To Kill a Queen.

We are winding our way to Cheltenham today to see a show - To Kill a Queen.

Two queens. One crown. A decision that would change the monarchy forever.

Join acclaimed historian Suzannah Lipscomb and Kate Williams for this unmissable live event exploring Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I — two women caught in one of the greatest political and personal crises of the 16th century.

Working back from the fall of the axe at Fotheringhay Castle, the discussion explores the chain of events and decisions that led Elizabeth to sign her cousin’s death warrant. What went so wrong between these two women? Why was Elizabeth so threatened — and could this tragedy have been avoided?

Through vivid storytelling, drawing on the latest research, Kate and Suzannah examine espionage, treason, and gender politics in the Tudor world, from William Cecil’s spy networks and Mary’s defiant embroideries to the Babington Plot. They challenge how male historians have long pitted these women against each other and reframe their choices as acts of courage and consequence.
Ḏ
A gripping evening of queenship, legacy and power, this is the story of how two queens acted at the greatest crisis point of their lives.

We really enjoyed ‘To Kill a Queen’. It helped that they made lots of references to places we had been and people we had heard of. Theatre was full and seating very cosy. Meeting the two historians, Kate and Suzannah, was a bonus and they were amazed that their show had been included in the itinerary constructed months ago in Australia.Read more