On October 14, 1586, Mary Queen of Scots went on trial for conspiracy against her cousin, Elizabeth I of England. Apparently Mary and her supporters saw Mary as the legitimate heir to the English throne, but of course, Liz saw differently! (No surprise there.) Mary ended up being executed for her machinations against Elizabeth, just as many other traitors have before and since. Here we list 7 of the most notorious traitors to end up executed. (Note: There is no significance to the order as listed.)
Digging Deeper
7. Mary Queen of Scots, 1587.
Executed after 18 and a half years in prison at the age of 44, Mary was also involved in intrigue against her secon husband, Henry Stuart (aka Lord Darnley) whom she allegedly had murdered in 1567. Ever the opportunist, Mary married the alleged murderer of Lord Darnley and found herself locked up after an uprising against her and her new husband. Failing to regain the throne of Scotland, Mary turned her eye to the throne of England, her ultimate undoing. (Her first husband was heir to the throne of France, and she became Queen consort of France in 1559, only to have the new king die in 1560, leaving her back in Scotland as Queen of Scots.) Mary met her end at the hands of an executioner that beheaded her.
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