16. How was Mary affected?

Francis Walsingham was a dedicated Protestant and Mary's mortal enemy. He employed top code breakers to de-cipher her letters

1. Her health suffered. This might have happened anyway but lack of exercise, cold damp castles and mental stress did not help.


2. She got involved in plots with English Catholic groups. There was only ever hard evidence about the last plot – the Babington plot.


3. Letters were smuggled to Mary in beer barrels. These letters were intercepted and de-coded by Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's spy chief.


4. In one of the letters, Mary agreed to become Queen of England after Elizabeth was murdered.
   After a trial, Mary was found guilty of treason.


5. She was executed after a long period of "dithering" by Elizabeth.