Quotes from John Guy

The Guises were one of the most powerful noble families in France.

We be both of one blood, of one country and in one island.

She laid her crucifix and prayer book on her stool

Mary Tudor's most vaunted policy had been to restore Catholicism

and one of the executioners took the medallion from around her neck

The Guises had played their poker game and lost.

As Mary's veil and black outer garments were removed, stifled cries of shock and astonishment reverberated around the hall.

after Henry VIII's break with Rome and burning more than three hundred Protestants at the stake

It was now up to Mary herself to see if she could reshuffle their discarded hand.

For several minutes Mary stood stock still on the stage, clad in the color of dried blood:

Border skirmishes were the norm. Outright war was the exception

the cardinal ordered the heraldic arms of England to be blazoned with those of France and Scotland

England was so much richer and more powerful than its northern neighbor.

Sex was obligatory for a queen consort of France.

Her mother had amassed twelve sets of tapestries, one on the theme of the Twelve Labors of Hercules

Mary kissed her gentlewomen, who burst into uncontrolled fits of sobbing.

Its population was around 3.5 million, Scotland's barely 850,000.

of the kingdauphin and queen-

Then Francis became ill. He had always been a delicate child, nicknamed "le Petit Roi

Mary's tapestries were the glory of her collection. She had some twenty complete sets

A set-piece battle would almost inevitably end in a crushing defeat for the Scots.

It was to taint the relationship of Mary and Elizabeth for the rest of their lives.

One set depicted the History of Aeneas, another the Judgment of Paris

On the second day he was tortured, and confessed to everything.