If Rizzio is thought to be gay, how is he then suspected of being the queen's lover...?
One Queen of England After Another, Now For a Third: A Time Line from 1562.
- Thread starter pipisme
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His enemies accused him of everything to discredit him. Maybe he was bisexual.
Bisexuality is possible of course.
I don't get, though, why anyone would reach the conclusion that Rizzio was the reason for Darnley not getting equal status and power in Scotland. What was the thought process?
Mary had planned that the Earl of Moray, her half brother, and his fellow rebels against her rule, would lose their lands and title under a bill of attainder. Someone had to blamed, and that person was Rizzio.
Then Ruthven dressed in full armour burst into the room, and demanded that Rizzio be handed over to him. He said that Rizzio had caused great offence to Mary, to Darnley, to Scotland and its nobility. Mary told him that Rizzio should be tried in Parliament if he was guilty of any crime, and ordered Ruthven to depart on pain of treason. But Ruthven tried to grasp at Rizzio. Then more conspirators burst into the room, some carrying guns. Ruthven and another man stabbed at Rizzio as he cowered behind Mary's back. The murder gang grabbed Rizzio. Mary tried to protect him. Andrew Ker pointed a gun at her to make her keep back. Then Mary's waters broke and gushed out of her on to the floot. She cried out in pain as she had her first contraction and went into premature labour.
Darnley asked what was happening. Jean, Countess of Argyll, told him that his wife was having her baby. The gang prised Rizzio's hands off Mary's gown and dragged him to the top of the stairs. There they stabbed him to death with fifty-six wounds. One of them seized Darnley's dagger and gave Rizzio his death wound. (1)
Meanwhile, Mary helped by Jean and Jean's mother, Elizabeth Bethune, went into her bedroom and lay down on her bed. A doctor and and a midwife were fetched. Except for the doctor, all men were banned from the room. After a very painful labour of fifteen hours, she gave birth to a tiny baby girl in the morning of 10 March. Nowadays premature babies at 29 weeks have an approximate survival rate of over 90%, because they would have intensive care in a neonatal intensive care unit [NICU] . (2). But then survival rates of premature were extremely low. The midwife cut the umbilical cord, and wrapped the baby in a blanket. Mary was exhausted. She looked with intense love at her little baby girl. Mary's baby did not live. As was the custom, the midwife baptised her before she died.
(1) Except for Mary going into premature labour, the account of the murder of Rizzio is as in otl, and is taken from the book Rival Queens: The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots by Kate Williams, London: Penguin Random House, 2020.
(2) See http://cheekychumsonline.co.uk/news/babies-born-at-29-weeks.
Darnley asked what was happening. Jean, Countess of Argyll, told him that his wife was having her baby. The gang prised Rizzio's hands off Mary's gown and dragged him to the top of the stairs. There they stabbed him to death with fifty-six wounds. One of them seized Darnley's dagger and gave Rizzio his death wound. (1)
Meanwhile, Mary helped by Jean and Jean's mother, Elizabeth Bethune, went into her bedroom and lay down on her bed. A doctor and and a midwife were fetched. Except for the doctor, all men were banned from the room. After a very painful labour of fifteen hours, she gave birth to a tiny baby girl in the morning of 10 March. Nowadays premature babies at 29 weeks have an approximate survival rate of over 90%, because they would have intensive care in a neonatal intensive care unit [NICU] . (2). But then survival rates of premature were extremely low. The midwife cut the umbilical cord, and wrapped the baby in a blanket. Mary was exhausted. She looked with intense love at her little baby girl. Mary's baby did not live. As was the custom, the midwife baptised her before she died.
(1) Except for Mary going into premature labour, the account of the murder of Rizzio is as in otl, and is taken from the book Rival Queens: The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots by Kate Williams, London: Penguin Random House, 2020.
(2) See http://cheekychumsonline.co.uk/news/babies-born-at-29-weeks.
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She's queen of Scotland and Catholic, and she's currently childless.
Katherine is Protestant with son
That afternoon, 10 March 1566, Darnley walked into the bedroom of Mary Queen of Scots. She was exhausted after giving birth. She demanded why he had treated like he did, with the murder of Rizzio. She had made him her husband. Darnley complained that she had not visited his rooms in Holyroodhouse and slept with him, since she became friendly with Rizzio. Mary said that it was his responsibility to visit and sleep with her. Darnley went into a rant, saying that when she had married she had promised obedience to him. Marriage made him her head. Mary told him, 'I shall be your wife no longer nor sleep with you anymore.' (1) She went on to say in effect that he was a pathetic excuse for a man, and a waste of space. Darnley stormed out of the room.
The next day Mary wrote to Queen Katherine telling her about everything that had happened. In her reply, Katherine was full sympathy for Mary and outrage at the murder of Rizzio,
Mary knew that if she was to do her duty as Queen and give birth to a son, she must have sexual intercourse with her husband, Lord Darnley. So they were reconciled, and they resumed sexual relations. In May 1566, Mary became pregnant, though she did not know for certain until August.
Towards the end of December 1566, Darnley fell ill. Smallpox was diagnosed but is now thought more likely to have been syphilis. 'When his skull was examined much later at the Royal College of Surgeons, it revealed traces of a violent syphilitic disease.' (2) He died from his illness on 16 January 1567, and was given a royal funeral in Holyroodhouse chapel.
Mary gave birth to a healthy baby boy on 18 February 1567. She named her son James.
(1) Quotation taken from Rival Queens: The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots by Kate Williams.
(2) Quotation taken from Williams. In otl Darnley was ill with smallpox or syphilis in late December 1566 and January 1567.
The next day Mary wrote to Queen Katherine telling her about everything that had happened. In her reply, Katherine was full sympathy for Mary and outrage at the murder of Rizzio,
Mary knew that if she was to do her duty as Queen and give birth to a son, she must have sexual intercourse with her husband, Lord Darnley. So they were reconciled, and they resumed sexual relations. In May 1566, Mary became pregnant, though she did not know for certain until August.
Towards the end of December 1566, Darnley fell ill. Smallpox was diagnosed but is now thought more likely to have been syphilis. 'When his skull was examined much later at the Royal College of Surgeons, it revealed traces of a violent syphilitic disease.' (2) He died from his illness on 16 January 1567, and was given a royal funeral in Holyroodhouse chapel.
Mary gave birth to a healthy baby boy on 18 February 1567. She named her son James.
(1) Quotation taken from Rival Queens: The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots by Kate Williams.
(2) Quotation taken from Williams. In otl Darnley was ill with smallpox or syphilis in late December 1566 and January 1567.
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Darnley doesn't get blown up in this tl. He died from smallpox, or more probably, syphilis.
Mary Queen of Scots now had an heir, but she needed a spare in case Prince James died before becoming king of Scotland. So she would have to marry again. There was the king of France, Charles IX . He was the younger brother of Francis II of France, Mary's first husband. Charles was only sixteen years old, born 27 June 1550. Mary was twenty-four years old, born 8 December 1542. Mary knew Charles when she lived in France.
Archduke Charles II of Austria, born 3 June 1540, was another possibility. Then there was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, born 1535. He had met Mary in the autumn of 1560 when he was in the party of nobles who had travelled to France to bring her home to Scotland. He had the qualities Mary found attractive in men, and was emotionally and sexually attracted to him. He was her warrior hero. Though a Protestant he was anti-English. In the months after Rizzio's murder, Mary had relied on him.
But Bothwell was married. At the end of February 1566, Bothwell had married Jean Gordon, sister of the Earl of Huntly. Jean was in love with Alexander Ogilivie, who was married to Mary Beaton. Huntly was pressing his sister to end her marriage to Bothwell, and she was giving the matter serious consideration. On 21 March she began divorce proceedings against her husband on the ground of his adultery with Bessie Crawford, a sewing maid, more than a year before.
Many Scottish nobles were Bothwell's enemies, among them James Stewart, Earl of Moray, Mary's illegitimate half brother. Sir James Melville, Mary's chief adviser, had no time for Bothwell and did not want Mary to marry him. He advised Mary to do what was reasonable and not give way to the passions of the mind.
Mary was emotional, impulsive, impatient, with an adventurous spirit. Her nature was not naturally cautious or thoughtful. Mary married Bothwell at four in the morning of Thursday 15 May 1567, in a Protestant ceremony in the great hall of Holyroodhouse. He and Jean Gordon, having been granted a divorce.
Marriage to Charles IX or to the Archduke Charles would have been politically and diplomatically better, but Mary was in love with Bothwell.
Archduke Charles II of Austria, born 3 June 1540, was another possibility. Then there was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, born 1535. He had met Mary in the autumn of 1560 when he was in the party of nobles who had travelled to France to bring her home to Scotland. He had the qualities Mary found attractive in men, and was emotionally and sexually attracted to him. He was her warrior hero. Though a Protestant he was anti-English. In the months after Rizzio's murder, Mary had relied on him.
But Bothwell was married. At the end of February 1566, Bothwell had married Jean Gordon, sister of the Earl of Huntly. Jean was in love with Alexander Ogilivie, who was married to Mary Beaton. Huntly was pressing his sister to end her marriage to Bothwell, and she was giving the matter serious consideration. On 21 March she began divorce proceedings against her husband on the ground of his adultery with Bessie Crawford, a sewing maid, more than a year before.
Many Scottish nobles were Bothwell's enemies, among them James Stewart, Earl of Moray, Mary's illegitimate half brother. Sir James Melville, Mary's chief adviser, had no time for Bothwell and did not want Mary to marry him. He advised Mary to do what was reasonable and not give way to the passions of the mind.
Mary was emotional, impulsive, impatient, with an adventurous spirit. Her nature was not naturally cautious or thoughtful. Mary married Bothwell at four in the morning of Thursday 15 May 1567, in a Protestant ceremony in the great hall of Holyroodhouse. He and Jean Gordon, having been granted a divorce.
Marriage to Charles IX or to the Archduke Charles would have been politically and diplomatically better, but Mary was in love with Bothwell.
Only if she flees to England, and is imprisoned there, and Katherine I, or her son Edward VII, signs her death warrant. Mary is in a significantly stronger position than in OTL because she is not implicated in the murder of Darnley as he died as a result of smallpox or syphilis.
Once Bothwell had married Mary Queen of Scots, he showed his true colours. He was madly jealous and flew into a rage if she as much looked at another man. He put guards outside her chamber and would not let anyone speak to her without him being there. Mary's friends told her that he was still visiting his former wife, Lady Jean Gordon, Countess of Bothwell, at Creighton Castle about twelve south east of Edinburgh, and that he had written to Jean telling her that he considered her to be his lawful wife, and Mary was merely his mistress. But Jean had divorced Bothwell. Maybe they were now reconciled.
Mary became pregnant by him. Her pregnancy was officially announced at the beginning of September 1567. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl on 16 February 1568. She named her daughter, Margaret, after her paternal grandmother and her mother-in-law. By now she and Bothwell had separated. He was never king of Scotland.
Mary became pregnant by him. Her pregnancy was officially announced at the beginning of September 1567. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl on 16 February 1568. She named her daughter, Margaret, after her paternal grandmother and her mother-in-law. By now she and Bothwell had separated. He was never king of Scotland.
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Oh?
Mary II of Scotland and possible queen of England?
This will be interesting
Mary II of Scotland and possible queen of England?
This will be interesting
Mary Queen of Scot's daughter was Margaret. I forgot her name in my previous post, and have just edited it to add it.
France and Spain were the two major powers in western Europe. England was in the second rank. The first war of religion in France had ended with the peace of Amiens in February 1563. However fighting broke out again in 1567. The policy of Katherine I and her government was to give covert military aid to the Hugenots (French Protestants). English men fought with the Hugenots.
Katherine and her Privy Council were openly on the side of the Dutch rebels against Spanish rule. They gave them military assistance and sent British troops to the Netherlands. They made alliances with the Protestant nations of Europe, such as Denmark, Sweden, and the Palatinate principality, ruled by Elector Frederick III. English foreign policy was more militantly Protestant than under Elizabeth I in OTL.
Katherine and her Privy Council were openly on the side of the Dutch rebels against Spanish rule. They gave them military assistance and sent British troops to the Netherlands. They made alliances with the Protestant nations of Europe, such as Denmark, Sweden, and the Palatinate principality, ruled by Elector Frederick III. English foreign policy was more militantly Protestant than under Elizabeth I in OTL.
Katherine I gave birth to her third son on 26 January 1566. She and King Edward named him Henry. Edward had been crowned king as the husband of Katherine, but was not joint ruler with her. Their second daughter was born on 14 March 1568. They named her Mary after Katherine's sister. On 20 April 1570, Katherine gave birth to a son. She and Edward named him William.