Why was Mary Queen of Scots a threat, and how serious were the Catholic plots?
The threat posed by Mary Queen of Scots and the Catholic plots against Elizabeth (the Revolt of the Northern Earls, the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots), Walsingham's spy network, and the reasons for and consequences of Mary's execution in 1587.
A focused answer on the threat from Mary Queen of Scots and the Catholic plots against Elizabeth, covering the Northern Earls, the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots, Walsingham's spy network, and Mary's execution in 1587.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers the threat from Mary Queen of Scots and the Catholic plots against Elizabeth. You need to explain why Mary was dangerous, the major plots (the Revolt of the Northern Earls, the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots), Walsingham's spy network, and the reasons for and consequences of Mary's execution in 1587. As a Unit 1 depth study, weigh how serious each threat really was.
Why Mary was a threat
The plots
Walsingham's spy network
Mary's execution and its consequences
Try this
Q1. How did Walsingham trap Mary in the Babington Plot? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. His agents intercepted and decoded the secret letters between Babington and Mary, trapping her with her own words approving the plan to murder Elizabeth.
Q2. Explain one consequence of Mary's execution in 1587. [Short explanation]
- Cue. It removed the focus for Catholic plots at home, but it also helped provoke Philip II of Spain to launch the Armada in 1588, so it sharpened the foreign threat.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC Wales (Unit 1)4 marksDescribe two features of the Babington Plot of 1586.Show worked answer →
The describe question (AO1). Reward two distinct, developed features, each with one supporting detail.
Feature one. The Babington Plot aimed to murder Elizabeth and put the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots on the throne, with help expected from a Spanish invasion.
Feature two. Walsingham's agents intercepted and decoded the secret letters between Babington and Mary, trapping her with evidence that she had approved Elizabeth's assassination.
Top marks. Two distinct features, each developed with precise detail.
WJEC Wales (Unit 1)8 marksExplain why Mary Queen of Scots was executed in 1587.Show worked answer →
The explain question (AO1 and AO2). Reward a developed analysis of reasons, each supported and linked to the outcome.
Reason one. Mary was a focus for Catholic plots: as a Catholic with a claim to the throne, she was the figurehead for plots such as Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington.
Reason two. The Babington Plot of 1586 gave direct evidence: Walsingham's interception of her letters showed she had approved Elizabeth's murder, making her too dangerous to keep alive.
Reason three. The growing threat from Catholic Spain made Mary a liability who could be used to justify an invasion.
Top band. Link each reason to why execution became unavoidable, and judge which was decisive.
Related dot points
- Elizabeth's court, government and image: the role of the court and the Privy Council (William Cecil), parliament and patronage, the problems she faced as a new and female monarch, and the government of Wales through the Council in the Marches and the rise of the Welsh gentry.
A focused answer on how Elizabeth I governed in 1558 to 1603, covering the court, the Privy Council and William Cecil, parliament and patronage, the problems of a female monarch, and the government of Wales through the Council in the Marches.
- The Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559 (the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, the middle way) and the challenges to it from Catholics (recusants, missionary priests) and Puritans, including the impact and reception of the Settlement in Wales.
A focused answer on the Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559, covering the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity and the middle way, the Catholic and Puritan challenges, and the reception of the Settlement in Wales.
- The causes of the conflict with Spain, the campaign of the Spanish Armada of 1588 (Philip II's aims, the English fireships at Calais, the Battle of Gravelines and the storms), the reasons for the English victory, and its consequences for Elizabeth and England.
A focused answer on the Spanish Armada of 1588, covering the causes of the conflict with Spain, Philip II's aims and the campaign, the fireships and the Battle of Gravelines, the reasons for the English victory and its consequences.
- Daily life in Elizabethan society: the social hierarchy, rich and poor, the problem of poverty and the Poor Laws, the golden age of theatre (Shakespeare, the Globe and opposition to it), and the age of exploration (Drake's circumnavigation, Raleigh and early colonisation), including the Welsh context.
A focused answer on Elizabethan daily life, covering the social hierarchy, poverty and the Poor Laws, the golden age of theatre and opposition to it, and the age of exploration, including the Welsh context.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE History (Wales) specification (3100) — WJEC (2017)