3 Queens Who Suffered Terrible Fates

Some executioners don’t have a good aim

A painting of Marie Antoinette by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1783 (Wikimedia Commons)

Royalty comes with privileges. Though most queens wielded less power than their husbands, they still enjoyed luxurious lifestyles and benefited from an abundance of wealth, food, and entertainment.

But being a queen doesn’t make you immune from pain and turmoil. Despite all their advantages, these women all suffered terrible fates.

1. Mary, Queen of Scots

A painting of Mary, Queen of Scots by François Clouet, c. 1560 (Wikimedia Commons)

Mary, Queen of Scots became Scotland’s new monarch in December 1542 after the death of James V. But given Mary was only a week old at the time, regents (including her mother) ruled over Scotland until she became an adult.

But it wasn’t that simple. When Elizabeth I (who was a Protestant) became Queen of England in 1558, the English Catholics were unhappy. They wanted Mary to take the throne from Elizabeth and rule over England and Scotland as a Catholic monarch.

Elizabeth, fully aware of Mary’s popularity amongst the Catholics, imprisoned her rival for nineteen years. Mary wasn’t allowed to go outside without strict supervision, and the lack of exercise led…