Elizabethan England / 1586
Elizabethan England: Babington Plot
The Babington Plot was the final, deadly proof that Mary, Queen of Scots remained linked to treason.
What To Remember
- The plot aimed to murder Elizabeth, free Mary and restore Catholicism.
- Walsingham's spies intercepted coded letters hidden in beer barrels.
- Mary's reply gave Elizabeth the proof she needed to move against her.
The conspiracy
Anthony Babington, a Catholic in his mid-twenties, wrote to Mary in July 1586 with a plan that included six steps: freeing Mary, organising a foreign invasion, and murdering Elizabeth.
Mary's household used hidden messages, even placing letters in beer barrels, but Walsingham's network of spies intercepted the correspondence.
As with the earlier plots, the key danger was that it linked English Catholics, foreign invasion and Mary in one conspiracy.
Why it was fatal for Mary
When Mary replied in a way that appeared to back the plan, Elizabeth finally had the evidence she needed to treat her cousin as a traitor.
Babington and the other plotters were arrested, condemned for treason and executed in September 1586.
Mary was moved to Fotheringhay Castle, tried, and then executed on 8 February 1587.
Revision Prompt
Why did the Babington Plot change Mary's fate?