The final letter of Mary Queen of Scots written the night before her beheading is going on display for the first time since 2017 when it was shown in Edinburgh..
It will be on show for 3 months starting 23 January at Perth Museum, Perth, Scotland.
A BBC article - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg4nzy3r5zyo
Thanks, Nigel—that would be wonderful to see! Sadly I don't think I can make it over to Scotland in the next 3-4 months but is there any talk of it going on permanent display at any time?
From the article;
"It's in her own hand. It has her signature. She touched it. She
folded it up to be sent off to France in the hours right before her
death.
This is why I love this kind of stuff, the history from the actual person. I wish I could see it. It's disappointing that they don't feel a letter like that can be on permanent display. I wonder why something like the Magna Carta can without fear of damage but this letter can't? Any conservation experts out there with some insight?
When we went to Scotland, our daughter was obsessed with the story of Mary Queen of Scots. I'll be sure to show this to her. Thanks, Nigel.
to tie the letter up with goings on in my part of the world, Northamptonshire near the border with Cambridgeshire down here in eastern England, - it was penned as she was held prisoner at Fotheringhay Castle.
Fotheringhay is a lovely, Americans might call quaint, village in the Fens. I take guests there often. The castle is no more, although traces can be seen, but much of the church nearby still exists and is in daily use and open most of the time. There is a wall where the church used to continue but it doesn't suffer from its shortening.
I love it there. There are other significant links to royalty - particularly Richard III..
The letter is normally locked away in a vault, and is extremely fragile (as well as in French).
I haven't heard of it going on display, permanently or on loan, at all.
the church at Fotheringhay has a Friends of the Church group who have put together a really good website with histories of the church and the castle, and what went on at both, as well as excellent photos of the church, inside and out.
https://thefriendsoffotheringhaychurch.com/
In case anyone here has not heard Dougie MacLean’s gorgeous, heartbreaking song “Mary Queen of Scots,” here it is. You’re welcome! :-)
https://youtu.be/9yARma-yvEs?si=j6TGLa0raMuo_CWS
Lyrics:
something happened here in this cold deserted place
where mighty walls have vanished leaving not a trace
something's not quite right where ravens cast a guilty eye
and hidden reason still continues to deny
but mary i can feel your pain i can hear your heart breaking
on the silent fields of fotheringay i can hear your heart breaking
we give our might to men who take it as their own
and in our name destroy with every thrown stone
we stand the simple fools we watch them break it down
but the stolen voice lies silent it cannot make a sound
we've found a darkness here belief has withered well away
and time has sacrificed but no one dares to say
In an alternate universe where Mary is Queen, would Elizabeth have been locked away and would her letter now be on display?
Very cool! I'm a descendant of hers ( I know she has many). Definitely won't be seeing it, but happy for those who can!
