num_pages: 193
description: During her brief personal reign in Scotland, Mary Stewart won support not only by her personality, but by policies which proved widely acceptable. Even after she was compelled to abdicate and flee to England in 1568 thousands of her subjects continued to uphold her cause against the 'King's Men' who took the side of her infant son, James VI. Far from her party being mainly a 'Roman Catholic' faction, those who fought for her were predominantly Protestant and pro-English. Her defeat and ultimately tragic fate thus begin to look much less of a foregone conclusion than romantic views of her career as a 'lost cause' might imply.In this important study of political alignment, Professor Donaldson sets the scene by exploring the antecedents of the Reformation which had been carried through in Scotland before Mary returned in 1561 from her childhood in France. The core of the book is a detailed analysis of the territorial, religious, familial and other factors which motivated the Queen's supporters and her opponents. The story is carried on throughout the period of Mary's long captivity. The book provides a convincing explanation of the affiliations and alliances of the time and brings out the underlying constancy of many families and individuals to certain basic principles, even when tactical considerations caused shifts between one grouping and another. Not only are the personalities of the leading actors brought before us, but hundreds of lesser men are set in the context of their place in society and of their political and religious allegiance.Contents: Preface; 1. Introduction: Rivalries and Loyalties; 2. The Shaping of a Revolution; 3. The Party of Revolution; 4. The Queen and Her Friends; 5. The Queen's Enemies; 6. The Queen's Party; 7. Conciliation; 8. Conservative Revival and Radical Response; Appendixes; Genealogical Tables; Notes
language: English
title: All the Queen's Men: Power and Politics in Mary Stewart's Scotland
titlecomplete: All the Queen's Men: Power and Politics in Mary Stewart's Scotland
characters: Mary, Queen of Scots
genres: History
ratings_count: 4
places: Scotland
publisher: Palgrave Macmillan