Carter Roy

But here's the thing, Mary Queen of Scots wrote a lot more than her official letters.

In the early 2020s, code breakers searching an Italian archive found 57 lost letters, kept secret for centuries, thanks to the fact that they were written in code.

These encrypted letters show a different person than Mary's official communications, because it turns out

All those shoes she bought had hidden messages in the heels, including plots to escape her captivity as a political prisoner.

And she wrote way more than those 57 Italian letters.

Hundreds of Mary's secret messages sit in archives in multiple countries.

But one stands out.

A ciphered message from 1586 called the Babington Letter.

This letter is the central evidence in a conspiracy.

Officially, it proved that Mary, Queen of Scots, plotted to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Its discovery led to her execution.

But when you look at Mary's letters and her whole story, it suggests a different conspiracy.

That English spies forged this letter to frame Mary for treason.

The scheme was a trap and their conspiracy killed her.

Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast.

I'm Carter Roy.

New episodes come out every Wednesday.

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This episode contains discussions of violence, murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault.