👑 The Execution and Burial of Mary Queen of Scots On February 8, 1587, Mary Queen of Scots was executed at the age of 44 after 19 years of imprisonment by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Her burial was delayed for nearly six months. Although Mary wished to be laid to rest in France beside her husband or mother, Elizabeth denied her request. Instead, her body was interred at Peterborough Cathedral, under strict secrecy, in the middle of the night to avoid unrest. Her internal organs were buried i