“It cam wi’ a lass and it will gang wi’ a lass!”, or Mary Stuart, the Woman of Scotland
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This manuscript explores the controversial life of Mary Stuart, a sixteenth century Scottish Queen through the lens of intimate household staff and the Edinburgh citizenry. Traditionally, Mary Stuart has been portrayed in relation to the various men in her life, including her three husbands, half-brothers, and son. However, less work explores her relationship with noble women, and even less about the historically overlooked lives of her Scottish household. This creative thesis explores the socio-political hierarchy of the sixteenth century, warring religious ideologies, and the power of privileged information, amongst others, to create a narrative that embodies life, while simultaneously respecting the lives overlooked by the archive. By exploring the lives of those virtually silenced in an incomplete archive, this creative exploration begins the conversation of how these private lives were ultimately affected by Mary Stuart’s mediation of religion and politics. This creative thesis will broaden the historical and literary exploration of untold stories, and assist in the development of Mary Stuart, the woman of Scotland.