Mary, Queen of Scots 1809

Robert Cooper created this engraving of Mary, Queen of Scots, in the late 17th or early 18th century. It presents a fairly standard view of the Scottish monarch, who was executed in 1587. The image itself perpetuates a carefully crafted visual code. Note the regal attire. This would have reminded viewers in Britain of her claim to the English throne, something that led to conflict and ultimately her execution. The inscription tells us that Cooper’s image is taken from an original picture in the collection of a private individual. This engraving and others like it helped to cement Mary’s place in the popular imagination. It is this cultural phenomenon that is of interest to the social historian, who can employ a range of resources – visual, textual, and archival – to explore the changing fortunes of Mary’s posthumous reputation.