The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1587 - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

16 original exam-style questions - 5 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

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This topic is chapter 10 of GCSE History: Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88 Practice Book.

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3.10 The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1587

EDEXCEL 1HI0 · about 55 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Write in full sentences for Questions 14, 15 and 16. You are advised to spend about 65 minutes on this pack.

Give the year Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed.

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Name the English castle where Mary was held, tried and executed.

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

Give the name of the English queen who ultimately authorised the warrant that led to Marys execution.

(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)

Name the main plot uncovered in 1586 which produced evidence used to justify Marys trial. Answer in one short phrase.

(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)

Give the month in which Mary was executed at Fotheringhay.

(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)

Give the year in which Mary first arrived in England seeking protection from Scottish rebels and English support.

(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)

Name one foreign ruler who protested to Elizabeth about Marys treatment or pleaded for clemency.

(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)

Name the English cathedral where Mary was initially buried after her execution.

(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)

Describe two features of the events surrounding Mary, Queen of Scots trial and execution at Fotheringhay in 1587.

(Total for Question 9 is 4 marks)

Explain why Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed in 1587.

You may use the following in your answer:
- the evidence produced after the Babington Plot linking Mary to conspirators
- the political and security concerns Elizabeth and her ministers faced

You must also use information of your own.

(Total for Question 10 is 12 marks)

'Marys execution was the single most important cause of the deterioration in Anglo-Spanish relations in the late 1580s.' How far do you agree? Explain your answer.

You may use the following in your answer:
- Philip IIs reaction and the increased diplomatic hostility after 1587
- the argument that other factors, such as religious rivalry and English privateering, also drove relations apart

You must also use information of your own.

(Total for Question 11 is 16 marks)

State one legal or procedural reason given at the time for trying Mary in England rather than executing her abroad.

(Total for Question 12 is 2 marks)

Name one leading official who chaired or took part in the commission that tried Mary at Fotheringhay.

(Total for Question 13 is 1 mark)

State one charge or accusation brought against Mary at her trial.

(Total for Question 14 is 2 marks)

State two reasons why Elizabeth hesitated before signing Marys death warrant.

(Total for Question 15 is 2 marks)

State one immediate diplomatic consequence of Marys execution for Anglo-Spanish relations mentioned at the time.

(Total for Question 16 is 1 mark)

Mark scheme · 3.10 The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1587

Question 1

B1 1587
Answer: 1587

Question 2

B1 Fotheringhay Castle
Answer: Fotheringhay Castle

Question 3

B1 Elizabeth I
Answer: Elizabeth I

Question 4

B1 The Babington Plot
Answer: The Babington Plot

Question 5

B1 February
Answer: February

Question 6

B1 1568
Answer: 1568

Question 7

B1 Philip II of Spain
Answer: Philip II of Spain

Question 8

B1 Peterborough Cathedral
Answer: Peterborough Cathedral

Question 9

B1 feature 1 identified, e.g. that Mary was tried by a commission of English peers and officials acting under a special Act of Parliament
B1 supporting detail for feature 1, e.g. the trial was held at Fotheringhay Castle with commissioners including the Lord Chancellor and other senior judges
B1 feature 2 identified, e.g. that Elizabeth hesitated to sign the death warrant and delayed while foreign and domestic appeals for clemency were made
B1 supporting detail for feature 2, e.g. ministers pressed Elizabeth and she signed the warrant only after much reluctance and debate about legality and consequences
Answer: For example: Mary was tried by an English commission at Fotheringhay under the authority of Parliament, and Elizabeth hesitated before signing the death warrant despite domestic and international pleas for clemency.

Question 10

Level 1 (1-3): Identifies one or two simple reasons why Mary was executed, with limited supporting detail.
Level 2 (4-6): Addresses one or more reasons and gives some accurate supporting detail, showing an awareness of the link to the Babington evidence or security concerns.
Level 3 (7-9): Explains several reasons clearly, with relevant evidence and some analysis of how these reasons combined to make execution likely.
Level 4 (10-12): Provides a developed, well-structured explanation covering multiple factors, fully supported by precise and accurate detail and showing how the reasons connected to produce the decision to execute Mary.
Indicative content:
- Evidence from the Babington Plot: intercepted letters and confessions suggested Mary had consented to plans to assassinate Elizabeth and to be restored, giving ministers concrete grounds for charging her with treason against the English crown.
- Political and security concerns: Elizabeths government feared continued Catholic plots and saw Mary as a focal point for rebellion and foreign intervention, so removing her was presented as removing a long-term security threat.
- Legal and jurisdictional arguments: ministers argued Mary could be tried in England for treason against Elizabeth because the conspiracies targeted the English monarch and realm, and Parliament passed enabling measures to allow proceedings.
- Pressure from ministers and the Privy Council: some councillors, notably Walsingham and Burghley, argued that mercy risked more plots and that decisive action was needed to protect the state, increasing pressure on Elizabeth to accept execution.
- International considerations and deterrence: executing Mary was intended to deter further conspiracies and to signal resolve to domestic Catholics, although it risked provoking Spain and the Pope; ministers balanced these risks against the immediate internal threat.
- Elizabeths personal hesitation: while she delayed and feared the precedent and the reaction, ultimately the weight of evidence, council pressure and security calculations persuaded her to authorise the warrant.

Question 11

Level 1 (1-4): Shows limited relevant knowledge and offers a simple, unsupported judgement on the statement.
Level 2 (5-8): Shows some relevant knowledge and begins to weigh the evidence, but the argument is only partly developed and the judgement is tentative.
Level 3 (9-12): Shows good knowledge, offers a balanced analysis of factors for and against the view, and reaches a supported judgement on how far the statement is accurate.
Level 4 (13-16): Shows precise, well-selected knowledge and provides a sustained, balanced evaluation of the role of Marys execution among several factors, reaching a clear and well-argued judgement supported by detailed evidence.
Indicative content:
- Arguments that support the statement: Philip IIs fury at the execution and the Pope's condemnation increased diplomatic hostility and gave moral and political grounds for Spain to consider more forceful action against England.
- Supporting detail: after 1587 Spanish envoys protested and propaganda used the execution to portray Elizabeths regime as illegitimate and tyrannical, strengthening Spanish resolve.
- Arguments against the statement: long-standing causes such as deep religious rivalry since the Reformation, English support for Protestant rebels in the Netherlands, and English privateering against Spanish shipping had already strained relations significantly before 1587.
- Counterpoint detail: English attacks on Spanish treasure ships and the growth of English involvement in the Netherlands made open conflict more likely independently of Marys fate.
- Balanced view: Marys execution was a significant and immediate catalyst that hardened opinions and removed a diplomatic safety valve, but it operated alongside and amplified existing causes rather than being the single most important cause on its own.
- Judgement: a strong answer weighs both sides, concluding that the execution was an important trigger which contributed to deterioration, but not the sole or exclusive cause given the wider political and religious context.

Question 12

B1 identifies a reason, e.g. that Mary had been accused of treason against the English crown and so could be tried under English law
B1 supporting detail, e.g. English ministers argued they had jurisdiction because the conspiracies targeted Elizabeth and English soil was threatened
Answer: Because the accusations were of treason against the English crown, ministers argued Mary should be tried under English law for plots that targeted Elizabeth and the realm.

Question 13

B1 Thomas Bromley
Answer: Thomas Bromley

Question 14

B1 identifies a charge, e.g. involvement in plots against Elizabeth
B1 supporting detail, e.g. correspondence with conspirators planning to overthrow Elizabeth or to free Mary
Answer: That she was involved in plots against Elizabeth, supported by evidence such as intercepted correspondence with conspirators planning to overthrow Elizabeth or free Mary.

Question 15

B1 identifies a reason, e.g. fear of setting a precedent of executing an anointed monarch
B1 supporting detail, e.g. concern about international reaction, especially from Catholic powers like Spain and the Pope, and the risk of being seen to have murdered a fellow sovereign
Answer: She feared setting a precedent in executing an anointed monarch, and she was concerned about the likely international reaction from Catholic powers such as Spain and the Pope.

Question 16

B1 increased hostility between England and Spain
Answer: It increased hostility between England and Spain.

The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1587 - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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