Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots who was imprisoned in Coventry
Channel: Deep FACT Friar
Date: 2020-03-25

Paul Curtis is The Deep FACT Friar, used to be a Coventry tour guide who broadcasts weekly from Coventry, the UK City of Culture for 2021.

24th March 1603 Elizabeth I died 417 years ago today. VisIting Coventry, next UK 🇬🇧 City of Culture in 2021 once on Sat 17th Aug 1565 She arranged for her cousin Mary The Queen of The Scots to have an extended holiday here. 

What a lovely cousin, NOT! Queen Elizabeth I visited Coventry on a cultural visit of her realm. 

She entered through Bishops Gate which was on Bishops Street where the old Post Office sorting office used to be and before you say it yes it is now student accommodation and a Tesco express by the RingRoad wobbly bridge that says Canal Basin on it sometimes when the local scallywags haven’t been out painting. 

Anyway Queen Elizabeth I came through Bishops Gate, down Bishops Street and was taken to the Old Grammar School, St Johns Hospital at the junction of The Burges,Corporation Street, Hales St, & Bishop Street. There she had a look around and left them some money for it’s upkeep. Sadly It didn’t last long but a few years back Coventry Culture Trust got about £5m and restores it for use again and it now houses Coventry City Centre Business Improvement District and Coventry Historic Trust who are retiring all e old buildings of Coventry. “Hoorah”

She then went up across Cheaping between McDonalds, KFC, Wok to Walk and The Bookmakers making her way into Broadgate where the crowds gathered to welcome her. 

She then made her way down High St, The Banks, down Earl Street and turned into Much Park St. I’ve already covered why Little Park Street was called Little Park Street and why Much Park Street was called Much Park Street. 

Anyway they got to Whitefriars’s Gate House (The Old Toy Museum) being restores by said Coventry Historic Trust and stayed at WhiteFriars Place with John Hales, a property developer who had bought up half of Coventry like a monopoly winner. 

She stayed there two days and is said to have addressed the people from the Oriel Window, not Oreo window kids, Oreo’s weren’t invented then and spoke to the people about how they should return to faith after her dad had shut down 900 monasteries, friaries, convents and priories. Bit rich coming from her. https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/westmid/coventry/whitefriars-friary.htm

Anyway she stayed two days then cleared off never to return except when she was having a bit of trouble with her quarrelsome sister who technically had a right to rule she wrote a letter to the Mayor of Coventy saying you are to look after my cousin for a while until I decide or my advisers decide what I/we should do with her. 

Scope and Content:
From Elizabeth I to mayor et al concerning obeying the orders of the Earls of Shrewsbury and Huntingdon about custody of Mary, Queen of Scots.

'Elizabeth R By the Quene
Trusty and welbeloved we grete you well. Forasmuche as wee have for dyvers good considerations gyven ordere to our right trusty and right welbeloved Cousyns the Earles of Shrewesbury and Huntington to bring the Scottyshe Queene to that our towne of Coventrie and there to see hir safely kept and garded untyll our pleasure shall be other wyse to determine. We let your will or pleasure and commaundment is that for the better assystance of our sayd Cousyns and either of them in this charge committed unto them, you shall from tyme to tyme followe suche ordere and direction as shall for that purpose bee by them or either of them prescribed unto you in suche a wyse as they or either of them shall think fyt for the weale and furtherance of our service. Gevven under our Signet at our Castle of Wyndesor the xxvjth of November the xijth yere of our Reigne.'

November 1569. At first she stayed in The Black Bull Inn which is basically where Barracks Car Park is so yet again a royal and a car park. God Bless you Phillipa the. She was moved to St Marys Guildhall at first being kept in Ceasars Tower then in The Mayoress’s Parlour other wise known as The Drapers Room. 

There is a great story about how they had a door lowered so she had to bend down and get in and there was a picture of Queen Elizabeth there so she had to bow to her cousin and she would enter the door backwards but hey ho, lets not let the truth get in the way of a great story. 

Anyways she stayed there until released. Today’s pics show Liz, the letter she wrote to keep Mary Captive, WhiteFriars Monastery Hales Place where she stayed for 2 days and for those that have kids the colouring pages created by Peter Wilford and Cathy Renken which you can print and your kids can colour in. 

If you’ve enjoyed today’s look at history please share on your own timeline, on pages you belong to or groups. Please like and follow the Deep Fact Friar and when all this is over come visit historic Coventry and have a tour. 

If you know stuff that she did or places she went share and let us celebrate our history, our heritage and our culture.