I'm reading "The Other Queen" by Philippa Gregory, about Mary Queen of Scots. She mentions her husband Bothwell kidnapping and raping her, and yet she writes a letter to the king of Denmark demanding him to release her husband. I'm very confused about the relationship they had.
3 comments:
First of all, Phillipa Gregory is a fun read, but nothing to base your knowledge of Tudor times and people on.
I'm not as familiar with Mary Queen of Scots as I am with her cousin, but I do know that while the marriage (Mary's) was originally a love match, it quickly degenerated as he wanted more power than she could or would give him.
In her book "Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley," Alison Weir spends a few pages talking about Mary's alleged kidnapping and rape by Bothwell, and tries to determine how it happened and Mary's involvement in the incident. Antonia Fraser also talks about it in her biography of Mary.
From what I gather, Bothwell raped Mary so she would have to marry him. Fraser argues that Mary probably did not love him, since she did not show the same signs of infatuation as she did with Darnley.
I don't know that she really wrote to the King of Denmark for Bothwell's release (she was probably glad to be rid of him, actually), but if she did, I can only guess that it was out of some sense of obligation towards her husband, rather than any kind of affection.
i am in 2 minds on the kidnapping it was reported to Elizabeth who wrote Mary a letter firstly on the murder of Darnley and Mary's possible involvement with it, then ending with the unfortunate kidnapping. David Starkey talks about it in his book Elizabeth you can watch it on you-tube type in Mary queen of Scott's and it pops up.
but what makes me unsure is, Mary had known and had relied on Bothwell since she was about 18 years old. she had returned him from exile when she returned to Scotland as she needed help with her council, more importantly when her secretary riccio was murdered Darnley held her prisoner in her own home she turned to Bothwell to help her escape which she did and went to Dunbar were Bothwell was waiting for her.
i don't think that either were in love but nore do i think that Mary was not blameless, both of them seem to get what they wanted to a degree
you can make your own mind up the following websites have both sides
http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/
if you go into husbands it will show you a letter from Bothwell when he was in Denmark
http://www.lordbothwell.co.uk/
bothwellindex.html
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