by Rev Charles Coyle

Many books, plays and films have been produced about the life of Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587), one of the most famous rulers in the history of the British Isles. Mary’s life and the political issues of that time continue to have influence today. Josie Rourke’s film, Mary, Queen of Scots (2018) attempts to tell her story for a new generation. There have been many film adaptations of Queen Mary’s life, with an illustrious list of actresses having portrayed Mary in the past, from Katharine Hepburn in Mary of Scotland (1936), Vanessa Redgrave in Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) to Samantha Morton in Elizabeth, the Golden Age (2007). It is arguable that the best account of the life of Queen Mary is the monumental book, Mary Queen of Scots written by Antonia Fraser in 1969.

It is no surprise that her life has fascinated writers and artists; Queen Mary lived in tumultuous times, and before we review the film it will be useful to summarise some. The most significant event of those years was the nailing of the ninety-five theses to the door of a Church in Wittenberg by Martin Luther in 1517 which precipitated the Reformation. Another significant event was the foundation of the Church of England, by King Henry VIII (1491-1547) following Pope Clement VII’s refusal to allow him an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. His decision to found a new Church in defiance of the Pope and the power of Rome has had ramifications with which we still wrestle today. Having founded his new Church, Henry married Anne Boleyn and their daughter Elizabeth (1533-1603) eventually became Queen of England. Queen Elizabeth I’s reign coincided with Queen Mary’s in Scotland. Mary was of the royal house of Stuart, one which had been ruling Scotland since 1371. Her grandmother was the elder sister of King Henry VIII which meant that she too had a claim to the English throne. The politics of that time were dominated by the Protestant Church in England, and the Protestant Church in Scotland, founded in 1560. Mary, being a Royal Princess married the Catholic Prince of France, who became King Francis II. King Francis died at the age of 16, and Mary was left as the young Catholic Queen of Protestant Scotland. It is from this point in her life that our film takes up the story.

Fr Charles Coyle is Co-ordinator of Spiritual and Pastoral Formation and Lecturer in Teacher Education at the St Andrews Foundation for Catholic Teacher Formation of the School of Education, University of Glasgow.

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Image: Movie poster at CineMaterial