I’m spoilt for choice today. The “on this day” website lists several historical events of interest. The trial of Mata Hari began in 1917. Hiram Bingham discovered Manchu Picchu in 1911. The long hated window tax was abolished in the UK in 1851, and in 1824 a Harrisburg Pennsylvania newspaper published the first public opinion poll.
However I must focus on the abdication of Mary Queen of Scots. Mary was forced to abdicate due to a combination of political intrigue and personal circumstances. Her troubled reign was marred by controversies, including her unpopular marriage choices, religious conflicts, and claims to the English throne.
One of the main reasons for Mary’s forced abdication was the Darnley murder scandal. After her second husband, Lord Darnley, was mysteriously killed in 1567, suspicion fell on Mary and her involvement in the assassination plot. This event triggered a series of events that ultimately led to her downfall.
Mary’s subsequent marriage to the main suspect, James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, further tarnished her reputation and fuelled opposition against her rule. An uprising against the couple, known as the confederate lords, gained momentum, forcing Mary to abdicate in favor of her infant son, James VI.
Political rivalries and religious tensions also played a significant role in Mary’s forced abdication. As a Catholic ruler in a predominantly Protestant country, she faced opposition from powerful Protestant factions who saw her as a threat to their religious beliefs and political influence. The Protestant reformer, John Knox, openly criticized Mary’s rule and her Catholic practices, which fuelled public discontent.
My choice of Mary’s abdication is of course driven by the role that she played in the life of my 10th great-granduncle, Sir Anthony Standen. He accompanied Darnley to Edinburgh when Darnley went to marry Mary. He saved Mary’s life when Darnley assisted in the murder of her secretary. Mary knighted him, and her abdication forced Sir Anthony to flee to Paris where he began his spying career. Without Mary I wouldn’t be writing the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. I wonder what my writing choice would have been then?