Exile: The Captive Years of Mary, Queen of Scots

by Rosemary Goring

From the moment Mary, Queen of Scots set foot on English soil in May 1568, she was the prisoner of her cousin, Elizabeth I of England. Her tumultuous years in Scotland, where she had returned after the death of her husband, Francis II of France, had ended in failure and abdication.

Exile tells the story of Mary's English years – almost half her life – with reference to the latest research and the many locations where she was held captive. Unlike her years on the Scottish throne, the dramatic events during these years mainly took place beyond her sight. But while trouble was perpetually simmering beyond her prisons, within their walls Mary was anything but docile or resigned, and only towards the end did she lose hope of one day returning to her homeland as rightful ruler. No wonder she was viewed as a deadly threat by Elizabeth. Given her attitude and actions  and those of her estranged son James – was her tragic death all but inevitable? If more willing to compromise, might she have negotiated her release? Acclaimed author Rosemary Goring addresses these, and other, questions in this remarkably penetrating psychological portrait of one of history's great queens.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History

368 pages, Hardcover

Published November 13, 2025

About the author

Rosemary Goring was born in Dunbar and studied at the University of St Andrews. After graduation, she worked at W&R Chambers as a reference editor before becoming literary editor of Scotland on Sunday. She is currently literary editor and columnist for The Herald.

Reviews

[Meg (thyme.for.books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exile is a non-fiction book that starts with Mary, Queen of Scots’ arrival in England and follows the two decades until her execution. The author, Rosemary Goring, gives an intriguing look into these final years using the newest investigations into Mary’s life and the analysis of her letters during this time period.

I knew a little bit about Mary’s imprisonment due to other research but this book gives a well-rounded exploration of the subject. Exile would be an excellent resource for anyone researching Mary, Queen of Scots or just this particular time period in England. I appreciate that the author uses the contemporary findings without being overtly speculative.

I listened to the audiobook version of Exile. Lianne Walker does a wonderful job with the narration. She keeps the pace of the book without letting it drag (as some non-fiction works can). She gives Exile a compelling voice, as if it were a novel, without being unserious.

Overall, I found Exile to be quite informative. The author is an excellent storyteller and I would be interested in checking out more of her work in the future.

[Jonathan Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, just wow, Rosemary Goring has to be my most favourite author ever. just finished this book and I am gutted that it came to an end. I just couldn't put it down. my normal reading speed of 30 pages a day was doubled and more. she wrote this so well, so informative.

I learnt so much from this, even the detail she writes when visiting the places where Mary was held during her captivity is enlightening...

absolutely loved every page and will seek out more from this author

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this retelling of Mary's capture and imprisonment. The insights gained from the letters really add to Mary's story and character. I found the reference to the modern day useful but also found that they put somewhat of a halt to the storytelling.

[Jue · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF this book was not for me .

[Barbara Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It was readable and engaging. As a self-confessed MQS nerd, I still learned a lot I didn't know. Thank you.

[Fi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and easy to read, gives a great perspective that is often overlooked.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

19yrs captivity often skipped past in other books, great detail here + loved authors personal comments on travelling to sites mentioned. Well researched. I've ordered homecoming.