Summary
- The rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth I has been depicted in films for over a century.
- Mary Stuart inherited the throne as a baby and was later executed by Elizabeth I after years in captivity.
- Television series like “Reign” and movies like “Mary, Queen of Scots” continue to bring the iconic figure’s story to life with creative liberties.
Mary, Queen of Scots, the rightful monarch of Scotland, was most known for her rivalry with Queen Elizabeth I of England, one playing out in many Mary, Queen of Scots movies throughout history. This monarch has been depicted in film and cinema worldwide for over a century now, and her story is as tragic as it is compelling, fascinating history lovers. This admiration leads, of course, to more adaptations, where almost nothing is left untouched by the fiery spirit of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Mary Queen of Scots never had a chance at a real life before Elizabeth I had her locked away for years. Following her father’s death, she inherited the throne when she was only six days old. Mary would only live to be 44 when Queen Elizabeth, her first cousin once removed, ordered her execution. This order was after she served 18 years in captivity. With that, the life of Mary Queen of Scots became legendary, something filmmakers and showrunners have run with various forms of re-tellings of that era in British history.
Related
25 Best Movies About Life In The 1800s (Including Little Women)
Greta Gerwig’s Little Women is one of the most acclaimed films of 2019. Set in the 1800s, this period is the home for many of our greatest films.
11 Reign (2013-2017)
A CW Young Adult Drama Series About Mary’s Life & Times
Reign showcases Mary Stuart navigating political and sexual intrigue in the French court before sailing back to Scotland in this flirtatious drama. The young adult television show resurrected the public’s interest in the famous Scottish queen by targeting a young adult audience with modern music, pseudo-historical costumes, and monarchial drama.
Adelaide Kane, an actress previously featured on MTV’s Teen Wolf, stars in this royal series as Mary Stuart. While the characters’ costumes and hierarchical etiquette aren’t historically accurate, these are creative liberties that the show’s producers strategically altered for its audience; therefore, viewers can look past the moments that never actually happened in history.
The CW series lasted for four seasons and 78 episodes, and it ended with Mary’s eventual execution. While not a prestige series, it was popular for how it went with a teen vibe for such a regal show, making it relatively unique.
10 Elizabeth I (2005)
A Two-Part Series About Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I was a 2005 TV series about the life of Elizabeth and her struggles with Spain as she led England as its Queen. When it comes to Mary, Queen of Scots, she only appeared in the first part of the series. This show focuses on Mary’s plans to have Elizabeth killed, although she denies it. Finally, her execution takes place in that first part, leading to the war between England and Spain. Helen Mirren plays Elizabeth in the series, while Barbara Flynn takes on the role of Mary, Queen of Scots.
The series was massively successful and was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 and in the United States on HBO. The series went on to win nine Primetime Emmy Awards in 14 nominations, including Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Actress (Mirren), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Jeremy Irons), and Outstanding Direction (Tom Hooper). It also won Peabody and Golden Globe Awards.
9 Mary, Queen Of Scots (2018)
Based On The Book, Queen Of Scots: The True Life Of Mary Stuart
Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan star in Mary, Queen of Scots as Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, respectively. One of the more recent movies on the iconic figure, it’s a stunning display of costuming, believable acting, and the overall hostile and tense dynamic between the two female monarchs. However, Mary, Queen of Scots takes creative liberties with the historical context that some critics didn’t appreciate.
The film does a great job of portraying what it must have been like for the two characters to be female monarchs in a male-dominated political era, even if they ended up fighting against each other in the end. Mary, Queen of Scots went on to earn two Oscar and three BAFTA nominations, both honoring the costumes and makeup. The BAFTAs also recognized Robbie for her supporting actress performance, while Ronan was her usual great self.
8 Mary Of Scotland (1936)
A Classic Black & White Period Drama
Mary of Scotland is a 1936 film that follows the titular figure as she returns to her Celtic homeland. As with most Mary, Queen of Scots movies, this tells a story about her giving up her throne and requesting aid from Queen Elizabeth I, who locks her up in the Tower of London out of fear for her throne. Directed by John Ford (best known for his Westerns), the movie follows Mary from her trip back to Scotland up to her death at the order of her cousin.
Katharine Hepburn portrays Mary, Queen of Scots, while Florence Eldridge is Elizabeth Tudor, the Queen of England. Similar to Robbie and Ronan in the roles, both actresses have the theatrical velocity needed to represent such strong female leaders on screen, and the costumes each woman wore were tantalizing against the black-and-white color scheme of the film.
7 Gunpowder, Treason & Plot (2004)
King James I Tries To Stop The Gunpowder Plot
Gunpowder, Treason & Plot is an intriguing entry for the Mary Queen of Scots TV shows, as it gives a broader view of history than most. This miniseries not only follows Mary, Queen of Scots (Clemence Poesy) but also chronicles the story of her son — King James I of England (Robert Carlyle) — and his experiences on the English throne, making for a unique take on this tale.
The central overarching conflict of this show is how King James I works to stop the Gunpowder Plot. This real-life event was an attempted regicide plot against King James I by a group of English Catholics and planned by the infamous Guy Fawkes.
On a production level, the miniseries isn’t perfect, but if viewers want to learn more (factual or dramatized) about the Gunpowder Plot, Gunpowder, Treason & Plot is worth a watch. The cast also features an early film role by Michael Fassbender, who plays Guy Fawkes.
6 Elizabeth R (1971)
A BBC Miniseries Shot As Stage Plays
Elizabeth R differs in its medium compared to the other Mary, Queen of Scots productions. This work is a BBC miniseries directed as stage plays for television. The main focus of this show is to create a narrative that is deeply rooted in accurate historical context while also giving enough screen time to perfectly cover not only the reign of Queen Elizabeth I but also the moments in which Mary, Queen of Scots influences England’s reigning monarch.
There are six episodes of the Elizabeth R series released in 1971 on BBC in the UK and on PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre in the United States. The series starts with Princess Elizabeth’s ascent to the throne in 1549 and ends with her death in 1603. The episode primarily focusing on Mary, Queen of Scots, is the fourth one, titled, “Horrible Conspiracies.”
Related
7 Best Movies About Queen Elizabeth I (& 3 Great Shows)
Queen Elizabeth I’s reign hasn’t ended in Hollywood. If you enjoy royalty & court intrigue, you’ll love these movies & shows about the Virgin Queen.
5 The Execution Of Mary Stuart (1895)
One Of Cinema’s First Movies
One of the oldest movies ever made, The Execution of Mary Stuart is a brief look at the final moments of the fallen monarch’s life after being imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I. Of the movies about Mary Queen of Scots, this one holds little substance, but it’s a unique first look at how the monarch was depicted by directors hundreds of years after her reign. It’s also a must-watch for cinephiles and history buffs because this is one of the first films ever created.
At the time of its release, the movie was one of the “trick films” as it used revolutionary editing techniques for the era. It is only 18 seconds in length, produced by Thomas Edison, and was one of the first films to use trained actors in the roles. It shows Mary’s execution and the special effects used to replace her with a mannequin at the moment of her beheading.
4 Mary, Queen Of Scots (1971)
The Rivalry Of Queen Elizabeth I & Mary, Queen Of Scots
Of the movies about Mary, Queen of Scots, this one centers on the tumultuous rivalry between Queen Elizabeth I (Glenda Jackson) and Mary, Queen of Scots (Vanessa Redgrave). The heightened focus on the rivalry explores the hostile dynamic between the two female monarchs in an era where it wasn’t popular to have women in such political, hierarchal, and monarchial power.
Both Glenda Jackson (Women in Love) and Vanessa Redgrave (Julia) are Academy Award-winning actresses, and viewers can tell how skilled the women are as they embody two of the strongest female leaders in England and Scotland’s history.
Ironically, Jackson not only portrayed Queen Elizabeth I in this movie, but she also played the same character in Elizabeth R, the aforementioned BBC television series that was shot as a series of stage plays. This movie featured several historical inaccuracies, including meetings between the two women that never happened.
3 The Heart Of A Queen (Das Herz Der Königin) (1940)
A Movie With Queen Elizabeth Portrayed As A Villain
The Heart of a Queen is a 1940 black-and-white German film with a unique approach among the Mary, Queen of Scots movies. This film parallels Mary’s execution due to her propaganda against the queen (which historically was a supposed assassination attempt) with the propaganda of World War II. Cinephiles and historians should love this film because of director Carl Froelich’s unique approach to the Queen Mary of Scots narrative.
The movie chooses sides early, with Elizabeth as a cold-hearted woman who has shunned all love from her life, while it shows Mary as an emotional woman who seeks love. Viewers should also be aware that the movie has been criticized as pro-Scottish propaganda while remaining strongly anti-British and released during World War II, with that country portrayed as a world-dominating powerhouse. Audiences may need subtitles to understand the dialogue.
2 Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
The Sequel To Cate Blanchett’s Elizabeth
Elizabeth: The Golden Age was the sequel to the 1998 biopic that won Cate Blanchett an Oscar for her role as Elizabeth. This movie starts in 1585, Elizabeth’s later years as the Queen of England. This is the year when Mary, Queen of Scots came to Elizabeth for help, only to end up imprisoned when the Queen worried about her place on the throne. If Elizabeth dies without an heir, Mary takes over the throne, and Elizabeth believes Mary is conspiring to have her assassinated.
Samantha Morton plays the titular character in one of the most successful movies about Mary Queen of Scots, with Blanchett again earning praise for her performance. However, as with the first movie, much of the story is fictional re-tellings of historical events, and it is not accurate in many cases. The film won an Oscar for Best Costume Design, while Blanchett picked up a nomination for Best Actress.
1 Mary Queen Of Scots (2013)
The Life & Death Of Mary, Queen Of Scots
The 2013 film Mary Queen of Scots, directed by Thomas Imbach, follows a familiar narrative course compared to other films about the Scottish monarch. This version centers on a young Mary Stuart in France, awaiting her marriage to the prince. It then turns its attention to her reclaiming her Scottish throne. This story is all bookended by Mary awaiting her execution, as ordered by Elizabeth I, and penning a letter to her cousin.
Though not widely known, this film conveys accurate costumes and near-authentic accents; however, audiences may need to turn subtitles on to understand what some characters are saying. Overall, it’s a solid adaptation of Mary, Queen of Scots’ rise to power and ascension to her Scottish throne. It was initially screened at the 203 International Film Festival Locarno and then at the Toronto International Film Festival.
