queen's spymaster, Walsingham, kept trying to persuade Elizabeth to execute Mary probably because he was worried that if Mary took the throne, he would die.

However, when Mary was moved to Chartley, she found a way to code letters and send them in beer barrels. She sent messages to her friend, Lord Babington and he supplied them to her followers. Babington had a plot to kill Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne. Little did they both know, but the Queen's spymaster, Walsingham, was reading all of the letters and in the end he accused Mary and showed her the letters. So, she deserved to be executed for plotting with Babington to overthrow Elizabeth but in her trial she said that she was set up by Babington. The accusers also produced some letters that she 'apparently' kept in a box in her room but she argued that nobody would be stupid enough to keep their secret letters in plain view. Even so, since Mary was going along with the plot against Elizabeth and the plan to overthrow her, she deserved to be executed.

Also, Mary had a very strong claim to the English throne and therefore, her claim, scared Elizabeth because Mary was of royal blood and in fact was her cousin one time removed.

Mary even tried to get married to the Duke of Norfolk to strengthen her own claim to the throne. However, it didn't happen because Elizabeth banned the marriage. If it had been allowed to go ahead, perhaps Mary would be backed by England to ascend to the throne and Elizabeth would not allow that!

Mary was also a strict Catholic and did not hesitate to show her faith publicly. Elizabethan England was a protestant country and Elizabeth did not like Catholics at all! Mary's religion was a threat to her country and because Scotland had a Catholic leader, then Scotland could attack England in a religious war to try and turn England to Catholicism. As well as this problem, the Pope had excommunicated Elizabeth and called her a 'servant of wickedness'. He also encouraged Catholics to rise up against her. He also suggested Mary as a rightful ruler. Even though Elizabeth passed an Act that said that anyone following the Pope was a traitor, there was unrest amongst the people of England and Mary was proving to be troublesome.

In conclusion, I think that Mary deserved to be executed because she was conspiring with Babington and Ridolfi to overthrow the Queen and anyone who did that would usually be executed. Also, Mary was a Catholic and so could overthrow Elizabeth and have the support of all of the other Catholics in the country. However, Elizabeth did hesitate signing the death warrant because she was scared of all neighbouring countries invading. So I conclude that Mary deserved to die but England would have probably fared better if she hadn't have died because of all the events which occurred because of her death.

Answer 2

Yes, it was, because Mary Queen of Scots would be the next ruler of England if (and she did) Elizabeth died without children. If Mary would have got into power, she would have changed England from Protestant to Catholic, again. Instead, James I became ruler of England and kept the country protestant.

Answer 3

Yes, on the order of Elizabeth I of England.

Answer 4

As Elizabeth I was threatened by Mary's claim to the throne and her league of Catholic followers in England, she did in indeed have her beheaded after 19 years of house arrest.

Answer 5

Cos she ate a baby, that's why.

Answer 6

she did