Mary, who had ruled Scotland from the age of six, fled south in 1568 following religious and judicial unrest in her kingdom. She hoped her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, would protect her, but instead she found herself imprisoned. Elizabeth’s advisers feared the consequences of allowing Mary, who was Catholic and had a legitimate claim to the English throne, to roam freely in England. However, as monarch and relative, Mary was allowed to live in a style befitting her class. The British Library has acquired financial documents from two of the aristocratic houses where it was set up: Wingfield Manor in Derbyshire and Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire.
Variety of luxury foods
The documents include detailed lists of the various luxurious foods that Mary could enjoy while in captivity. Andrea Clarke, chief curator of medieval and early modern manuscripts at the British Library, told the Observer it was “luxurious imprisonment”. “The food on offer is incredible, from the basics – bread, butter, eggs – to a huge range of poultry, fish and meat, some of which I’d never heard of and had fun looking up,” he added. Among the luxuries provided to the exiled queen were beef, lamb, veal, boar and fowl, cod, salmon, eels and herring seasoned with saffron, ginger and nutmeg. They also prepared exotic dishes for her, including oranges, olives, capers, almonds, and figs, as well as jams, cumin cookies, and fruits preserved in syrup. The documents also include details of the extensive household staff needed to keep Maria in luxury and items such as soap to clean her bed linen.
Severe financial pressure
Such was the extravagance required to keep this royal captive in the manner to which she was accustomed, that the nobles who undertook it often came under severe financial strain.
The detailed financial documents, drawn up by Sir Ralph Sadler, who had recently become Mary’s youngest bailiff, were probably drawn up as a cost-cutting exercise, Ms Clarke said.
Mary would spend a total of 19 years in captivity before conspirators at the English court were finally able to frame her for treason and execute her.
