Saoirse Ronan is 5 foot, 6 inches. It is all in the portrayal, I know, but of course it is something I had to mention to you.
So...what do you think about these two? (Not the actresses, the real people!) Should Mary have been declared the Queen of England? Did Elizabeth truly have a legitimate claim? Elizabeth must have thought so, she had her....
No, I will NOT tell you, you will have to look this up or wait for the movie! (You will be able to guess, I am sure, Elizabeth after all, was the daughter of Henry VIII!)
I tend to side with Queen Mary and think the best of her, but then, I also try to do the same with Elizabeth and think, what would I have done if I had been in her shoes? You see, that is what we forget when we are reading about these "historical figures". They were people, albeit in this case, royalty, but they were still unsure of the outcome of what the future could bring. (And when your very life depends upon your decisions, I can appreciate how carefully one would have had to consider.)
Would love to tell you that this is a "loch" in Scotland! Alas, it is not, it is just a small lake in Georgia which has a thin layer of ice upon it.
Just had to have a photo to go along with my post!
Stay warm and let's get through February!
I have the book, Mary, Queen of Scots on my table to read. I am going to make sure and read it before I see the movie.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great weekend, Kay. xo Diana
I will have to check that out. PBS recently had a special on Queen Elizabeth's secret agents and it dealt with their competitiveness. Poor Mary. Poor Elizabeth. I really feel sorry for those born into royalty.
ReplyDeleteIt was very difficult for Elizabeth, and i think she did not want it to end the way it did.
ReplyDeleteThe history of Europe's royalty is fascinatinf. Filled with all sorts of intrigue.
ReplyDeleteMary was a waste of space,more like Lady Di than anything else.
ReplyDeleteSelf important as she was queen but with no ability to be one.
Elizabeth grew up in a difficult time but had the political brain to survive and beat off all comers. Killing Mary was a mistake but she was always going to be trouble.
Scotland does not miss her.
I remember the Mary Queen of Scots movie from my early teen years. Looked it up and it was 1971. Vanessa Redgrave was Mary and Glenda Jackson was Elizabeth. I remember being fascinated with the movie and sorry for both of them. Mary seems a little mad to me. Elizabeth, of course, had all kinds of family strife. I'll have to think about seeing the new movie.
ReplyDeleteI've watched several movies about Mary and her sad ending too. What a confusing time to have lived in with loyalties decided like that but then we still have them today. It's bitter cold here again. I have ice on the little lake, really a huge puddle from the melting snow, in my yard.
ReplyDeleteReal life Game of Thrones.
ReplyDeleteNot for all the riches of the world would I ever want to swap with either lady. Decisions that were made for them - about whom to marry, what to believe and where to live - never followed their own best interests but political calcule. Later, when they were both able to decide for themselves, the same rules were applied. Neither of them found true happiness, but both had a role in shaping Europe's history.
ReplyDeleteOh please, don't get me started. We finally watched "Reign" I could not watch it at first because, well it was not real and the costumes were not authentic. So recently decided to watch it as a fantasy. It was actually quite good. I love anything historical. I truly admire Elizabeth, what she went through. I do believe she remained a virgin she would not have taken any chances and anyway one can have a good time without, you know. I believe she loved Dudley. Anyway she ruled with her head. Mary was controlled by her emotions and so as a would be Queen I could not choose her. Elizabeth did not want to kill her. Mary left her little choice because of all her plotting. Just my opinion, and really she didn't choose her mates wisely once she had the freedom to do so, again her heart ruled her head. Not wise for a would be Queen. However, her son ruled in her stead when Elizabeth died. There is that.
ReplyDeleteJanice
Hi Kay - I'd go for Elizabeth ... but it's an interesting period of history. Interesting about the height thing ... but I'm sure the film makers will sort that out - I'm seeing Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird tonight ... I'm interested in seeing her act ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI like S.R. as an actress, she's been in some good films over the last decade, all with different accents and characters other than her own.
ReplyDeleteI grew up right beside Lord Darnley's Castle (where Mary got married) so all the same places she visited in her lifetime in Scotland I've probably been to as well, including the spot where she nursed Darnley when he was ill( a tree and district still marks that spot today half a mile from my old house.)
She could have had a very different and comfortable free life but her upbringing meant she felt entitled to be the rightful Queen and nothing else would do. (for instance I read recently even as a prisoner she was allowed extravagant luxuries, similar to the princes confined in a certain luxury hotel recently that's been in the news.
Margot Robbie, (our local girl here in Queensland), as Elizabeth I? Not sure how I feel about that... Anyhoo, I remember that old movie with Vanessa Redgrave, who played some wonderful parts back in the day. Always felt sorry for Elizabeth, sad that she felt she had to execute Mary, but Mary did seem flighty and when you are a monarch, you have to protect the kingdom. Can't wait for this movie version of events!
ReplyDeleteI don't think Mary's claim was better than Elizabeth's. Can't call to mind just now the terms of Henry VIII's will, nor do I know whether there was an Act of Succession in effect at that time, but Elizabeth was certainly more in the direct line. And from what I have read in biographies, I admire her (Elizabeth's) character, scholarship, and undeniable abilities to govern and to navigate the dangerous waters of European politics.
ReplyDeleteMary seems to command a more romantic type of allegiance. I wonder if people would feel the same about her if she hadn't been executed? She didn't always seem to make good choices when it came to men.... And, if I remember correctly, she did conspire in or authorize the Babington plot to kill Elizabeth. So in a way she got what was coming to her.
We live in much more comfortable times today! :)