Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots

Timeline

1. 1586Fotheringhay Castle · NorthamptonshireEngland's spymaster Francis Walsingham uncovered the Babington Plot, intercepting secret letters between Mary and the ringleader Anthony Babington that proved Mary knew of and supported the plan to assassinate Elizabeth I. In October 1586, Mary was tried at Fotheringhay Castle and convicted of treason by forty-two nobles.
2. 1587English court · LondonUnder sustained pressure from the Privy Council, Elizabeth I signed Mary's death warrant on 1 February 1587. Elizabeth had long hesitated, wary of the precedent of executing a monarch. After signing she still tried to delay execution, but Privy Council secretary William Davison had the warrant sent out without the queen's knowledge; Davison was later held accountable for this.
3. 1587Hall of Fotheringhay Castle · NorthamptonshireOn the morning of 8 February 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots, entered the hall of Fotheringhay Castle wearing a deep red gown (the color of Catholic martyrdom) to meet her death. She was calm in demeanor, refused to convert to Protestantism, and recited Latin psalms. The executioner's first axe blow failed to sever the neck bone, and the second completed the execution; Mary was 44 years old. Witnesses recorded that her wig slipped off after the execution, shocking those present.