This Day in History February 8, 1587

What a day this must have been, indeed.  On this date in 1587, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded.  This is yet another story in the Tudor saga.  Young Mary (at the age of 6 days) became queen of Scotland in 1542. She was then sent to be raised in France, and she married the king of France (who later died, of course).

The very Catholic Mary then returned to Scotland, and in 1565, she married her English cousin (so she could become queen of England after Elizabeth's death).  He mysteriously died, and she married her lover.  The nobility did not like it, so they forced her to abdicate to her son.

In 1568, she fled to England and was welcomed by Elizabeth.  But then she became very suspiciously linked to several attempts to overthrow Elizabeth.  In 1586, there was a major plot uncovered to murder Elizabeth, and Mary was sentenced to death.

Therefore, she was beheaded for treason, and her son assumed the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1603.

For lots more information, check these links:
http://www.elizabethfiles.com/the-execution-of-mary-queen-of-scots-8th-february-1587/4725/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Mary_Stuart
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mary-queen-of-scots-beheaded

This Day in History October 30, 1534

"Albeit the king's Majesty justly and rightfully is and ought to be the supreme head of the Church of England,"


This text is taken from a very important act that Parliament passed on this day in 1534--the Act of Supremacy. This was the act that made King Henry VIII the "Supreme Head of the Church of England." 


I am sure that the majority of my readers are aware of the colorful life of King Henry VIII.  Remember?  He is the one who kept trying to get a male heir and either "divorced" or killed the ones who wouldn't (couldn't) give him one.  And this was a bit of a problem.  Up to this point, Catholicism was the official church.  The Pope refused to grant him a divorce so he could marry Anne Boleyn.  This was the act that required an oath of loyalty from English subjects that recognized his marriage to Anne Boleyn. And we know she didn't last long, did she?  


I was interested to discover that a new Act of Supremacy was enacted under Queen Elizabeth I (Henry's daughter!). I am so grateful that I didn't live during this time.  I could say much more, but I have to admit that it was pretty petty of the king to have a law passed so that he could marry the woman he loved (and hoped would give him a male heir).  I guess he didn't realize that it was woman's the fault.  If we want to get technical, it was Henry's fault!  He didn't give the right chromosome to make a male child!!  (Just thought I'd throw that in--I get tired of the women being blamed when all they can give is an X chromosome.)


If you are interested, check out these sites:
http://supremacyandsurvival.blogspot.com/2010/10/act-of-supremacy-1534.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/act-of-supremacy