Table Of Content

Uncover the incredible story of a _ | dynasty torn apart by civil war HEROES AND \ VILLAINS OF A UNIFIED BRITAIN EDITION SEC “TREASON * , KING “KILLERS © + EXILE « + RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE Oa AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAALAAA MAAhhhbhhahhhd AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAALAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAA AAAAAAAAAAA NNN IN NNN NNN 4AhAhhhada AAAAAA AA AAMALL AA AAAAAALA VIVVVVVVIV IV VVVVVVVIV VY VVVVVVVVV IV AAAAAA AA AAA “Add ddd ddddd Welcome to HISTORY Book of the STUARTS The axeman lifted his weapon and paused, assessing the bare neck before him. In one swift movement, he dealt the fatal blow, severing the head of his own king. As the life drained from Charles I, so too did the bitter dregs of absolute monarchism in Britain. After centuries of kings and queens, from the bloodthirsty to the benevolent, England became a republic, with Oliver Cromwell at the helm. But history wasn't finished with the Stuarts. In barely more than a century, the Stuarts shaped Britain irrevocably. Ruling during the Great Fire of London, the devastating plague outbreak of 1665 and numerous religious plots and schemes, the Stuarts overcame catastrophe and conspiracy to unite Scotland and England into a European superpower. In the All About History Book of the Stuarts, discover how the Scottish dynasty ascended the English throne, uncover why a king met his maker at the executioner's block and find out why life was miserable under Cromwell. Elsewhere, read about the Restoration, delve into the dynastic disputes that cost a king his crown and learn about the royal schemes to reclaim a usurped throne. Book of the STUARIS Future PLC Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ Bookazine Editorial Editor Philippa Grafton Art Editor Ali Innes Compiled by Sarah Bankes & Ali Innes Editorial Director Jon White Senior Art Editor Andy Downes All About History Editorial Group Editor in Chief James Hoare Senior Designer Abbi Castle Senior Art Editor Duncan Crook Cover images Alamy, Getty Images, Joe Cummings, The Art Agency, Thinkstock Advertising Media packs are available on request Commercial Director Clare Dove clare [email protected] International International Licensing Director Matt Ellis [email protected] Circulation Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers Production Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Managers Keely Miller, Nola Cokely, Vivienne Calvert, Fran Twentyman Management Chief Content Officer Aaron Asadi Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001 Book of the Stuarts Second Edition © 2018 Future Publishing Limited We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry 2 The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest d chlorine-free manufacture. Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation All contents © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. Alll rights reserved No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BAI IVA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control, We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein, F U T U R E Connectors. Creators. Experience Makers. Future plc isa public Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne company quoted on the Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford London Stock Exchange Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand (symbol: FUTR) +44 (O)1225 442 244 HISTORY CONTENTS O8 Birth ofa dynasty From retainers to sovereigns, the Stuarts ruled Scotland for centuries before they gained a greater prize - the throne of England Mary, Queen of Scots oe s 16 Timeline Discover the tale of heartbreak, betrayal and loss that led to the downfall of Scotland's most tragic queen 18 A Queens’ feud The deadly rivalry between Elizabeth I and her scandalous cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots James I —~ Se 26 Timeline The first Stuart king of England, James I was loved but renowned for his poor decision-making skills 28 James & the witches After personal experience of black magic - or so he thought - King James waged a vigorous wat against witchcraft 34 The Gunpowder Plot How one Catholic plot almost brought down Parliament - and the king with it Charles I 42 Timeline This controversial king's famous disputes with England's Parliament led to civil war and his own brutal execution 44 Crown versus Parliament The most powerful man in the land, King Charles I's dogged belief in the divine right of kings would lead to his bloody downfall 52 Our king, the traitor After years of ruinous war, the king was made to pay the ultimate price 56 The Interregnum Without a monarchy, England had to build a new political system from scratch - no mean feat for a brand new republic 64 The question of succession Oliver Cromwell's health was failing. The fate of the Commonwealth was about to change once more Charles II 66 Timeline With plots, wars and conspiracies, the reign of the Merry Monarch was not all celebrations and festivities 68 The return of the Charles’ return ushered in a golden era of licentiousness, inspired by the European culture he experienced on the continent 74 The Black Death How the last outbreak of plague in England turned the capital into a ghost town 78 Charles and the Great Fire How the Merry Monarch brought his city back from the brink of destruction in 1666 DK AMON EONS, 108 The politics of James II '° seuakt Britain How Queen Anne attempted to 88 Timeline mediate the precarious political England's last Catholic monarch, situation that dominated her reign James II's reign was largely spent battling with Parliament 90 The last Cgons Fons 114 The Stuarts in Demise & legacy e Protestant nation, James II struggled e e to unite religions Forced to flee their homeland, the = Stuarts set about building a new 96 The Glorious continental royal court es Revolution Acting on invitation, the House of Orange secured the throne from the 120 The myth of ailing James II Bonnie Prince Charlie PS Did the man behind the legend of Will l am It the Young Pretender measure up? & Mary II a 128 Chroniclers of a 100 Timeline century Step inside the fascinating court Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn's of England's first constitutional diaries paint a vivid picture of monarchs 17th-century life 102 Mary's turmoil 132 Life in Stuart Britain Discover the tale of the reluctant queen who was torn between her duty to her father, to her husband and to her country While the nobility enjoyed their opulent castles, the poor didn’t have such a good time of it Ss r us: 106 Timeline Starting with an execution and The life of the last Stuart monarch ending with a revolution, the and the first ruler of a newly Stuart era changed the face of united Great Britain England forever The Stuarts Birth ofa dynasty From retainers to sovereigns, the Stuart family ruled Scotland for centuries before they gained a greater prize — the throne of England he royal house of Stuart is one of the most enduring and conflicting in British history. They propelled Scotland, a country on the outskirts of western life and politics, onto the European centre stage, where a dramatic turn of events saw them take the throne of England after the Tudor dynasty faded away. A common and sometimes confusing trait with the Stuarts, and many other royal families, is the repetition in their naming conventions. James and Mary are the most popular names, with monarchs often only differentiated by their place in the reigning order. Hailing from 1th-century Brittany, the Norman ancestors of the Stuart line came to Britain under King Henry I of England. Alan fitz Flaad served as a knight under the king and gained castles, wealth and power. His son, Walter Fitzalan, was invited to Scotland under David I to serve as his High Steward. The name of Stuart, sometimes spelt Stewart to denote the Scottish line of the family, would be derived from this job title, with the name meaning ‘hall ward in old English, possibly dated from before the 7th century. Being a member of an Anglo-Norman household, Walter would have brought his expertise in European warfare to the Scottish court, including motte and bailey castles and the heavily armoured Hailing from lith-century Brittany, the Norman ancestors of the Stuart line came to Britain under King Henry I of England shock cavalry that the Normans favoured. This new military clout enabled Walter and his family to exert royal control over the more rebellious northeast and southeast regions of the country. This position soon became hereditary and Walter's great-grandson would take their title as the family name. Thus the Stuarts were born. Over the next few centuries the family grew in power and wealth, but their fortunes would improve further in 1315 when the 6th High Steward, Walter, became part of the Scottish royal family when he married Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce. The house would claim the throne when David II died childless, and Walter and Marjorie’s son Robert would become Robert II of Scotland. Threats to the crown for the early Stuart monarchs would largely come from within with a near constant struggle with rebellious nobles being the norm. The first James of the Stuart line would lose his life in this way. Having been sent away for his own safety, the infant James was captured by the English and held captive for much of his early life. Returning to Scotland and exacting his revenge on the nobles who refused to pay his ransom, James purged the court of corrupt nobles, but a conspiracy was mounting against him. Robert II, James’ grandfather, had many children, and some - Mary, Queen of Scots divides up Bs her jewels among her servants : , rd ©. _ the day before her execution = | Ly ay ed i i - We ~ ; 5 “ : - "e oof i "a 4, ig Cee Fe 21 Oe bah? ‘|. The Battle of Flodden saw James “ © i et toes * IV become the last king on the « British Isles to die in battle The unicorn and Lion The rivalry between Scotland and England has been centuries in the making Almost since the countries’ inceptions, Scotland and England have been rivals. Nowadays this feud is mostly played out on rugby or football pitches, but its roots reach back for millennia. The intense warfare and tensions started when Edward | invaded Scotland in 1296, claiming overlordship over all the British Isles. From then on Edward's successors would look to exert his claim over the country, and Robert the Bruce's (the king who won the Wars of Scottish Independence) successors would look to frustrate their efforts. It was not until James VI united the crowns that any long-lasting and meaningful peace would exist between the countries. Another thorn in Anglo-Scottish relations was the Auld Alliance, a friendship and military pact between Scotland and France that had existed since Edward I's invasion. Having England as a mutual enemy, the two countries agreed to lend military aid to each other, but in later centuries, as England and Scotland came together with similar goals, the alliance was strained. James IV broke the Treaty of Perpetual Peace to honour the Auld Alliance, and once the countries united in 1707 France became the enemy of both. The rivalry would also, by some coincidence, spill over into England and Scotland's national animals. The lion had been used as a heraldic symbol in England since Henry | and was used officially since Richard the Lionheart's reign. The unicorn, Scotland's national animal, came from Celtic mythology as a symbol of purity and innocence but also displays power and masculinity. Its inclusion in chivalric tales and its association with Jesus Christ could explain why it was chosen as Scotland's national animal. Lions and unicorns are considered enemies in mythology, so it was somehow fitting that they were chosen, although it does not seem to have been deliberate. Once James VI/I took the throne he used both animals, representing the sun and moon, to show the new found unity between the two old enemies. The Royal Coat of Arms for the United Kingdom has the lion and unicorn, the symbols for England and Scotland, standing side by side — a symbol of unity