Throckmorton Plot

Timeline

1. 1583London · LondonAfter returning from the continent, Throckmorton carried letters for Mary and corresponded frequently with the Spanish ambassador Bernardino de Mendoza. The plan called for Henry, Duke of Guise to lead troops ashore, with Spain and the Papacy providing funds and English Catholics rising in support, to overthrow Elizabeth and restore Catholicism. Philip II was regarded as the financial and diplomatic backer.
2. 1583Tower of London · LondonAfter setting up surveillance, Francis Walsingham arrested Throckmorton in November, seizing maps of harbors suitable for landing and a list of English Catholic sympathizers. The prisoner was sent to the Tower of London, where on the rack he confessed to having provided Mendoza with intelligence needed for the invasion, thereby confirming the Spanish embassy's deep involvement.
3. 1584Tyburn · LondonMendoza was expelled in January 1584, the last Spanish ambassador to England in Elizabeth's reign. Throckmorton was executed in July after trial. Though Mary was not immediately convicted, her custody was visibly tightened; that same year the Bond of Association required signatories to punish any beneficiary should the queen be assassinated, paving the way for Mary's later trial.