Mary Queen of Scots’ last letter to go on show for first time in nearly a decade
Doomed monarch’s final letter to form part of new exhibition
- Mary, Queen of Scots' poignant last letter, penned just hours before her 1587 execution, is set for public display for the first time in nearly a decade.
- Written at 2am on 8 February 1587 to her brother-in-law Henri III of France, the French manuscript sought to settle her affairs before her execution at Fotheringhay Castle.
- The fragile document, held by the National Library of Scotland, rarely leaves its vaults due to conservation and was last briefly shown in 2017.
- It will be exhibited at Perth Museum from 23 January to 26 April 2026, which is described as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" and a "homecoming" due to Mary's regional links.
- A companion exhibition, "The Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots", featuring works by Robert Burns and Liz Lochhead, will also be held at the nearby AK Bell Library, with free access to both displays.