Elizabeth I vs. Mary Queen of Scotts

The post preceeding this one is a year and a half old and never got posted; what can I say, I've been busy! Bridget is going to be two (!) and Owen is a striking six years old already...time is flying and we're having fun. Obviously, free time doesn't really exist, but when it does I've been reading, reading, and reading:

You can see from my list that I'm reading "all around" Elizabeth at this point. Early on I was in love with her, but the more I read the more I see how she operated and it wasn't all Gloriana after all. She was immensely intelligent, cunning, and she survived; considering her status (ie: woman sovereign) her self-preservation was remarkable. I still love her and her "sweet Robin" - but I guess the rose-tinted glasses have come off and I see her in a much more realistic light.


As far as Mary Queen of Scotts, she is much aligned in history and almost the opposite of Elizabeth in nature. Being brought up in the French Court, she wasn't prepared for the brutal machinations of the Scottish nobles, and without solid guidance from counselors devoted to her or her cause...she made some huge mistakes. Unfortunately her mistakes and naivette landed her in castle after castle where she was an unwitting prisoner. Isolation and lack of communication and guidance resulted in her inability to understand the political, religious, and social changes that had and were taking place during her captivity - resulting in her end.