Published in 2024
6 hours and 54 minutes
Dr. Jade Scott is a historian specializing in Mary, Queen of Scots and an expert on her letters. She is an affiliate in History at the University of Glasgow, an associate fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Secretary of the Scottish History Society, researching early modern Scottish women and their correspondence. She lives in Stirling with her husband and two St Bernards.
What is this book about?
In Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots, Jade Scott, a historian and expert on Mary’s correspondence, draws on hundreds of her encrypted letters to paint a vivid portrait of her years in captivity.
A fascinating and revealing new biography of Mary Queen of Scots in captivity.
For almost two decades before her or 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 incarcerated.
More than 400 years after Mary’s death, the discovery of further encoded letters has led to renewed interest in the breadth of her encrypted correspondence in captivity.
In Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots historian and expert on Mary’s correspondence Dr Jade Scott draws on hundreds of Mary’s letters and those sent to her, to paint a vivid portrait of one of history’s most compelling figures. She interrogates Mary’s complex relationships with friends and enemies throughout her imprisonment, illuminating her strategic expertise and bringing Mary’s captivity to life as never before.
