Historical Study: Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots

It seems every year around this time I fall into a fascination with the British monarchy. I recently finished the TV series, The Tudors, for my 2nd time, and am now almost finished with the TV show, Reign. I first started watching this show several years back, simply because I enjoyed the period piece, the costumes, the setting, and the history. Yet I also found the lead actresses to be very attractive, especially Adelaide Kane in the title role. She also has a slew of other attractive co-stars that take part in her royal court.

I realize Reign is perhaps considered teenage drama and nowhere near the quality of The Tudors, however it is still a decent watch for anyone who admires history. After-all a good portion of Mary's life was decided during her younger teenage years. The show presents this in a sappy manner of teenagers in love yet there is still great historical content within the story lines. While I'm sure much of this content is fabricated, as is most historical re-enactments, it has me quite captivated with the life of Mary Stuart, Queen of the Scots.


Mary Stuart's Rivalry with Queen Elizabeth

I learned quite alot from this show, especially the animosity towards Queen Mary of the Scots and Queen Elizabeth of England. The two lived almost parallel to one another, and the tension revolved around Mary's claim to the English throne. I have often confused Mary Stuart with Henry VIII's daughter and successor, Mary Queen of England (also known as Bloody Mary). However the fact is they were cousins and both happened to be Catholics on the opposing side of Queen Elizabeth the Protestant.

When Mary of England died in 1558, Elizabeth ascended to the throne however many considered her the unrightful queen. Elizabeth was after all the daughter of an illegitimate marriage between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Some felt the rightful throne belonged to Mary Stuart, who was the eldest daughter of Henry VIII's eldest sister. And thus was born the conflict, between rivaling cousins and yet another chapter in the religious wars of Catholicism vs Protestantism. 

Mary's Early Life in France

The show emphasizes Mary Stuart's French upbringing and connections. She was daughter of King James of Scotland and Queen Mary of Guise, who was from France. However King James died only 6 days after she was born, and Mary Stuart became Queen of Scotland, perhaps the youngest queen there has ever been. Her throne was thus ruled by regents until she became of age. In hopes to secure peace between Scotland and England, King Henry offered an agreement to marry his son Edward to Mary Stuart, in what was known as the Treaty of Greenwich. The agreement was that Mary would move to England at the age of 10 to marry Edward and become queen. However the plan was short lived when in 1553 King Edward died at the young age of 15.

At the request of her mother, Mary spent her childhood years living in France at King Henry II's French court. She was liked by all except Henry II's scheming Italian wife, Catherine de Medici. Much of Catherine's bitterness towards Mary was due to a prophecy by the great Nostradamus, in which her son would die if he married Mary. In 1558 at the age of 14 she married the Dauphin of France, Francis, of whom she loved dearly. In 1559 the French King Henry II died in a jousting accident and Francis and Mary became King and Queen of France. However this marriage was also short-lived as Francis died in 1560 of an ear infection, fulfilling Nostradamus' prophecy. At that point his mother Catherine de Medici became queen regent of France, and Mary returned to Scotland at the age of 18.

Mary's Return to Scotland

She arrived in Scotland during political and religious turmoil between Catholics and Protestants. One of her notable opposition came from the outspoken Protestant John Knox. She however acknowledged his cause and managed to reign with religious tolerance. She eventually found a second husband, her English cousin Henry Stuart of Darnley. In 1565 they gave birth to James VI, whom would become heir to the Scottish throne and later the English throne as well. However Mary's husband Darnley grew unhappy with his status as king consort and began to conspire against Mary with other protestants.

In 1567 Darnley was mysteriously killed in an explosion at Kirk O'Field. Although the crime remains unsolved many Scottish nobility placed the blame on Mary and her confidant Lord Bothwell. In a desperate attempt to seize power Bothwell abducted, raped, and married the willing Queen Mary. However this quickly infuriated the Scottish nobility who captured and imprisoned Mary, while Bothwell was forced into exile. Mary was left with no other choice but to abdicate her throne to her throne to her son James, who would eventually become king of both Scotland and England.

Mary's Final Years in England

In 1568 she eventually managed to escape her imprisonment from the Lochleven castle in Scotland. She was able to raise an army against the nobility however was defeated and forced to flee to England. She turned to her cousin Queen Elizabeth for help, of whom she once felt great animosity towards. However Elizabeth was unwilling to help her cousin and for political reasons she imprisoned Mary for the next 18 years.

During this time there were many Catholic plots to free Mary and assassinate Elizabeth. One of the most infamous of these plots was the Babington Plot in 1586, in which Mary consented with Anthony Babington to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. However the plot was foiled when their letters were intercepted. Mary was tried and found guilty for conspiring against Queen Elizabeth. She was put to death by beheading on Feb 7th 1587 at the age of 44. Her legacy is disputed however her son James went on to rule Scotland longer than any monarch had before him. 

Historical Study: The Wives of Henry VIII

I recently watched the TV series, The Tudors, for my second time thru and it has me quite intrigued with the life of Henry VIII. Everything about the show is quite eye popping and awe-inspiring. From the dramatic and romantic story-lines to the elaborate costumes and settings. It is hard not to be allured by the visuals of this program. It is filled with passionate love yet also graphic violence. It is in my opinion a top quality drama series, ideal for binge watching during the winter season.

The Tudors was produced by Showtime and released from 2007-2010 with a total of 4 seasons and 38 episodes. It was created by Michael Hirst and stars Johnathan Rhys Meyes, as King Henry VII. While I'm not exactly crazy about this actor in the lead role, the brilliant production is not carried by his acting. It's the characters and settings around him that make this such an enjoyable show. There's a strong supporting cast in Sam Neil, Henry Cavill, Peter O'Toole, Max von Sydow, and Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn. The show was nominated for 3 Golden Globes and 15 Emmys of which it won 6.

The premise focuses on Henry VIII's reign of England during the 1500s. It revolves around his 6 wives and his conflict with the Catholic Church. The first season demonstrates his dismay with his elder wife Queen Catherine of Aragon. From that point on the scandalous story is put into motion as Henry is eager to divorce Catherine and remarry one of his mistresses, Anne Boleyn. In order to do this he decides to break apart from the Catholic Church and establish the Church of England. However even after he is able to annul his first marriage he runs into other problems mostly to do with producing a male heir.

King Henry VIII (1491-1547)

King Henry VIII is portrayed as a strong and charismatic leader. He is clearly spoiled with his power, always keen to get whatever he desires no matter the consequences. He is highly intelligent, a passionate lover and a very sociable king. However his selfish behavior is no doubt his defining feature which completely changed the religion of England. While the Protestant Reformation was reaching it's height during this time, Henry VIII's decision to break away from the church was driven by his own passion rather than the passion of his people. His life became a cursed one, short-lived due to a near-death experience during a jousting accident. Following this accident his character became all the more selfish.   


1st Wife: Catherine of Aragon (1509-1533)

She was the Spanish daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and arranged as Henry VIII's wife for political affiliations. She is portrayed as somewhat of a cold and dull character. She was much older than King Henry, and their relationship lacked passion perhaps from the get-go. She bore Henry a daughter named Mary (who would later become known as Bloody Mary) however could not bore him a son. This lack of a male heir, gave way to Henry's dismay with the queen and his hunger for a new suitor. Henry was able to make claim that his marriage with Catherine was illegitimate because her previous marriage to his brother, was indeed consummated. He also took advantage of the Protestant movement in an effort to turn the people against Queen Katherine's Catholic motives. Once he was able to annul the marriage he banished her from the kingdom where she spent her final days in exile.


2nd Wife: Anne Boleyn (1533-1536)

Anne Boleyn is often portrayed as a seductive noble-woman, driven by her selfish father to advance the family name. She uses charm and wit in the king's court to gain his attention. At first it is merely a power grab, however she herself becomes enamored with Henry VIII and the idea of being queen of England. She becomes Henry's prime mistress as he grows frustrated with Catherine. She helps convince him to annul his marriage with Catherine and establish the Church of England. Henry VIII agrees to go thru with the divorce and seperating from the Catholic Church so that he can marry Anne. However once she is queen, she is unable to produce a male heir. Their first and only child is Elizabeth (whom will later become the Golden Queen of England). Over the years Henry grows frustrated with the lack of a male heir, and eventually falls out of love with her. She is then accused of adultery and witchcraft and cruelly executed. Henry quickly replaces Anne with another noble-woman Jane Seymour


3rd Wife: Jane Seymour (1536-1537)

Jane is portrayed as a much more innocent and modest woman than Anne is. Henry discovers her in his court and their romance begins as his marriage with Anne begins to crumble. She later becomes engaged to him on the day of Anne's execution. She attempts to restore good grace with the Catholic church, however she is unable to convince Henry on this matter. She does however reunite him with his first daughter Mary as well as his second daughter Elizabeth. To Henry's delight she bores him his first male child, Edward, however she dies a few weeks after from the child birth. She is the only of Henry's wives to receive a proper funeral. 





4th Wife: Anne of Cleves (1540-1540)

King Henry was a widower for nearly 3 years until he was re-arranged with another wife for political reasons. This time it was a German princess named Anne of Cleves. However Henry did not care for her at all and considered her to be unattractive and uninteresting. The marriage only lasted for 6 months until they came to a mutual agreement to divorce. She was given a fair parting and went on to a live full life free from King Henry. She remained close with the kings daughters throughout her life and was the last of his 6 wives to die.





5th Wife: Catherine Howard (1540-1541)

King Henry was attracted to Katherine Howard from court, for her youth and beauty. At this point he was in his late 40s, feeling old from the injuries sustained from his near death experience. Katherine was full of life and she made him feel young again. However she was at constant odds with the approval of Henry's daughter Mary, who was coming of age at the time. It was later discovered that she was having an affair with one of the kings councilmen, Thomas Culpeper, and the two were beheaded.




6th Wife: Catherine Parr (1543-1547)

In Henry's final years he had grown very obese and mentally unstable however he still found favor in a woman from his court, Catherine Parr. At the time she  had already been married twice and was in love with Thomas Seymour the brother of Jane. Once her husband died, the king quickly disrupted her relationship with Thomas by sending him overseas on a diplomatic mission. He proposed to Catherine and she knew she could not refuse. She loved him and did her part as queen during the king's dying years. She took on the role as regent queen and gave way for prince Edward's ascension to the throne. Following the king's death she went on to marry her fourth husband in Thomas Seymour.   

Best Winter Movies

Few months ago I made the case that there some movies that are best appreciated during certain seasons of the year. I already made a list of my favorite fall films and will now make a list of my favorite winter films just as promised. I will later make a case for spring and summer films as those seasons approach.

The winter time for me is my favorite time to watch my favorite movies. I suppose this is for a variety of reasons; it's a chance to lounge on the couch and stay warm while it's cold and bitter outside, a chance to feel joy and comfort during the Holiday season, a chance to feel nostalgic at the end of a year and reflective at a start to a new year. All these reasons are why I love movies, and why there are certain movies I enjoy to watch during certain times. These movies listed below are not Christmas-themed movies, yet rather my favorite movies to watch during the cold season of winter.

Honorable Mention

• Chronicles of Narnia Series (It's got a winteresque setting to it, and even a mention of Christmas)
• Greek Culture Movies (Usually around Jan or Feb I go thru a Greek appreciation phase and these films go so well together)
• Alexander (2004)
• Troy (2004)
• 300 (2006)
• Star Wars -There have been many times where I have binged Star Wars during the winter-time, however I could make a greater case as to why this film is not to be specifically categorized as a winter film. It was my favorite movie series as a child, and I would watch it year round no matter the season. It's my understanding the original films were released as summer blockbusters. I also remember the prequels were all released in the springtime of my high school years. This was a very exciting time for me as a Star Wars nerd and I remember waiting in line for the premiere of each release. Those 3 distinct experiences during the springtime are perhaps why I personally would not consider this a winter film. However the latest 3 films (The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi) have all been released during winter-time thus bringing forth perhaps a recent claim as to why Star Wars could be considered a winter film. 

10. Russian Culture- There's nothing that screams cold bitter wintertime more than a movie about Russia. Some of my all time favorites movies Reds and Doctor Zhivago happen to be about the Russian Revolution. These two acclaimed films provide an iconic dose of Russian culture with the backdrop of a bitter frozen tundra. Anastasia is another Russian Revolution setting and an animated musical that I enjoyed as a kid around Christmas time. Another favorite Russian film of mine during the winter season is Leo Tolstoy's romantic tales of War and Peace and Anna Karenina. It deals with dark and lustful romance ideal for the dark and cold winter nights. Whether it's movies about war or movies about love, Russian culture is ideal in the wintertime. 

• War and Peace (1956)
• Doctor Zhivago (1965)  
• Reds (1981)
• Anastasia  (1997)
• Anna Karenina (2012)

9. Black Swan (2010)- I actually remember first watching this movie around the early winter of 2011, and feeling very inspired by it. Just as the title suggests it's a rather dark movie dealing with complex psychological drama. It is an artistic film about music and dance, carried by the classical score of the Russian composer, Tchaikovsky. Natalie Portman gives the performance of a lifetime, as an extremely obsessive ballerina fighting with herself to achieve perfection.She is a woman gone mad with passion quite similar to Anna Karenina. The reason I associate this movie so much with the winter time is because of it's dark and romantic theme infused with Russian cultural elements.




8. World War II Movies- As a big history nerd, I've always felt that World War II phases are best to be enjoyed during the winter time. It's no doubt one of the darkest most violent times in human history and could probably best be related too during the cold dark days of winter. Just as Civil War can be appreciated during the fall country days, and the Vietnam War can be appreciated during the hot summer days infested with bugs, for me the bitter conditions of winter are synonymous with the the study of World War II. Specifically the cold fronts of Europe, such as the Battle of the Bulge or the Battle of Stalingrad. There's many films about World War II, many of which I have enjoyed, and many I have still yet to see,. However it seems almost every years around January I fall into a World War II appreciation phase,; Saving Private Ryan is the undisputed king of World War 2 movies (also in my top 25) but there's many others including great TV series and documentaries as well;

• Saving Private Ryan (1998)
• Band of Brothers (2001)
• Downfall (2004)
• Valkyrie (2008)

7. Les Miserables- I remember it was during a bitter winter of 2012-2013 when I first saw the release of Les Miserables. I felt so inspired by the storyline and the film, and could relate entirely with it. I myself was thru some hardships during the time with courier work and the brutal winter times. The story is a literary masterpiece by Victor Hugo about political and romantic characters set during the 1830s of the French Revolution. It's a story of poverty, upheaval, sacrifice, and love in very dark times. It is also a musical film, that celebrates history and culture. For me this film has become a recent Christmas/Winter classic that I often watch along with Phantom of the Opera or Amadeus.




6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- I remember this movie came out in the winter-time of 2004 and I caught it in theater with my friend Jaybo. I was in college at the time, going thru quite a inspirational renaissance, and this film seemed quite unique. The premise is about a character played by Jim Carrey, who is brokenhearted and decides to erase the memories of his ex-girlfriend played by Kate Winslet. However the process turns to be quite a roller coaster as Jim begins to change his mind. It's a comical, dramatic, and extremely artistic film set in the bitter wintertime of New York. It is now one of my all time Top 25 favorite films. I especially enjoy the melancholic soundtrack of this film, and try to watch it around January each year.


5. Phantom of the Opera- It was the Christmas of 09 when I remember getting drunk with my family and watching this film for the first time. Although I was very drunk at the time and only made it half way thru before I went to bed, I remember feeling quite in awe of the opening scenes. The next day my dad and I watched the film in it's entirety and I was simply blown away. The setting reminded me of Amadeus, however the musical dialogue was unlike anything I've seen before. After Christmas I went thru a major operatic phase influenced by this film. I continued this phase throughout the wintertime, as I moved to Fishers to begin a new career. I must have watched the film over 10 times, constantly listening to the soundtrack in my car. It wasn't long until I had each song from the film memorized. From then on I have made it a new tradition to watch this film around Christmas time.


4. Holocaust Movies- While this category of films could fall into the World War II case, I think it is to be recognized as it's own category. And just like World War II films are best enjoyed during the winter, the case get be made even greater for films about the Holocaust. It was without question one of the darkest most atrocious human genocides in history. It was a time of suffering and survival, the harshest of conditions. Fortunately for us, we can try to relate and understand this terrible time through film. And there happens to be so many great movies that pertain primarily on this account. One of my all time favorite Top 25 movies is the Schindler's List, however an honorable mention would be The Pianist. I often try to group these movies together during the bitter cold days of winter.

• Sophie's Choice (1982)
• Schindler's List (1992)
• Life is Beautiful (1997)
• The Pianist (2002)
• Defiance (2008)

3. Amadeus- This has become a Christmas classic film for my family ever since I was a kid. I remember we use to watch this film at my grandma's house in Michigan around Christmas time. While the premise has nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas, it's such a lavish and classical setting. It is a dramatic account on the short-life of Mozart, and his beautiful music he composed. It's an extravagant film with large scale operatic performances and full costumes from the Classical Era of the late 1700s. The film also provides great acting with comedic, dramatic, and romantic characters. It was this film that gave me a greater appreciation for classical music or just music in general. It has been high on my Top 25 list for some time now, a very nostalgic film that will always be a Christmas classic for me.   


2. Gladiator- This is my undisputed favorite movie of all time, and has been for quite some time now. That being said it is not #1 on this winter list, because The Lord of the Rings now offers 6 films to be enjoyed. While Gladiator stands alone on it's own merit as a great film, it cannot compete with the entertainment that comes from 6 great movies. That being said, Gladiator is a film I like to enjoy around Christmas/Winter time for various reasons. First being that it is my favorite movie, and brings me great joy and nostalgia during the hardships of wintertime. Second is that the setting itself has a winterequse tone to it. There is the opening battle against the German barbarians that takes place during the winter as well as various other scenes. Then there are the dark themes of betrayal, grief, defiance, and the after life. For these reasons I best enjoy my favorite movies around winter time.
 

1. Lord of the Rings- As stated above the Lord of the Rings series has become my favorite movies to watch during winter time. (The film series is number 2 on my Top 25 list, since it consists of multiple films) Nonetheless it has become a Christmas/Winter tradition for me ever since the films were first released during my high school days. I remember first watching The Fellowship of the Rings on a date in the theaters and being so inspired by the fantasy. I later watched the following two movies in theaters and quickly added them to my DVD collection as soon as they were released. The fantasy has a vast setting from wintertime to summertime, yet for me it is the utmost story of adventure. There have recently been 3 more Hobbit prequels added to the Fellowship Trilogy, which are not quite up to par, yet still a great appetizer for this masterpiece. It is a story of good vs evil, and always brings me great comfort to watch this film by the fireplace during wintertime.