Mary Queen of Scots on film and in books

Here are some of the dramatic depictions and books that give broader insight into Mary Queen of Scots:

Films

“Mary of Scotland”: Katharine Hepburn’s 1936 turn at the Scottish queen, with Fredric March as her Bothwell, directed by John Ford.

“Mary, Queen of Scots”: A 1971 film with Vanessa Redgrave as Mary and Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth, dramatizing meetings between the two queens that never occurred.

“Elizabeth R”: Queen Elizabeth’s problem with Mary in a six-part BBC TV drama first broadcast in 1971, starring Glenda Jackson.

Books

“History of the Reformation in Scotland” by John Knox: The masterwork of Mary’s nemesis.

“Law of Kingship” by George Buchanan: A disputation of the divine right of kings, written by a Scottish Renaissance scholar who helped the rebel lords destroy their former queen’s reputation.

“The Lymond Chronicles” by Dorothy Dunnett: A six-novel series by Scotland’s premier historical fiction writer, beautifully creating the 16th century world in which Mary lived. The young queen figures in the first two books, “The Game of Kings” and “Queens’ Play.”

“Mary Queen of Scots” by Antonia Fraser: One in a long series of masterful biographies by Lady Antonia.

“My Heart Is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots” by John Guy: One of the newest Mary Stuart biographies, using newly studied sources that further implicate William Cecil in Mary’s downfall.

“The Needlework of Mary Queen of Scots” by Margaret Swain: A study of Mary’s artful needlework, its designs and hidden meanings.

“Royal Road to Fotheringhay: The Story of Mary, Queen of Scots” by Jean Plaidy: A romantic historical novel of Mary’s life.