The Tragedy of Fotheringay

Drawing on the painstaking journal of D. Bourgoing, the physician who tended Mary Queen of Scots during her captivity, this work offers an intimate glimpse into the queen’s final months. Interwoven with the letters of Sir Amyas Paulet, the narrative reconstructs the fraught days leading up to her trial, revealing the personal anxieties and political pressures that surrounded her. The author preserves original spellings and tone, allowing the period’s voice to speak directly to modern listeners.

Beyond the written record, the book includes rare contemporary drawings of the trial and execution, annotated by the diligent clerk Robert Beale and rescued from the Calthorpe family archives. These stark images, together with vivid excerpts from eyewitness accounts, recreate the somber atmosphere of Fotheringay’s scaffold. The result is a documentary‑style portrait that balances scholarly rigor with readable storytelling, giving listeners a nuanced sense of the intrigue, faith, and human tragedy that defined Mary’s final chapter.