Not Just the Tudors Plots against Elizabeth I
Mar 16, 2026
Professor Jonathan McGovern, historian and Tudor specialist and author, walks through plots to topple Elizabeth I. He traces Mary Queen of Scots’ arrival, the Northern Rebellion, Ridolfi and Throckmorton conspiracies, Walsingham’s spy network, and the Babington Plot. Short, sharp storytelling about spies, intercepted letters, trials, and the high-stakes politics of 16th-century England.
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Mary's Arrival Made Her A Lightning Rod
- Mary Queen of Scots' arrival in England in May 1568 turned her into a focal point for Catholic discontent and multiple plots against Elizabeth I.
- Jonathan McGovern explains she became a "lightning rod" because of her Tudor bloodline and support from regional Catholic hotbeds.
Northern Rebellion Was A Conservative Uprising
- The Northern Rebellion (1569) was a large, medieval-style uprising aiming to restore Catholicism and place Mary on the throne.
- McGovern notes it mobilised about 6,000 men under the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland but lacked wider popular support.
State Intelligence Defeated The North
- Rapid government mobilization crushed the northern rebels because intelligence and prepared loyal forces outnumbered them.
- The Earl of Sussex and a southern army of over 10,000 men prepared counter-troops, forcing many rebels to surrender.