Captive Queen

An expert historian on Mary, Queen of Scots draws on hundreds of her encrypted letters to paint a vivid portrait of one of history’s most compelling figures. For almost two decades before her execution at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was a prisoner. From her chambers, she wrote countless letters, many encrypted using complex ciphers to prevent her communications from being intercepted. In this way, she used language to exert her will and her influence, even while incarcerate