Mary, Queen of Scots: Facial Reconstruction from her Death Mask. The Stuart Queen Back to Life.

I'm an artist that brings history back to life by creating famous figures from the past in the modern day, as well as creating facial reconstructions and recreations. Mary, Queen of Scots continues to intrigue a modern audience. But what did she look like? Her supposed death mask may offer some clues, but is it really hers? Why does it look so different from her portraits? Let's get into Mary's life and history, and I'll reveal my image of a modern-day Mary from her death mask.
Motion at the end thanks to My Colorful Past. Visit MyColorfulPast.com to colorize or add motion to your old family photos. 10% off the x-Oculi animation service if you mention Royalty Now at booking.
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This video creation and final image are ©Royalty Now.

[@joanntolley2567]

As a nurse I’ve seen aged people in life and immediately after death. Once deceased the stresses of life are amazingly and greatly reduced often times leaving the individuals skin and appearance looking much younger. There definitely is a look of peace and rest.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

I agree - it’s beautiful if that is the case here. She deserved to be at peace.

[@suemount6042]

Totally agree with you my dad died age 84 I went to see him next day and he looked as though he was in his late forties bit of a shock but kind of nice too he looked so young and peaceful

[@caroletraynor8763]

That was not the case of my mum and dad when they died, it was a shock to see their faces in agony.

[@cfa7310]

I agree. I have seen the face go back 40 years.

[@chiron13]

My oldest, 70+ uncle died recently, his face looked younger the day after during the funeral ceremony. A lot of people were talking about it.

[@cynthiatucker4773]

Paintings were often not exact replicas of the person IRL. They would change or exaggerate features to fit that time periods sense of beauty.

[@fairenough7984]

Exactly. There is more to reanimation of a face than the AI capabilities. A strong knowledge of the person's life, the era and geo location, etc all contribute when working with people and images of long ago, pre camera and computer technology.

[@yorumcuyorumcu89]

agreed ..... her hair wouldnt be like this if this was drawn 50 years ago, nor her eyebrows hair changes the person so much

[@josephdockemeyer6782]

Yes. The Tudor era produced some ugly representations of people who were supposed to be considered attractive: Invisible eyelashes; large, odd lower lid; tiny, lipless pinched mouths. Really oogly.

[@ElizaDolittle]

the artist was working from Mary Queen of Scots' death mask which is a 100% accurate representation of the queen's features. The artist just started with an existing face of a modern day model and digitally altered her features to make them like the death mask.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Who told you that?

[@InnateNobility]

Mary's beauty was better witnessed in animation. Clouet, the French court's premiere painter, constantly asked her to sit still, but the teenage Mary had a short attention span when she wasn't forced to hear grim Scottish news and perform her duties. She was very delightful according to contemporary accounts. If you look up the terracotta bust of Mary by Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse circa 1860-1869, that is the closest you'll ever come compared to any portrait during her prime and lifetime, or posthumous. Literally from every corner of Europe, she was marveled at for her beauty and her charm. She had both in equal measure.

[@mparis130]

How can a bust sculpted almost 300 years after her death be more historically accurate than contemporaneous portraits? Was Carrier-Belleuse a vampire?

[@InnateNobility]

@@mparis130 Do your research.

[@burpburp710]

@@InnateNobility Or you could explain it seeing as you're the one making claims here.

[@InnateNobility]

@@burpburp710 Just means you're lazy. Do it like I did it. Otherwise, sod off.

[@kkane8809]

Beautifully stated and much appreciated.. The beauty standards of today are much much different than those of that time period.

[@dianartimus]

One thing to note is that when someone is lying on their back, wrinkles on the skin smooth out as gravity pulls the skin down, making a person appear younger. Also bone structure won't change so I think it is her. Portrait artists often soften features or try to make them more like a popular image of what is considered beautiful. I read once that during that time, it was more popular to have less eyebrows and then of course Queen Elizabeth created a super high forehead which became a bit fashionable so you have to decide was it a popular fashion or is that how the person really looked? Even now in modern times it is "fashionable" to have tatooed eyebrows, lips and eyeliner, plus false eye lashes, nose jobs and cheek implants and now even breast implants and butt implants.

[@Kukolka42]

Two great points here: laying down + high eyebrows. Even if the most portly of people is captured laying down, gravity tends to get rid of a double chin and skin folds, etc, especially if she was only in her 40s when she died. As far as eyebrows, the fashion of the time was a higher, thinner eyebrow or none at all, and the hairline was often plucked to create a taller forehead to aid with this effect.

[@KaaCee]

Poor Mary, Queen of Scots would have possibly preferred to be lying on her back in death. Since she was beheaded, though, that wouldn’t really be applicable in her case.

[@Kukolka42]

@@KaaCee Not to sound macabre but the head would have been likely placed in a lying position when the cast of it was taken. We will never know for sure though.

[@corinthian123]

And given how tight her hair is in the paintings and having all of those pearls, etc. She had major wrinkles

[@Saffron-sugar]

Her head was not attached to her body after her death. so I don't know if gravity was part of it.

[@jenniecoleman2488]

I think it’s possible that it’s her. Simply because when my 97 year old grandmother passed we were all amazed at how much younger she looked after she passed. She was a beauty and when the weight of age and illness were no longer there she looked very serene.

[@carolinesalv]

For the love of God can someone please do Catherine of Aragon.

[@myrrh1581]

Isnt it done already? You can see it in the photos at the start (3rd from the right, top row). Or do you mean based off of a death mask?

[@myrrh1581]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXLKq6R5bdCBgtk here ya go 😊

[@kkandsims4612]

Yea but I doubt Henry allowed a death Mask for her .

[@katm5903]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn63eoSkha-rbqM&ab_channel=PanagiotisConstantinou From paintings

[@screenname1]

All of these recreations are just as fake as the portraits.

[@annamcknight2573]

I also am an ex-nurse. Death wipes away many of the wrinkles. All the muscles totally relax. I have seen many people look much younger after death. I believe that there is an oil painting of Mary done a very short while after her execution in Jedburgh, Scotland. I saw it many years ago. You could see she had been very lovely. A shocking picture. Very like your impression. Royalty in the UK is famed for the beauty of complexion in ladies. They avoid the sun direct on skin.

[@SoMooLand1nine7]

Execution??? Why? I dont know any history regarding the them

[@annamcknight2573]

@@SoMooLand1nine7 She had been plotting against her cousin, Elizabeth 1.

[@christinehipkiss9141]

Maybe the paintings were done in a certain way to stop her cousin Queen Elizabeth from getting jealous.

[@rae1714]

Agree i remember reading about that.The artists intentionally made Mary look less attractive so as not to anger the Queen.Mary at the time was said to have beautiful big round eyes and porcelain like skin.Her beauty unmatched.

[@katestevens86]

Absolutely. Elizabeth was insanely jealous of Mary, and very competitive in nature with other women in her court.

[@InnateNobility]

@Gary Allen She actually had a miniature of Mary during the latter's brief adult reign in Scotland, fresh back from France. She was jealous, but also admired Mary. Both of them were quite curious about one another. Later in her life, it was then she refused to look at any portraits of Mary because guilt would've eaten her up from the increasing degradation that her cousin's house arrest made on her appearance. At one time though, Mary was a vision.

[@sampuatisamuel9785]

Yes I was thinking that after seeing this recreation

[@MinnieMousey06]

this was what i was thinking. especially if the paintings were commissioned by the English court

[@pwallace5359]

No matter who the mask belonged to it’s amazing to see the face of a beautiful woman who lived so long ago. My instincts do tell me it’s her. You did a great job.

[@donnalyncanezo383]

She wouldn't be called the 'fairy queen' for nothing... So, she must be really gorgeous. Plus, if you compare this death mask to the teracotta bust of her it's quite alike...

[@jamesaron1967]

Mary was never called the fairy queen. That was a title of a poem written by Edmund Spencer, _The Faerie Queene,_ which was an indirect reference to Elizabeth I.

[@katherinek2709]

Wrong royal queen

[@helens403]

She was stunning.

[@YEDxYED]

I thought fairies were evil so it’d fit

[@johnny63ism]

Standards of beauty was different then, she could be called fairy queen and very ugly in our eyes

[@dianekerr856]

Except, this is not the death mask of Mary Queen of Scots, but historically misidentified and now thought to be a noble woman from Lennoxlove in East Lothian. I researched this when working on my own recreation.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Exactly! That is why I question it throughout the video. Either way, a beautiful woman and a very beautiful piece of history.

[@enheduannapax7988]

Yes this woman looks much too young to have been Mary at the time of her death.

[@graham76man]

I rather suspect that it could have been Marie (not Mary she was a snob and wouldn't have liked being called Mary). Taken when she was young. I doubt any death mask was taken due to the fact of the circumstances regarding her death. Death masks were often taken for tomb images to be made. And I doubt any monument was ever intended for her. Though Marie is often talked about having red hair, contemporary descriptions describe lots of different colours. She did have the best hairdresser at the time! She was never imprisoned. She was in protective custody. You don't have baths in wine, when your are in jail! Nor do you have your own cook and so many servants that they needed to stay in the local town to accommodate them all. But she did have health problems. The main one being a thyroid condition, that would give her plenty of energy, then left her so weak she would collapse on the floor. She resigned from being Queen, before she left Scotland. So wasn't a Queen when in England. Though the English treated her as such. So at her trial she was just a subject of Queen Elizabeth and so could be executed like any other till 1997 when the UK abolished the death sentence for treason. Which she admitted to at her trial. By the way her eyes would have really stood out, you would have been drawn to them straight away. Personality wise she would have been one of those women that would have been all over any man. Touching them straight away. That's why they they had to have married men in charge of her custody. In the case of George Talbot they picked him because he was in love with his wife Bess and it wasn't just a property marriage (though it was that too) like most gentry marriages then.

[@graham76man]

@Gary Allen Yes Gary that is true, but she still did it. Certainly nobody outside Scotland would have approved of the way it was done. Mary's Catholic status has to be taken with a pinch of salt. It seems she used it for her own needs when it suited her. She married Bothwell, who was not Catholic and was planning to marry the Duke of Norfolk, and that one was NOT Catholic either. The English ambassador to Scotland told the Queen that Mary agreed to sign and said she would go a live with Bothwell as a damsel!

[@lovepower4899]

The jedburgh death mask found near the site where she was buried looks more like her than anyone else . Very beautiful mask . I believe it was her since it was near the site where she died

[@NicoleSummerProductions]

Not to sound like a smarty pants, but the context of her lack of wrinkles needs to be considered. Aside from the mask being made with the head laying on the back, she wasnt outdoors as much as is implied. Yes she may have been outdoors periodically, but the fashion during her time included either a high collar or ruff. This would shield the neck from sunlight. A shift would shield the chest. Her face & hands were the most likely to be exposed. But given the fact that Britain was, even then, a rather cloudy/overcast island, exposure to the sun wouldn’t have been much of danger to her skin. That and she was kept under strict guard and not let outside for extended periods of time. She had rheumatism by the 1580s rendering her lame. So outdoor activities weren’t high on the priority list near the end of her life. Thereby limiting her sun exposure even more. So it isn’t unusual that her skin was in as smooth a state as is shown in this possible mask of her.

[@Anna-xt7gq]

Skin also smooths after death

[@burpburp710]

You can still be exposed to UV rays even when it's overcast.

[@marcinadler389]

@@Anna-xt7gq I noticed that when my Mom passed at age 83, she had no wrinkles at all.

[@selectiveoutrage6617]

Lady Antonia Fraser's biography of Mary is one of the best biographies I've ever read of any person. She really brought Mary to life with meticulous research. By the end, when she was executed, I couldn't stop sobbing and was depressed for days. So tragic and unnecessary.

[@naly202]

Tragic and unnecessary! She plotted her whole life. A lot of people died because of her. Elizabeth was right to get rid of her. Pity she didn't do that sooner.

[@winny3455]

Wow, so much later….and the war is still alive 😳

[@lovepower4899]

@@naly202 a lot of people died because of Elizabeth lol. She killed and imprisoned other cousins for imagined threats. Liz plotter against Scotland while Mary was on the throne

[@MrAdryan1603]

@@winny3455 hahaa

[@InnateNobility]

@@naly202 You're clearly biased. While Mary had flaws in scores, so did Elizabeth. She had quite a jealous and vindictive streak in her; the Tudor blood ran strong, and her mother Anne Boleyn was also not lacking in a mean streak. I suggest getting out the biographies if you own any. Elizabeth executed far more than her half-sister as well, Mary Stuart however, executed far less than Elizabeth. Very small number. Her claim to the throne was 10x more powerful than Elizabeth's was based on purity of bloodline to begin with. Anne Boleyn was pregnant from Henry VIII before they were married; what does that make her? A bastard. Children conceived and born out of wedlock were bastards by Biblical definition and even in society's definition during that time. Can't argue with that.

[@Ash.e__Mayy]

She's literally gorgeous omg-

[@pjb2773]

When studying historical portraits, you also have to keep in mind where the artist's political loyalties lay. A painter loyal to Elizabeth would want Mary to appear ugly and repulsive. Elizabeth hated Mary from girlhood. Some of that hatred could have been jealousy.

[@mramisuzuki6962]

Also, i've noticed that some works made from the descriptions of Mary instead of her studies look very different and much more in line with her patronage. A lot her studies are CLEARLY designed to make her look more like Elizabeth, either to shame her beauty or remove doubt of the relationship between the two.

[@mikmowmil]

But wouldn't portraits of Mary be commissioned by her or people who are for her. Why would Elizabeth commission a painting of Mary? Someone she didn't actually meet.

[@antonyjones4259]

@@mikmowmil they did meet.

[@eucalypso]

Of cose she was jealous of her, Mary was a royal Elizabeth was ugly, sick and came from a whore aka Anne Boleyn

[@AdamantErinyes]

​@@antonyjones4259 They actually didn't. Even when she was imprisoned in England they never met.

[@bruce9635]

She must have been absolutely stunning. Her features are also very noble!

[@laura_nureldin]

I love seeing how you always make them smile. All of them. It's like they're looking down at your reconstructions and saying "Yes. This is me. Thank you for bringing me back to life for all the world to see and for humanizing me. I am grateful." BTW, I always have tears in my eyes by the end of your videos. You care about these people and that's something very special.

[@moonglow630]

The mask looks like a much younger person than Mary.

[@alisonfraser3305]

Almost a child. Just by the bone structure. I don’t think wrinkles mean much. I have no wrinkles in my late 40’s.

[@jenniferhatton4387]

I agree

[@lyat5157]

I was thinking this. She was middle aged when she was executed and also with how horrific her execution was I can’t imagine her looking so serene.

[@gypsydonovan]

Did anyone listen to the video?

[@honeybeareats6674]

That's because it's Marie Antoinette's death mask not Mary

[@madonnashelton7913]

The head was probably in the laying down position when it was casted, which smoothes out any wrinkles.

[@julierobertson9397]

To me, the death mask looks like a woman in her mid to late teens. Whoever she was, there's no doubt that she was a beauty.

[@emmafre-haack1746]

Whoever she was.

[@Verityization]

That's what I thought...too young for it to be Mary's.

[@Libruhh]

Its actually the death mask of the famous "L'Inconnue de la Seine", a young woman pulled from the Siene in the late 19th century

[@cardinalgin]

@@Libruhh I think you're right : upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/L%27inconnue_de_la_Seine_%28masque_mortuaire%29.jpg

[@Jason.cbr1000rr]

Shes pretty hot.. the queen 👸 😃

[@heretolearnCA]

This is so cool and was such a joy to see how you construct her likeness; really enjoyed your input on your artistic choices along the way. Thank you!

[@aliciaegan4665]

Wow. Stunning! If this was her, she would have been stunning in her lifetime. Fantastic work.

[@ryanborder189]

But it isn't!

[@SD-no2tb]

I love how you are preserving history, in an honest, lovely and respectful way. All your recreations are so moving!

[@twimama43]

Your eye for detail and giving these historical figures dignity is just amazing. Absolutely love your work and look forward to you using more death masks to bring the past back to life. So to speak. :)

[@JalaKamal]

The mask was made while she was wearing a band around her face to prevent her mouth to drop open

[@karensaville913]

Very clever well done ..most art back in the day always painted awful,portraits.. this is lovely and from researching they say she was beautiful

[@pattisimmons67]

This was an amazing job. I do think you captured her beautifully.

[@a.michelle9289]

I think your recreation is beautiful. However I do believe I've read in historic accounts that she was nearly 6' tall, had beautiful, dark hair and hazel green eyes. It would be fun to see a version like that! Thank you❤

[@smithy1578]

She is my great great (I don’t remember how many greats) grand mother and I am proud that I share her blood

[@MrsAA-zn4yj]

I watched the Netflix series Reign about her. She was beautifully portrayed. ❤️this!

[@pookiepookie8669]

Sadly, there was a lot of fiction done in that series. Netflix actually deleted most of season 3 because it was so far from the truth.

[@loco4636]

Wow! So interesting to see what you do with these. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@joannehanna2590]

Lovely !!💙💛 Mary Queen of Scotts has always been a favorite of mine, as I am 1/2 Scottish and I've read alot about her ( Movies I've also watched) she was and still is a Star to me!!⭐ Thanks for making a new and improved picture of her !!! As none of those old paintings do anymore justice!!

[@ladyv5655]

Yeah, I doubt that was Mary's death mask. Not to be gruesome but Mary's execution was botched and required 3 blows of the axe to remove her head. I doubt her face would have looked so serene just after the fact.

[@fatiafqr282]

Omg

[@treintaydiez]

Indeed, I'd forgotted about that

[@Phoenixhunter157]

The face won’t hold expressions after death. Through rigor mortiss but not after that. Then everything is loose . Your muscles won’t hold that expression on your face. Your face is just relaxed and neutral

[@MrZippyDiapersquirt]

@@brontewcat Thank you for providing research rather than speculation.

[@MrZippyDiapersquirt]

@BossLady Highly unlikely.

[@lordterra1377]

I must say this work is pretty amazing. It's like stepping into the past and seeing these people as they were. Thank you for your hard work and dedication!

[@TheJoergenDK]

What you are doing is amazing and quite new to me. A great combination of your discussion and the footage showwing your work in intriguing fast speed, "leave them wanting more!" Brilliant!

[@dainapronk7139]

I really appreciate the life movement near the end.. Looks so accurate to the mask!

[@melaniep.8115]

Just amazing work. Will you ever recreate Asian royals? That would be fascinating if you do! Thank you so much for your talented work!

[@devonbradley4372]

That was great work! I'm currently reading James Hogg's book, "The Queen's Wake" all about Mary, Queen of Scots. The book describes her as being beautiful and having a lovely figure, too, so I was excited to see this re-creation (from the Death Mask). Thanks!

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you!

[@denisemarquis1340]

Way too young that is a someone in their 20's

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

@@denisemarquis1340 That's why it's easy to doubt the authenticity of the death mask!

[@HilaryB.]

She was supposed to be beautiful when younger, but had apparently become very overweight in later life. That death mask doesn't look like the face of a middle aged, overweight woman to me, but I suppose we can never know for certain.

[@elizabellelunar9495]

@@HilaryB. genuinely curious, where did you get that information because I’ve done my fair research on her but she was never mentioned to be overweight.

[@SwayzeOnYa12]

I bet you nail all of these It has to be because the amount of effort you put into all of these and how you genuinely tell their stories This whole channel is blessed and you are greatly blessed You will also live on and on

[@TreeCurtis84]

She's one of my favorite historical figures and I think you've done a marvelous job!

[@Weeeewriter]

*I'm 47 and don't have wrinkles yet. It's not unusual for Mary maybe not to have any either at 44?*

[@bushwickbaby]

I'm 52 and don't have many wrinkles...but I think a 44-year-old in the 16th century who had endured decades of stress and drama (not to mention not having access to our moisturizers, exercise and healthy food) would have some wrinkles....

[@Snarkapotamus]

I'm in my 60's and worked outside most of my life and I still don't have any to speak of...good genes I guess.

[@beths3288]

Also, what exactly is "undignified" about grey hair?

[@cocorcelmia]

I don’t know what you consider wrinkles, but I haven’t met yet a woman in her forty’s without small expression wrinkles/lines and signs of aging compared to their 20’s.

[@aewtx]

@@bushwickbaby But she was royalty. Surely she'd have access to better care than most.

[@tovemichau4887]

Je voudrais bien de vous remercier d'avoir recréé Marie, reine d'Écosse, car je suis sa descendante directe. Vous m'avez donné un aperçu de ce qu'elle aurait pu être, et cela n'a pas de prix pour moi ! Merci mille fois ! Je vous en prie, continuez à recréer des images, car je trouve cela instructif et utile ! Quel don ! Christophe Michau

[@dinamcleod1608]

I had suggested on a previous video doing Mary Queen of Scots. I didn't realize you had already done one. I have been doing research on her and her impact on history. Amazing work that you do. Thank you.

[@Shiyounin]

Seeing her face move made me cry for some reason. Phenomenal work. Thank you.

[@lisalouwho27]

She looks stunning! Thank you for doing this.☺️ I just officially found out that I am related to her! She is my 12th great grandfather‘s(John Stewart) half-sister!

[@melaniebrooks6071]

Wow, we recently found out she was mine and my sister's, 1st cousin 16x.

[@tajos703]

Hi girls, how did you find out? My father & grandfather always told me I’m related to the Royal Stewarts, but now they are both passed. I’d like to learn more.

[@tajos703]

They were both named John Stewart btw :)

[@jewhardliftharder9614]

If the mask was made while her head was on its back, the features would have smoothed out (something I’m sure many of us learned from Blanche Devereaux of the Golden Girls). The wrinkles would be finer and probably not seen from the front of the mask. I’m curious to know what the inside of the mask looks like.

[@Khaleesi_Jack]

Someone else had said something about laying on your back, and I instantly thought of Blanche. I was wondering if anyone else had thought this! Lol

[@alyshaparker9251]

Best I have seen you do for sure!!

[@tracer0017]

These videos really touch me deeply. Seldom can I get through one without a tear or more and always with a joyful sadness if you know what I mean. Especially when you animate them at the end. It makes you forget for a second or two their tragedies. I honestly hope some day we as a species can learn love and not hate or anger. SO much suffering yet we continue to always add to it not just over seas but at home too. Thanks for your work. wow

[@prepperinireland2240]

Despite my username I'm Scottish and have seen Mary's mask when it was on display in Stirling Castle. She was also a tiny woman...a gorgeously beautiful gown of hers would have fitted me...at the time I was just over six stone in weight and am five foot tall. I think you've done a beautiful job with her image, and I'm grateful you did your best to preserve her dignity. The last years of her imprisonment particularly were harrowing for her, largely due to Elizabeth's abiding jealousy of her beauty and grace. I've seen more than one death mask (I studied history and field archaeology) and what almost all had in common was that smoothing out of the feaures, something that is known to happen after death as the muscles relax and lose their ability to clench and contract. Something similar can be seen on a lesser scale when we sleep. Beautiful job for a tragic part of my nation's history. Thank you.

[@roising.3221]

She was very tall for her time and tall by today's standards (5'11). I am jealous though, I hope I can get to Stirling castle. :D

[@sheenawarecki92]

To be fair a lot of portraits would fudge details to make one look more "appropriate" for at the time beauty standards so I'm not surprised they looked a bit different from the masks. I prefer how she looks this way to the portraits honestly. She deserved some sort of happiness and here she looks more happy and at peace

[@kiwihame]

You just have the madest skills. The lifelike character and chrisma that you imbue in every person and with every transformation, is truly amazing.

[@diananievesavellanet]

This is beautiful! You did her a great justice. KUDOS to you!!!😊

[@georgiapines7906]

What a stunningly beautiful recreation! Regarding certain features on her death mask, such as her larger jaw, could those have been caused by her brutal execution? Again, beautiful recreation.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you! I do think the jaw could be swelling. I don’t want to get too graphic with the details but Mary had a brutal execution - I’m not sure what that does to the face but it has to affect it I’m sure

[@gregb6469]

Mary may have died a most unpleasant death, but it was her son James who became King of England after Elizabeth died.

[@lovepower4899]

@Gary Allen Gary are you paid by Elizabeth and Protestant fanatics ? Lol give it a rest my man. Jesus loves you!

[@csplotkin]

@Gary Allen I appreciate your historical narrative. Thank you for that. Wasn't James taken from her care so he really had no loyalty to his mother other than birthing him? Also, wasn't her good friend and advisor murdered in front of her by her husband Dudley while she was pregnant? Dudley was a horrible power hungry man who wanted to be named king. If I remember my history correctly, Mary hesitated in naming him king consort (and rightly so in my opinion). Dudley was a problem for the Scottish crown. History is fascinating, and yes, the Stuart line ended up ruling England for about 100 years, but it's was complicated. It's important for us to read history accurately and not just gloss it over.

[@melbabowen4389]

How beautiful! I find your work fascinating. Thank you!!

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you so much, I appreciate it :)

[@juliadianavanyo5927]

My grandmother was born & lived in Scotland until she was 15 years old when she came to Canada. I spent hours & hours listening to her telling me about our genealogy & the Royalty of Scotland. She said that Mary Queen of Scots was stunningly beautiful & that she was the rightful heir to the Throne in Scotland. She was very much into the practice of the Oral Traditions & keeping the past alive that way. She was also very much a Monarchist for Scotland. Just before she died she handed me a book to read & go through claiming that "we are in there". It was called The Monarchy of Scotland but she never showed me from the book just who she was referring to. Another book called The Braes of Balquhidder was written about the people who lived in that Parish but again she said "we are in that book too". There is a small Church & Churchyard in the Parish that has members of my ancestry buried there. I have pictures of all the grave sites & headstones, which gave lots of information to follow. One of the grave sites was given to Rob Roy McGregor by my McIntyre Clan so he is buried there with my ancestors as well. One of my McIntyre Clan was a john McIntyre who was Rob Roy McGregor's Piper. Anyway she had a lot to talk about but mostly she claimed one of the reasons her half-sister was so jealous of her was because she was so very beautiful.

[@iamsuzerain3987]

I'm just gonna believe that this is Mary...she's beautiful!

[@pal7252]

I love how you portrayed her. 🙂

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you :)

[@lim1946]

Beautiful, sharing this kind of information is greatly appreciated!

[@coegj]

I would like to think you have nailed it, this representation is just wonderful, well done.

[@suzyhazelwood9942]

Love your art of what you feel she looked like... and the amazing red hair!!😍 I've never heard of death masks before... that's fascinating! Maybe there is no need to be sceptical on the basis of her age and the fact there are no wrinkles on her face... I'm 53 and I still have no wrinkles on my face at all. I've had quite a lot of physical and mental stress in my life (no threats of beheading yet!) but I've had an illness since I was born... it certainly hasn't caused ageing on my face. I know heavy smoking or sun damage can age skin, but if you have none of the obvious ageing threats in life then young looking skin is most likely down to genetics. Both my parents had ultra smooth facial features, and much younger skin appearance than their age. I seem to have inherited a double portion of smooth skin. So 44 is much younger than me... very possible it is her face... maybe Mary Queen Of Scots inherited good skin from her parents? Also worth noting that effects of gravity while lying down causes skin to smooth out.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you! I agree, people vary so widely on how their faces look at 44. I do hope it is her, I think it’s a lovely death mask.

[@lovelydiva06]

Umm people don’t always look the age they actually are, just cause she was 40 with white hair doesn’t mean she couldn’t still have a youthful face and 40 isn’t really old

[@kvcp]

true, i am 35 and still have to remember my ID if i want to buy booze... the legal age here is 19... sigh

[@SatansNutsack]

Sometimes people have a really fixed idea of features and age. Everyone is different, It's mostly down to genetics (and not baking yourself in the sun)

[@americanfairy]

40 years old in the 1600s was actually quite old. Life was harder for people back then, and medical technology at that time was really lacking. That being said, a death mask might have smoothed out some of her wrinkles if she had any. It's still a more accurate picture of her face than any portrait.

[@bubba4072]

Wow, she was beautiful! Your work is fantastic. 👍

[@chantalringstrom5019]

You’re a Master at bringing these historic figures to life ‼️‼️ I enjoy the articles immensely‼️‼️‼️

[@nomanmcshmoo8640]

One of the things I find fascinating about this "death mask" is a semblance to a very famous death mask from the late 1800s: The Unknown Woman of the Seine, which is also a bit controversial.

[@PanzonVilla]

Dude these are so cool. I wish you could this for every human whose ever existed. Going wayyy back to like almost pre-human cave-people would look pretty interesting

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Me too! I wish I could

[@robertrazo4330]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you for your hard work and diligence. You’ve truly outdone yourself here.

[@henrygingold6549]

Absolutely stunning and a enlightening. One of the best KZbin channels I have ever seen, I can foresee addiction!!!

[@user-ru1ki]

I believe it could be her because you can't expect person to look the same pre-mortem and postmortem. There is always a difference. So if it is really her, she is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen... Good job, by the way 🌷🌷🌷

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you!

[@user-ru1ki]

@@RoyaltyNowStudios My pleasure 🌷

[@sonofhibbs4425]

Years ago, I spent quite a bit of time myself looking at the differences of features of this supposed death mask and her portraits. I was skeptical that the death mask really was her for the same reasons you discussed here, but when I studied the bone structure of the nose on both portraits and mask and factored in changes that occur to faces after death, I’m no longer skeptical that the death mask is her. I believe that her real appearance is somewhere between the mask and the portraits- the portraits being styled in what features would have been considered beautiful in her day and the mask giving a slightly distorted look because of positioning (we look different lying down) and because of relaxed muscles and even taking in account damaged swollen flesh that might have come with the stress of imprisonment and the execution itself.

[@lindalinn6046]

I too am a distant relative of Mary. Elizabeth the first of England had one claim to the throne. Mary had 3 Queen of France, Queen of England and Queen of Scotland. Thrice a Queen to Elizabeth's once.

[@altinaykor364]

@@lindalinn6046 unfortunately for petty people like you, Elizabeth the first was queen of England, Mary wasn't! she was even forced to abdicate from her own country's throne, which says a lot about how miserable she was! her son looked up to queen Elizabeth and continued her legacy and roles while not giving a damn about what Mary's wishes were, every other queen of england looked up to queen Elizabeth and considered her as iconic. Mary was nothing but an unpopular pawn to continue bloodline, hell not even her biggest alies in France survived enough for the next century and extinct one or two years after her execution

[@sleepyhead7694]

beautiful work again, you are very talented 👏🏼

[@kwgrid]

Beautiful! It's always interesting to see paintings of people who lived so long ago. Their idea of beautiful could be quite different.

[@clarisarakosart3496]

I’m speechless, having read a lot about Mary Queen of Scots this feels incredible, the only thing is that it would have been great if you could have put an outfit more related to her time period, but other than that amazing work. Is there any chance we can see Lady Jane Grey?

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you! Well my whole thing is that I put past figures in the modern day so that’s why the modern outfit :) lady Jane grey is on the Instagram page! @royalty_now_ and on my blog at royaltynowstudios.com

[@kirkmorrison6131]

It would be great to do both a layer of period clothes and modern, but I guess it would be way to much work.

[@jrmckim]

@@RoyaltyNowStudios maybe something tartan next time then 😅

[@rainbowqueen1872]

It really bugs me that this myth persists, i.e. It is NOT Mary Queen of Scot’s death mask. This peculiar notion was debunked years ago. In fact it doesn’t even slightly resemble any of her portraits. The other example ,which still hangs in a stately home (but I forget which)-is almost certainly the authentic article. It resembles Mary exactly as we see her in her later portraits. Her beauty never came across in her portraits and would appear to have been more to do with her charm, femininity and imposing height of nearly 6 ft. The truth is that we wanted the mis-identified version to be the correct one because it’s far prettier and therefore fits our romantic ideal of what MQ of ‘should’ look like. Shame it just isn’t true.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Can you point me to some sources? I agree the death mask doesn't look much like her portraits but was unable to find anything actually debunking this mask.

[@rainbowqueen1872]

It was so long ago it was actually pre the internet age. (I worked in British public libraries for years). I’ll try to source the credible mask and link you to it. At Mary’s trial though, records tell us that the assembly and jurors were shocked and let- down by the appearance of this once famed beauty, with her now middle- aged face and stout figure after years of incarceration. That revelation certainly doesn’t square with the above death mask and it’s pert, dainty features. The authentic candidate looks far more like Mary’s portraits. It would definitely be better subject matter for your considerable skills?

[@rainbowqueen1872]

OK. Here is a link to the mask which is said to be the authentic article. ( You have to scroll down the page). www.knowledgesnacks.com/articles/death-masks-of-historical-figures/ Also, if you look up a photo of the funeral effigy on Mary’s tomb, you will see her officially endorsed likeness as it would have been recognised in her day and which establishes beyond dispute that the face in your article ( and virtually every other) cannot be authentic .It’s much harder now to source the original research which explained in more detail why the mask so many believe is Mary Stuart couldn’t be her after all. I think the myth was just far more appealing. People want the seductive romantic heroine who fits our modern ideal of beauty, not the rather heavy featured matronly looking 44 year old woman she was when she was executed. I’d love to see what you could do with this face???

[@annieelisas98]

@@rainbowqueen1872 Very interesting, the death mask in the link looks similar to the bust of Mary by albert ernest carrier-belleuse

[@davidmetzger9349]

Amazing work! She was beautiful!

[@k6musicteacher]

First of all, thanks for doing this. I've been watching my way through the TV series "Reign" and except for the foolish, headlong decisions they make (which actually mirrors history to an extent), I have greatly enjoyed it. So, your rendering is exactly what I was hoping to find, so again, thanks. I think that with the exceptions of elongating her nose and upper face in the act of opening her eyes and leaning her had back from the disposition of the death mask, the exaggerated curve of the eyebrows and modern hair style, this is very well done and greatly appreciated. I also loved your cleopatra. Thanks again for all of your work and interest in history and historical figures!!

[@keira_skyler]

She was painted with a dainty chin because that was ideal. When you pay for a portrait to be made at the time, the artist would typically idealize features, think of it as photoshoping today.

[@rleston6848]

Beautiful woman. Whoever she was.

[@lillyallen4886]

Stunning. Thankyou

[@elinavinod1544]

ty for making this it's very nice!

[@saradecapua3264]

I keep thinking of the nose in the death mask. We are Stuart descendants and when I look at paintings of Mary, I could swear my brothers have almost the same elongated nose.

[@MartaWomack]

She looks amazing. I'm a descendant of hers and she looks quite a lot like some of my living relatives. My son has red hair and shares some of the same features, too. Our connections with the Royals in England faded when quite a few of their family members came to America some time after it was formed, so this was a treat to see. Thanks for sharing your talent!

[@SatansNutsack]

You and every European

[@momof2momof2]

I think you did a beautiful job, as accurately as possible.

[@Guardian__Angel]

Breathtakingly beautiful recreation. 😻

[@JJBushfan]

It seems to me that achieving an accurate portrayal from a portrait, a bust or a death mask is extremely hazardous since the slightest change in any feature of the face can greatly alter the overall appearance. What impresses me is the honesty in your commentary. You don't claim to have the definitive look. That's why I enjoy and respect your videos. (I'm al;so impressed by your skill.)

[@dorasmith7875]

Yup. I suspect a thousand subtle alterations on the part of someone clearly determined to make her look likeable!

[@sergiolobato1798]

that wax mask looks like a young Jodie Foster.

[@ckhthd]

I was looking for this and was unaware you had done it. I would love to see you revisit her with a more ranging and in-depth version. Very excellent work.

[@h0rriphic]

How did I just now stumble across this amazing channel?! Such an interesting pursuit, I can’t wait to binge all her content.

[@reenougle]

What a lovely face. But I think you are correct about the smoothness of the skin. If you spend your life fighting off conspiracies and death threats it would be a miracle to have unwrinkled skin. And it is so different from her portraits. But the woman is lovely whoever she is.

[@vaszgul736]

1. As you stated in the video, you can do life masks. It could be that the mask was made of her when she was younger and kept for whenever she may die, as a way to make it seem as if she was younger and more beautiful than she was? But it would also imply they assumed she would die (maybe she got sick younger idk? people died young a lot back then). I also assume if she was hated and executed she might not have been given such a glamorous death mask. I just think it might be her younger? The other comments make good points too tho, who knows. 2. Why does she look exactly like my mom? this is unsettling lmao

[@msfcabrita]

Amazing work! Congratulations.

[@liukang85]

You have a beautiful, clear voice!

[@coleparker]

Very interesting. An attractive woman. Forty-four years back in the Elizabethan age was considered fairly old.

[@BlackBerryTrees]

I also wonder if the queen had such strong influence over her life, if she would actually allow an artist to portray her as more beautiful than the queen. Like forcing the artists to portray her a certain way you know? I would trust a death cast more than a painting

[@podcasthastings9501]

Absolutely fascinating. We never get tired of it.

[@psclynch7820]

Deeply moved. Thank you.

[@annalisette5897]

Really nice work! This death mask has been pictured in biographies of Mary Queen of Scots but I have never read the provenance behind it. It has been reported that Elizabeth's government greatly feared Mary being made a Catholic martyr and that great care was taken that her blood and personal items not be taken for veneration. So I wonder why a death mask would be made? I suppose a purpose could have been to display her likeness to prove she no longer lived, but a mask can be made in life as noted in the video. IMO, the most accurate likeness of Mary is likely to be a pencil drawing by Clouet when she was a teenager in France. Her face looked big and long to me, not with the delicate features in the mask. Beauty was a much different thing in Mary's time. I am not sure the real Mary's mask would turn into a woman considered beautiful today.

[@coyotedust]

Masks were also made to use as a funeral effigy on their tombs.

[@CGH250]

It’s beautiful. You did an amazing likeness to the mask. No wonder QE wanted her executed. Elizabeth was no so blessed as Mary in the looks department!

[@chezoneinfamous4379]

You just earned another sub !!!!! Great job. I think you did a great job Mary Queen of Scott’s would be proud of the likeness you did 💯

[@joan4115]

Gorgeous!!