It’s 1569, and a group of Catholic noblemen from the north of England have decided it’s time to depose their Protestant queen and replace her with one of their own faith, from north of the border.

It’s 1569, and a group of Catholic noblemen from the north of England have decided it’s time to depose their Protestant queen and replace her with one of their own faith, from north of the border. Their attempt failed, of course: Elizabeth I remained on the throne, and the eventual fallout of the inability of the Percys and the Nevilles to achieve their ambition was the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.

These events are at the heart of one of the first big movie releases of 2019: Mary Queen of Scots, out on 18 January, which offers a new take on a well-trodden tale and examines not only the relationship between the two cousin-queens, but also the impact the men around them had on their feelings towards one another.

Elizabeth is played by Margot Robbie, but it’s Saoirse Ronan (pictured) who gives the standout performance as Mary, making her smart and sexy, powerful and confident in what she wants to achieve, while always realising she may end up, as she does, on the executioner’s block.

Get Instant Access

Continue Reading

Register for free to read this article in full

REGISTER

Subscribe for unlimited access

SUBSCRIBE NOW

From just £37.50 quarterly

  Print copy of The Tablet delivered directly to your door.
  Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
  Access to the weekly digital copy of The Tablet.
  Full access to The Tablet’s archive – over 180 years of back issues.

Already a subscriber? Login