The Babington Plot: Codes, Conspiracy and the Crown

[@SafetySpooon]

Before Mary ever set foot in Great Britain, she had openly claimed to be the legitimate ruler of England. Elizabeth had every right to fight back against this declaration of usurpation.

[@briandelaney9710]

And Mary had every right to plot after being held in illegal house arrest for years

[@bbybella9937]

@@briandelaney9710 no she didn’t. She didn’t have the right to try to kill the monarch.

[@cassandrarose2108]

@@briandelaney9710 How was it an illegal arrest? Mary was a usurper and constantly contesting Elizabeth, and she had JUST fled her own country due to murdering her husband. How is Elizabeth the bad guy here? How did Mary deserve to plot anything? If Mary wasn't so proud and vain (tis a sin, she should know), she may have lived to die of old age in her lodgings.... she made her bed. Not sorry she lost her head. The woman made nothing but awful decisions.

[@Funnybriton]

@@cassandrarose2108she did not if fact kill Darnley. And was rape tho I would expect you to have any sympathy for a Scotswoman’s suffering in this regard.

[@victorialadybug1]

Darnley was a fool. She should never have married him in the first place. Her reign was one bad decision after another.@@Funnybriton

[@evelynzak8454]

Nicely done, I have to say Elizabeth had more patience than I would have had.

[@jfs59nj]

“A dose of execution.” Do not wonder why I adore you and your channel. As always, brilliant.

[@terryrogers7899]

loved it.

[@nikkisiddall5955]

Kat’s turn of phrase is rather delicious x

[@lisakilmer2667]

I think you've got an excellent take on the plotting - both the anti-Elizabeth plots and the plots to entrap Mary. I agree with other commenters that Mary was extraordinarily foolish, even bafflingly so, as she seemed to never learn caution. Your suggestion that circumstances were engineered to goad her into being willing to entertain discussions with traitors is very plausible. I wish there was more evidence as to her thought processes, because she is one of those enduring enigmas.

[@thefilmtube659]

BUNGHOLES???!!! REALLY, BUNGHOLES???

[@texashillcountry5506]

John Guy discusses the people who set up Mary in his book, Mary Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart. A fascinating, deeply researched account of the forces committed to taking her down.

[@alicejohnson8751]

I think Walsingham did fabricate evidence against Mary. If you look into him he was extraordinary devious and deceuitful and he worked hard to get rid of Mary

[@astrinymris9953]

I honestly think that Mary gave Elizabeth no choice in the end. Elizabeth warned her in writing not to marry Darnley, but Mary married him anyway. Then after Darnley's assassination, Elizabeth warned her to distance herself from anyone implicated in the crime, but not only did Mary fail to do this, she actually married the prime suspect Bothwell. I can't help but think that the astute and cautious Elizabeth secretly thought Mary a great fool who'd brought about her own downfall. I also believe that Elizabeth wished that Mary had fled to France after being deposed, because that would have spared Elizabeth the legal, moral, and financial charge Mary posed. Mary wrote to Elizabeth requesting both sanctuary and military aid, then fled to England without waiting for Elizabeth's response. Apparently Mary believed she could force Elizabeth's hand by presenting her with a fait accompli. This was a fatal misjudgement on Mary's part.

[@jmarie9997]

Thank you. It's frustrating how many people see Mary as a romantic heroine instead of a rather foolish woman who made one bad choice after another.

[@briandelaney9710]

The Casket letters are full of forgeries

[@VideoSaySo]

Although this channel is one of very, very (VERY!) few that I have notifications set for, I never watch a single video when it comes out...Instead, I load Dr. Kat into a playlist and listen while I go to sleep. Dr. Kat tells AWESOME bedtime stories! I'll listen until any new ones are finished, then when one starts to play that I've heard before, I can safely go to sleep without missing anything! She's lovely to sleep by too because there's no explosions, no gunfire, no screaming, no monsters roaring...just a pleasant, calming voice, telling some incredible tales from history! Thank you, Dr. Kat!

[@Morna777]

I listen to her at bedtime too! She doesn't just start randomly screaming like some creators.

[@harrietyounger6118]

You asked so nicely to get to 100000. If I wasn't already subscribed I would. I'm sure you can do it. Perhaps you catch som more people with a Victorian Christmas video. I can see it casting a wider net. Tbh I would like to see a Tudor Christmas video.

[@AshleyLebedev]

She’ll get there she’s grown so fast x

[@MichaelMiller2189]

Agree I’d love a series of Christmas tradition videos

[@gormanmicki7466]

​@@AshleyLebedev Elizabeth I 😅😂😢

[@christinalaska]

I have always been curious why Mary chose Elizabeth for sanctuary instead of going to France where Mary had been raised and ruled as Queen for a few years. Just a thought. Thanks Dr. Kat!

[@ellaw356]

I think she may have feared Catherine Medici. Just a looong shot of a hunch. Also she may not have had time since the Scots were on her heels.

[@desertdaisymarie6951]

She SHOULD have, she had dower properties there.. I think she didn't for two reasons.. Firstly, she would have had to pass through enemy territory in Scotland to get to the coast.. Secondly, she thought her charm and appeal with the story of injuries done to her would work.. I think she genuinely misunderstood how much the Scots did NOT want her back.. They made sure the English kept her and worked on Elizabeth's insecurities.. To be honest, I don't blame them..

[@rexgordon328]

I think @ellaw got it right. She fled Scotland in desperate straits, almost literally in the middle of the night with only the clothes on her back, and England was as far as she could get.

[@rexgordon328]

Walsingham’s reply to Mary’s accusation that he had “forged” evidence against her is what modern journalists call a classic “non-denial denial.”

[@MsLogjam]

In hindsight it sounds bizarre that Mary believed she could take on Elizabeth and expect to win, sort of like Kim Kardashian thinking she could beat Venus Williams at tennis.

[@conemadam]

The Best! there’s always more to know and Dr. Kat always delivers. I would love to learn more about James 1st( 6th) before and after his mother’s death. How did he view her and her house arrest ? I have never read any remarks he may have made, or was he completely silent? It was some years between his mother’s death and his ascendancy to the throne after Elizabeth died. I hope that at some point you can tell us what you know. Thank you again for a perfect presentation. And I am confident that you will get the 100,000 by year’s end !!!!!!!

[@ReadingthePast]

Thank you! I can definitely put this topic on my list for the new year 🌟

[@husseinmuhammed828]

Yes we definitely need to know what he thought and why he seemed (to me of course) estranged from a mother who has been parted from him

[@cathryncampbell8555]

@@husseinmuhammed828 James I was raised by rabid Presbyterians who taught him the Great Lie -- that his mother was a harlot who murdered James's father, Lord Darnley. I doubt whether James was ever exposed to the truth, so his view of Mary Queen of Scots would be bleak.

[@husseinmuhammed828]

@@cathryncampbell8555 did he ever know or atleast hear stories of those that knew her

[@cassiemontgomery45]

I've wondered about this and this what I have come to believe is likely. King James VI (Scotland) was a baby when his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, was forced to abdicate so he ascended the throne as an infant with his mother's half-brother, James Stewart, the Earl of Moray, as Regent. James didn't know his mother since he never saw her again after she was exiled. Also, James was brought up as a Protestant whereas Mary, Queen of Scots was a Catholic. I'm certain that the Scottish Lords around King James during his formative years taught James that his mother was a scandal due to her tumultuous marriages and her Catholicism. James was dedicated to the Protestant cause and hoped to ascend the English throne after the death of Elizabeth I so I think he probably didn't have too high of an opinion of his mother, at least not publicly.

[@ladyicondraco]

I cackled at the Oliver Twist impression!

[@mesamies123]

BRILLIANT!

[@historybuff7491]

It has always seemed like Mary fell into a trap designed to entrap her. It has always bothered me that Mary couldn't see the trap. But I have the advantage of seeing both sides...at least the sides that history has allowed me to see.

[@brontewcat]

The only trap was the communication was being monitored. Walsingham did not engineer the plot itself, he only engineered the way he could find out about and monitor plots against Elizabeth. The plot arose completely outside of Walsingham’s actions. It is a bit like the intelligence forces today monitoring ISIS and Al Qaeda today, and finding out about terror plots.

[@historybuff7491]

@@brontewcat Yes, I agree, but it has always felt as though he stimulated the plot to happen so that he could get everyone, this time, including Mary, Queen of Scots.

[@brontewcat]

@@historybuff7491 I can see how it would look like that. A lot of the novels/ biographies I have read certainly suggest Walsingham encouraged various plots some elements of the plots. Antonia Fraser suggests he encouraged the overseas agents to think there was more support in England than there actually was, and exaggerated the conspirators to think there was more overseas support than there was. She certainly believes Gifford was an agent provocateur. I guess it depends on how much Gifford instigated the plot or did he just manipulate a plot that was already forming.

[@historybuff7491]

@@brontewcat Good points.

[@lolaadesina5362]

She failed as Queen in Scotland because of her poor judgment and she would have made a terrible Queen of England if she had been able to dispatch Elizabeth. Not a very smart woman.

[@hobbesthecat6868]

I have always felt like Mary was never taught to be anything other than a Queen Consort for France. As soon as Francis passed they discarded her and she was sent to a country she didn't really know. From there she made every mistake possible. She absolutely forced Elizabeth's hand.

[@Tylwaa]

History can't blame Walsingham for all Queen Mary's decisions. Looking over her short 45 years she made one bad decision after another! Very prideful even narcissistic there's no doubt of her greatest desire, the English Crown. Some say Mary was a saint or martyr but I cannot understand their reasoning. I think Elizabeth was the saint dealing with Mary. If I remember correctly there was a letter from Elizabeth to Mary where Elizabeth just had enough and told Mary she should think of others not just herself all the time! She may have portrayed herself as a martyr but that idea came to her in the last hours before her execution. She was executed because of her "murder for hire" plot with Babington. Truthfully I think someone mentioned the idea of martyr and she grabbed it to portray herself as something better than a plotter and schemer. From the definition of martyrdom "a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion." Her execution was not being a martyr, it was for her agreeing to Elizabeth's death to gain her desire for the crown of England (which is the reason she chose to run to England in the first place instead of France) Her desire for Elizabeth's Crown was just too strong. Thank God for Walsingham if not for his tenacity against Mary one of her many plots might've been successful. And the English Civil War would've started even sooner! Only 39 years after Elizabeth I died, the King of England, Queen Mary's grandson Charles I was also beheaded and England was without a King or Queen and I think Walsingham (and others in Elizabeth's government) could foretell what the future would be with a reigning Catholic monarch. It did happen, Walsingham just delayed it for awhile. I think history gives him a bad reputation but I think he did his job well, saving Elizabeth from assassination and England from civil war.

[@carole6779]

Wish I could subscribe 100 times! I feel so fortunate to have discovered your channel. Your thoughtful videos really helped me through challenging times and they continue to inform, inspire and entertain as we all move forward. 🤔 Your approach is terrific. Many thanks!!! 🙏🏼😊

[@katherinekelly5380]

Ditto❣️

[@diggerfan1936]

Fridays with Doctor Kat....what could be better?

[@kathyjaneburke2798]

Thank you Dr. Kat for all the great history lessons!

[@michaelkopala3738]

It is clear that in Tudor England, politics was a full bodily contact endeavor. To the Protestants in charge, Mary was a clear and present danger and could not be tolerated. Her death potentially saved thousands of other people from dying in the worthless rebellion and war. Still, it's a hard thing to swallow.

[@patriciapalmer1377]

Elizabeth was comparatively circumpspect as a monarch regarding corporal punishment, and the era in which she lived.

[@tombabington9652]

As a Babington I am always fascinated about Mary and the Babington plot - thank you

[@XtreamBrands]

The big difference between the imprisonment of Elizabeth during Mary’s reign and the Babington plot is that Mary responded in print. Elizabeth has no response if I can recall, to letters sent to her during the first rebellion under Mary’s reign.

[@YT4Me57]

Mary was indeed a fool. If they come, let them come. I would have had no response.

[@maggiesmith856]

Elizabeth was too clever to put anything in writing that could be used against her.

[@_RocketQueen_]

I’m so glad I discovered this channel, just finished binging all your videos so far. I’m obsessed

[@gracejohnston7561]

Colin Raye 1994 "That's my story and I'm stickin' to it"👍🎶🥰🇨🇦😘

[@h0rriphic]

I was exactly the 1000th like on this video, and watching it turn from 999 to 1000 was rather satisfying. Thank you all. 😅

[@brontewcat]

I think you do a very good job in explaining the circumstances of Mary’s and Elizabeth’s story. Both women still inspire controversy and partisanship, and you do a brilliant job of presenting what happened in a nuanced manner.

[@Colleentfay]

Mary, Queen of Scots was star-crossed almost from birth. She made a series of bad choices, that's true, but none of them vitiated the fact that her claim on the English throne was at least as strong as Elizabeth's. Walsingham & co. cooked up the Babbington plot with the express purpose of ensnaring Mary in it. Elizabeth knew it, but did her best to shield herself from the knowledge of it. It remains one of the greatest blots on her reputation.

[@alicejohnson8751]

agree

[@Myke_OBrien]

Fascinating as always. I would think that while Elizabeth wanted to protect her own life and her throne, it must have been difficult to order the execution of an anointed queen, as well as a family member.

[@revade6698]

Hi, Dr. Kat. Thank you for filling in more than a few blanks with this excellent video. My only question is: why did Mary "seek refuge" in England in the first place? Was she so naive vis-a-vis the current political/ religious situation in Europe generally (and England in particular) - which I think is unlikely, or was she so confident in her own intellectual/political/sexual prowess that she believed she could pull a fast one on "unrefined ", childless, and unsuspecting cousin Elizabeth (more believable)? I would really appreciate getting your take on this. Anyway, I look forward to "meeting with you" over coffee ☕ again next Friday morning. In the meantime, please give my best to Jamie and Gabriel.

[@hazelmeldrum5860]

I have always thought was Mary was not a deep thinker and was influenced by others, also l am not sure she intended to land. Her intention after a series of drastic mistakes when she returned to Scotland may have been to go to France

[@YT4Me57]

She would have been safer perhaps in Spain; a Roman Catholic country.

[@brontewcat]

Hindsight gives us 20/20 vision. Elizabeth was the most supportive monarch of Mary when she was first imprisoned by the Scots. She wrote to the Scottish Lords after Carberry Hill threatening retribution if they harmed Mary. I understand Elizabeth’s advisers thought the threats may put Mary in further peril. Although later Throckmorton and Melville thoughtElizabeth’s fury may have prevented the Scottish Lords assassinating or executing Mary. None of Mary’s fellow Catholic monarchs offered her support and after the murder of Darnley Catherine de Medici was making noises about withdrawing France’s friendship. I have also read that Elizabeth was still sympathetic to Mary when Mary arrived in England, but it was Cecil who persuaded her not to receive Mary at court. Further England was closer. Refugees normally go to the nearest country. Mary may not have had much choice- she would have needed a ship to get to France. She may have only had access to a smaller boat. As we know from events this week, crossing the English Channel in small boats is not always safe. All things considered at the time it may have been a reasonable choice at the time, although a more considered decision may have been to stay in decision would have been to go to France.

[@jmarie9997]

Mary was a Dowager Queen of France. She owned property there and had the legal right to live in France. IMHO, yes, she thought she could pull one over on Elizabeth and get her to raise an army against Elizabeth's Protestant allies. Political savvy was not Mary's strength.

[@moniquelucas5862]

I honestly think that it was a combination of the reasons above. However it was also the sympathetic letters of support and advice that Elizabeth had sent to Mary that led Mary to (naively) believe that Elizabeth would help restore her to power and perhaps charm her way into the succession. We are talking about a women who had her whole life been lauded for her beauty and charm and heavily relied on it to get her way. So why wouldn't she get her way with her cousin if she had just met with her? Of course she reckoned without Elizabeth and Cecil and either didn't recognise or ignored the diplomatic disaster which her presence in England would cause for her cousin.

[@HallowqueenCrafting]

I've always been drawn to Mary Queen of Scots as a tragic figure. Losing her father and becoming Queen as an infant. Sent away from her homeland to be educated and kept safe when Scotland became too dangerous for the young monarch. being married and then widowed at such a young age, returning to a country who doesn't trust or know her despite her being their queen, being maneuvered into a marriage she didn't want for dynastic purposes, being forced to abdicate and leave her only child to be cared for by those who forced her out and having to flee to a country where her welcome in kinder circumstances should have been assured, but instead having to spend 19 years in captivity while circumstances beyond hers or Elizabeth's control put them at odds with each other. Neither she nor Elizabeth asked for this. They were sister queens of nations who didn't want a woman leading them. They had so much in common, but instead of the circumstances of their births bringing them closer together it made their survival and crowns almost mutually exclusive. It has a tragedy about it that almost seems like fiction. And you present it very well. I love your examination of what thoughts Elizabeth must have had in learning that Mary was coming to her for aid. Too often we forget that these historical figures, especially legendary Crowned heads of Europe are first and foremost people. And you help humanize them. I've enjoyed your content for a while and I hope to continue to enjoy it for a long time to come.

[@dottiewofford8314]

I have loved Tudor and related history for all my adult life. How wonderful to have such a compelling speaker teach us about things we might not have gotten from our history books! I love your videos SO MUCH! Thank you for them!

[@Saralee-fp2rr]

I know you normally stick with English history but I would love a video on Catherine the great. Love your channel

[@Kiki_Reborn]

I absolutely love your videos, could I be so bold as to ask for videos on the Stuarts? I see so many videos about the Tudors, and whilst they are my own favourites, I wonder if that’s only because they’re the most talked about dynasty?

[@morriganwitch]

What do I think ? Even Queens were at the mercy of patriarchal machinations xxx

[@cathryncampbell8555]

Thank you, Dr. Kat, for your erudite, in depth analysis of the Babington Plot. I never before comprehended how cold-blooded Cecil & Walsingham were, as they were willing to engage in the mental torture of Elizabeth -- in tandem with annihilating Mary. All of this is a lot like Thomas Cromwell's manipulation of Henry VIII in the destruction of Anne Boleyn: public servants in these instances were pulling the strings behind the backs of their monarchs....

[@user-ey3lu6lt9x]

Mary had a ... knack? ... for poor choices in men and advisors. Elizabeth surrounded herself with wise people (even those she disliked, like Walsingham). I think at some point after Mary had returned to Scotland, in between disastrous liaisons with Darnley and Bothwell, she dismissed her kingdom in a comment that read something like, "i soon mean to have better," meaning England. Elizabeth, for all her faults, was married to her kingdom, even had it been a tiny island (oh, right, it was!). She would never belittle her country that way. Meanwhile, poor William Davidson. Privy council got the death warrant from him and after the deed was done, he felt the full fury of equivocating Elizabeth. Her main objection? The killing of a fellow monarch. That would make her even fairer game for plotters like Babington and Gerard.

[@charleston1789]

Yay! been looking forward to this topic...

[@janepearce5382]

I fell down the rabbit hole that is your channel a few days ago, but tend not to subscribe because of the sheer amount of channels I like. That subscription request however was brilliant! OK you got me!

[@veesimmons2464]

I think Mary really underestimated Elizabeth.

[@Gimpygoo]

Hi Dr Kat, I have a question I wondered if you could help with. The relationship between Elizabeth and Mary Stuart is well known, and of Elizabeth and her sister Mary Tudor, but do you know if there’s any evidence/insight to the relationship between the 2 Queen Marys? I wonder with them both being related, both being catholic and both being queens, if they had any correspondence? Or because of Mary Tudor’s ties with Spain, Mary Stuart’s ties with France, and the aftermath of the rough wooing, if they were strained? What would your view on it be, whether there’s anything documented or not? Thanks

[@lynnedelacy2841]

Interesting question

[@neilbuckley1613]

We know that Mary Tudor's preferred choice of successor was Lady Margaret Douglas [Aunt to Mary Queen of Scots and mother of Lord Darnley ] . England and Spain had been at war with France in the period leading up to Mary Tudor's death and the loss of Calais in this war was a particular source of pain to Mary Tudor. At this time Mary Stuart was in France married to the Dauphin and therefore "the enemy" in Mary Tudor's eyes.

[@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527]

@@neilbuckley1613 if that’s so, I wonder why she didn’t try to make Margaret her successor in her will the way Edward did with Jane? Perhaps because she knew how it played out between herself and Jane?

[@brontewcat]

@@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527 I think Mary understood the English would not support her fathers will being changed. She had already experienced what happened when Northumberland tried to do it with her. Elizabeth was popular, and she no doubt realised any attempt to remove Elizabeth from the succession would either fail - because there was little or no support for Margaret Douglas, or if there was any support it would lead to bloodshed or possible civil war.

[@jmarie9997]

@@brontewcat By the time Mary Tudor died, she had lost her husband, her hope of an heir, and any popularly she had. Perhaps she realized naming anyone other than Elizabeth as her heir would just lead to another war.

[@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527]

I would love to see videos on what Elizabeth intended with the death warrant and on James’ thoughts on his mother, and more than that I’d like to see a video on Elizabeth’s excommunication: what did it mean for her to be excommunicated, why did the church do that, and how did it shape her reign?

[@sarahwatts7152]

Dr. Kat would do a better job explaining, but my impression is that the excommunication was a free pass for people to rebel against Elizabeth. If she didn't represent their faith in any way, the moral grounds for rebellion look a lot better.

[@--enyo--]

I’ve heard the story so many times, but somehow I never realised Mary was only 25 when she fled to England. That’s so young.

[@COBO2]

I seriously think that Mary was set up.

[@nikkisiddall5955]

She was by Cecil

[@jared1870]

Yes! 100,000 subscribers are attainable. I will be asking people to subscribe, because with Dr. Kat, history does not have to be boring.

[@andrewlangcake7431]

I have often felt that Elizabeth ,for all her intelligence ,only kept her throne because both Cecil and Walsingham were so vigilant ,cunning and utterly ruthless in ensuring that she did .I wonder if she ever understood how much she owed to their willingness to get extremely dirty in her service .Neither were wonderful human beings and they both undoubtedly benefited from their positions .It's hard not to admire their constancy though and determination to protect her ,even against herself .Wendy Langcake .

[@gingersnap7822]

I think that's precisely why she gave them those positions of power.

[@ShallowApple22]

Honestly Dr Kat the pleasure is all ours. If anyone deserves 100k Subs it's you & this AMAZING channel by a clear mile 1 of my favourite channels & creator!

[@kemiliedrumming1669]

Your lovely plea makes me wish I could subscribe more than once.

[@juliairzyk]

This is definitely one of your best episodes! Very thought provoking!

[@ReadingthePast]

Thank you 😊

[@mk82bk]

I am a big fan of Dr Kat. You are the best!

[@h0rriphic]

✨Dr. Kat, you will absolutely be at 100k before 2021. And girl, _you freaking deserve it._ I’ve been enjoying your uploads for quite some time now and they’re always fascinating.

[@jillipacs5886]

You know what amazed me . The fact that there were so many people that would risk their own lives trying to make sure Mary took the throne . Knowing what the punishment could be if they did not succeed . I feel bad for Elizabeth really . I mean she never married or had her own children to continue the Tudor bloodline . Then her own 1/2 sister plotted against her for the throne . Between her story and Catherine of Aragon's tragic story . My heart breaks for these women . We think our lives are tough today . Yeah not quite . I hope these courageous people who were executed are resting in peace . Please keep making these videos. I am learning so much . I am in the USA and just find your countries history simply amazing !! Thank you ❤❤

[@LazyDaisyDay88]

I first heard of this as a young girl when I read Alison Uttley's book "A Traveller in Time". Thank you so much for covering this topic. Fabulous.

[@wyzasukitan]

Ok ok ok 😅😂 that was pretty adorable - your Oliver Twist impression has most definitely secured a subscription from me!

[@charliedelfino2102]

I'm so happy I found your channel, I've been looking for a good historical story for my next musical and this is the perfect place to search for it

[@blueashke]

5 minutes in and not only am I excited to finish this one, I'm subscribed and can't wait to go back and listen to more! Your voice is made for this kind of thing and I love learning all the things I never did in school from folx who actually know what they're talking about.

[@elizabethraitanen5057]

I love history with Dr. Kat!

[@kaybrown4010]

This channel is one of my favorites. Thank you, Dr. Kat!

[@Rubiastraify]

Your channel is the best history presentation I've seen. I appreciate how you invite comments and what we might think of the subject. I've seen a performance of Schiller's, {Mary Stuart}, which was quite gripping, and real history is no less dramatic with its plots and intrigue. Thanks again for another enlightening discussion - and hope you get your 100k subbers!

[@drjeandewet3747]

Yay! Perfect friday night! Wonder if im the only one studying the book titles in the background. Would have had so much fun with that if I was dr Kat😂

[@kathyjaneburke2798]

Me too! I also try to figure out all the little "things"!

[@XtreamBrands]

lol sometimes I try to make them out too

[@tuibabbington4869]

Fascinated by any information I can gain on The Babington Plot...I have no idea if my family is in anyway related but I would love to think so!!...thank you.

[@somyod2u]

My trivial question about Mary Queen of Scots is - as she was only given 24 hours notice of her execution, how did she manage to lay her hands on the famous red under-garment ?

[@ReadingthePast]

Good question, my assumption is that she already owned them - red was a popular and fashionable status symbol in addition to having the martyr connection.

[@katharper655]

I cannot begin to express how happy I am that the KZbin algorithms recommended you to me! Wry, intelligent humour interspersed with informed History is a grand treat! Thank you, Dr. Kat, so very much!

[@dragonclaws9367]

Nobody would deserve 100k more than you. Stellar content. 👑🏰

[@shanartisan]

I thought, after more than 10 years on KZbin, that I had found most of the good channels and subscribed to them already. Not so, for here you are. Looking forward to rummaging through your back catalog. How excellent!

[@fairwfriend]

I love your content SO MUCH that I subscribed twice! (When YT unsubscribed me earlier this year) Thank you all of the care and compassion you approach this sensitive topic.

[@patriciapalmer1377]

Imagine my surprise when I saw how recent this is !! I stumbled on your videos by chance and have been watching old ones whenever I have a break and love them. Thank you, Doctor, for all your time and effort on our behalf and I wish you a healthy and happy Christmas and New Year !! Pat. America

[@jackpayne4658]

Had he lived at the right time, Sir Francis Walsingham would have made an excellent head of MI5, or the KGB, or the CIA. No doubt his personal convictions were sincere enough, but I get a strong impression that he loved the game of espionage and counter-espionage for its own sake.

[@josephcollins6033]

"...a dose of execution." WONDERFUL!!! So much here I did not know. Thanks, Dr. Kat!

[@memyselfi8461]

If I weren't already a huge fan and subscriber I'd subscribe again. By far the best historical KZbin channel, and top favorite historians. From the states, your devoted fan. Absolutely love your channel and your approach to spreading knowledge.

[@robertajeffries7505]

Good Evening Dr.Kat, Your channel is Absolutely Top Notch. the platform, the explanation the presentation, well done my dear well done. ❤ from the 🇺🇸

[@coffeecloud]

Thank you Dr Kat. Informative, brilliant and balanced. As usual.

[@nataliaalmeida-nacillustra5954]

I love listening to the videos when I'm working on something that doesn't require my full attention. You're so calm and polite, it feels like someone is telling me a story. Well, you are telling a story actually.

[@stellarosehendrix]

Ugh! Why does everyone always try to excuse Mary's constant foolishness and missteps? Elizabeth's actions are twisted hither and thither to paint her as 'the bad guy' while Mary's are similarly contorted to maker her look saintly. Mary was a petulant, spoiled princess who reigned briefly and badly; and that's about all. imo, of course. 😆

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

I agree. Mary is always seen as a 'victim' but to me she was a victim only of her own ineptitude and duplicity. I have no doubt at all that her reason for going to England after the debacle in Scotland was to usurp her cousin's throne, one way or another. The later Stuarts had unbelievable arrogance and fervent belief in the divine right of kings , so why should we think Mary was any different? She was also an almost fundamentalist Catholic, so she would have had no problem whatsoever in convincing herself that by taking Protestant Elizabeth's throne she was leading the people back to the 'True Faith' Notice she considered herself a Martyr?

[@jmarie9997]

Because Mary is considered the 'more Womanly Woman'. She married Darnly for 'love' (more like infatuation) and had a baby, which was enough to make her a saint in the eyes of the Victorians. Elizabeth was practical and cautious to an almost pathological degree at times.

[@Dolleemixtures]

Dr Kat!!! 90k wowww! That's incredible! You deserve it. One of my absolute fab channels here ❤️❤️

[@lisaa.4667]

I just subscribed. You are great! You make learning history entertaining.

[@ariadneferreira2252]

Oh my gosh, you are so adorable!!! I wish I could subscribe more than once! 😄 I adore your channel! You are so intelligent, interesting, entertaining, and I have recently subscribed and have been binge watching your videos! Thank you for these videos!!! My mom and my sister love history, and I was so excited to share your channel with them!

[@bonnieskilton3247]

👍🏼 I think Walsingham played the long-game with Mary. His experience with the Hugonaughts taught him well about Catholic intolerance….and created in him a strong reason and motivation to keep the Pope out of England. And, knowing of Mary’s impetuous nature, gave him the know how to entice. It was his responsibility to seek advantage for his Queen … in any crisis. Frances saw his chance with some young, silly men… and took it. Set up, yes. Needed to be done.. yes.

[@iSHiNE2011]

What a nice post-holiday treat! Also, if I could subscribe again, I would. I'm a sucker for Tudor history and all the surrounding time periods, so I love everything you post. I'll be cheering from home when you reach 100K and will help spread the word. 😊

[@christiancamp6796]

Dear Dr. Cat, I just wanted to let you know that, not only am I a returning subscriber but I have recommended your channel to all of my friends and family, especially my daughters who are, like myself, history geeks! Love your videos and your channel! Thanks for all you do!

[@KatherineHugs]

You're such a great story teller, Dr. Kat!!

[@maeve4047]

Just absolutely love this channel. I have shared and hopefully some are following

[@laurabayford1987]

I think the bottom line is that poor Mary Queen of Scots just wasn’t very bright. She’s the Tudor equivalent of that girl who is always joining MLMs and falling for catfish. She didn’t understand risk, how her actions looked or sounded, or consequences or impulsivity. She just blazed through life doing entirely whatever pleased her in the next five minutes: however greedy, selfish, destructive, or daft. I feel sorry for her more than anything. In a modern system she wouldn’t be in positions where she could take such massive risks and lose everything. Someone would have gone “yeah, she’s not going to be a good leader,” and politely decline to work with her. The minute you imagine her as the thickest woman you meet at a bus stop, her story makes sense.

[@bonnieskilton3247]

We love you Dr. Kat!

[@filthyketchup5933]

I truly believe you will get to 1M

[@ReadingthePast]

Thank you ☺️

[@susanhepburn6040]

Very interesting! Thank you for explaining this so well. I really hope you'll hit that 100,000 mark! I'm sure it will happen before too long - and will be very well deserved!

[@jessicalowery3718]

I love this channel. I watch it and listen while cooking and cleaning. Learning a lot.

[@greekre]

ive been looking forward to this dr

[@kimberlynielsen6485]

Love your channel from the States! A Christmas 🎄 Tudor traditions would be cool!

[@zackerylamb9511]

Lol I love the Oliver Twist reference 🤣 amazing as always Dr. Kat

[@humanitarianly]

I look forward to the notification of your video every Friday!

[@Annie-iq3hd]

Love you Dr. Kat. All the best from Tasmania.

[@melanieking1849]

I wonder if you could do a video on all the Marys - Mary queen of Scots, Bloody Mary, Mary QEI’s sister, Mary HVIII’s sister, Mary Doublas, etc. gets so confusing ! Thanks

[@imogenx9145]

I don't want to be one of those people that reduces a clearly intelligent, well spoken and intelligent woman down to looks but you look so beautiful in this vid. Thanks for the lesson on conspiracy, gonna hollow out some barrels myself. 😂

[@kimberlypatton9634]

Well,here it is the middle of July,Kat! And this video was posted 7 months ago.You stand now at 103K..so you killed it!

[@krawlb4walking802]

You have over 104k Subscribers now! I hope you continue to grow that base. Thanks so much for these videos.

[@saragraham9744]

I’m surprised your not at a million subscribers! Such a great channel.

[@greyjanna]

Thank You for this… Love all your Videos

[@noladesiree4800]

You're stories are very interesting and you're a fabulous story teller. Thanks for all of these Readings you do!!!

[@Moriartart]

I haven’t much to add to this because I’m not too well versed in Elizabethan history but your videos always peak my interest into watching and reading more about all of these plots and lives for the era 😸

[@0hMyLife]

When one of your FAVORITE youtubers very, very politely and adorably asks for more subscribers: Dang!!! Already subscribed. Maybe I need to create some more yt profiles......🤔

[@ladonnaadam5014]

Thank you Dr. Kat! I LOVE this subject.