Press Play with Madeleine Brand
‘Queen of Scots’ takes artistic license in its portrayal of rival 16th Century Queens Mary and Elizabeth
The usual version of what happened between Queen Elizabeth I of England and her cousin Queen Mary of Scotland goes something like this: England is Protestant under Elizabeth’s rule, and Mary grew up in France and is Catholic.
By Madeleine Brand • • 1 min readThe usual version of what happened between Queen Elizabeth I of England and her cousin Queen Mary of Scotland goes something like this: England is Protestant under Elizabeth’s rule, and Mary grew up in France and is Catholic. The two are bitter rivals. When the people of Scotland rebel against hot-headed Mary, she appeals to Elizabeth for support. But she gets suspected of plotting to kill Elizabeth. Mary is then decapitated.
The new movie “Mary Queen of Scots” explores a more psychologically and politically nuanced take on the story -- that perhaps Mary and Elizabeth were affectionate cousins who wanted to forge an alliance, but were pushed to conflict by the power-hungry men around them.
