Talks at The Smith: The Throckmorton Letters: A Diplomat’s Despair

University of Stirling Spotlight Lecture

July 1567. The English ambassador Nicholas Throckmorton arrives in Scotland. Here, he witnesses the deposition of Mary, Queen of Scots, the coronation of her infant son James VI, and the rise to power of her brother, the Regent Moray. Throckmorton’s letters from Edinburgh show a world controlled by fragile alliances, political intrigue and betrayal, telling the story of a kingdom on the brink of civil war.

Katharina Pruente

Katharina is a PhD researcher in Scottish history at the University of Stirling. Her interests lie in historical communities, the impact of friendship on diplomacy and politics, and the role of ambassadors in early modern Europe. She previously worked on trade and identity in the western Highlands in the sixteenth century. This is her first talk at The Smith.

All lectures take place at The Smith, at 40 Albert Place, Stirling, on Wednesdays at 2pm (doors open 1:45pm)

Portrait of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, photo: © National Portrait Gallery London