Mary Queen of Scots is one of the most written about women in history. We think we know her well – but here’s a new account that re-interprets her life from the point of view of the textiles she wore and the embroideries she stitched. It casts a completely different light on her difficult existence and brings her fully into focus as a living, breathing human being. Here is a renaissance queen displaying her power in violet taffeta and purple velvet, who wore silver to mourn, black to display her statesmanship, and white for innocence and piety. 

The book is Clare Hunter’s Embroidering Her Truth, Mary Queen of Scots and the Language of Power, and it is Haptic & Hue’s choice for our Book of the Year 2022. In this special end-of-year episode, Jo talks at length to Clare about her research and what it told her about Mary. It sets Mary in context both as a consumer of elite textiles and also as an embroiderer during her long captivity. At her death, Mary left over 300 embroideries, many of which can still be seen both in Scotland and England, which she used to tell her own story. They give us an insight into her state of mind and the messages she was trying to convey to the outside world. 

You can find a full script of this podcast, pictures, links and show-notes at www.hapticandhue.com/listen. Embroidering Her Truth, Mary Queen of Scots and the Language of Power can be bought in the Haptic & Hue UK bookshop. Haptic & Hue earns a small commission on this at no extra cost to you.