Captive Queen

<p><b>A fascinating and revealing new biography of Mary Queen of Scots in captivity.</b><br><br>For almost two decades before her execution at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was a prisoner. From her chambers, she wrote <b>countless letters</b>, many <b>encrypted using complex ciphers</b> to prevent her communications from being intercepted. In this way, she used language to exert her will and her influence, even while incarcerated.<br><br>More than 400 years after Mary’s death, the discovery of further encoded letters has led <b>to renewed interest in the breadth of her encrypted correspondence</b> in captivity. <br><br>In <i>Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots, </i>historian and expert on Mary’s correspondence Dr Jade Scott draws on hundreds of Mary’s letters and those sent to her, to paint <b>a vivid portrait of one of history’s most compelling figures</b>. She interrogates Mary’s complex relationships with friends and enemies throughout her imprisonment, illuminating her strategic expertise and <b>bringing Mary’s captivity to life as never before</b>.</p>