Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed on February 8, 1587 at the age of 44, after being imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I for nearly 19 years. Mary's execution was the result of her involvement in the Babington Plot, a conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth and place Mary on the English throne.
Despite her claim to the English crown, her presence was seen as a threat by Elizabeth and her government. Mary's marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and later to the Earl of Bothwell, led to scandal and political instability, further complicating her position.
Mary's execution at Fotheringhay Castle followed a trial in which she was found guilty of treason. The execution, conducted with a botched first blow, resulted in a grim and public end. Her final wishes to be buried in France were denied, and her remains were eventually reinterred in Westminster Abbey by her son, King James VI and I, in 1612.