Sovereignty, suzerainty and succession: David Chalmers’ Histoire and the case for Mary, Queen of Scots

The importance of history in the debates that emerged in the aftermath of the deposition of Mary, Queen of Scots, has been long acknowledged, although efforts in support of the Queen remain less well studied than those of her opponents. This article takes as its focus the pro-Marian Histoire of David Chalmers of Ormond. This was written in 1572 and printed in 1579 in the immediate context of Anglo-French marriage negotiations, which brought with them a fashionable Anglophilia at the French court, including the increased circulation of English historical myths that suggested England enjoyed suzerainty over Scotland. Chalmers’s Histoire firmly rejected these, emphasising fissures in the English royal line in contrast to stability in the Scottish succession. This led him to a more radical position surrounding Mary’s place in the English succession than those espoused by his fellow Marians; more than a potential heir, Mary held a greater right to the English throne than the entire Tudor dynasty. Chalmers’ vantage point of the relative safety of the French court not only facilitated his adoption of a more radical position than his fellow Marians, but also necessitated such a stance: to make his case for Mary’s sovereignty in England, he first needed to establish Scotland’s status as an ancient “imperial” realm.