A multidisciplinary team of researchers has unearthed and deciphered 57 coded letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots, during her imprisonment by Queen Elizabeth I. This discovery sheds new light on Mary’s life, her political machinations, and the events leading up to her execution.
This significant find comprises letters dating from 1578 to 1584, a crucial period leading up to Mary’s execution in 1587 for her alleged involvement in a plot against Elizabeth’s life. The decoded letters reveal approximately 50,000 words and unveil 50 previously unknown ciphers employed by Mary to communicate with her allies. The research detailing this breakthrough has been published in Cryptologia.
Decoding the Royal Cipher
The team, comprised of computer scientist George Lasry, music professor Norbert Biermann, and physicist Satoshi Tomokiyo, utilized a sophisticated “hill climbing” technique to crack the complex code. “We begin with a random key, decrypt the ciphertext, and then make slight adjustments to the key, decrypting again,” Lasry explained. “If the resulting decryption is improved, the change is retained. Otherwise, it’s discarded.”
Uncovering Hidden Gems in the French Archives
The researchers stumbled upon these encrypted documents while exploring the online archives of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Initially categorized as 16th-century Italian works, the letters were ultimately identified as French correspondence with no connection to Italy. The key to their true origin was the recurring appearance of the name “Walsingham,” referring to Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I’s principal secretary, who played a key role in intercepting and decrypting Mary’s communications.
A graphic showing some terms and parts of speech with their corresponding ciphered symbol.Cipher Key Graphic: Depiction of symbols used by Mary, Queen of Scots in her encrypted correspondence (2022 Lasry, Biermann, Tomokiyo).
Walsingham’s interceptions provided crucial evidence used against Mary, leading to her conviction and execution. The newly deciphered letters reveal Mary’s awareness of Walsingham’s activities, warning her associates of his cunning and deceptive nature.
A Mother’s Plea: Mary’s Reaction to Her Son’s Kidnapping
The letters also offer a poignant glimpse into Mary’s distress over the 1582 abduction of her son, James, during the Ruthven Raid. They reveal her desperate pleas for French intervention and her subsequent disappointment with the French King’s inadequate response, expressing a sense of abandonment.
Unraveling History, One Character at a Time
The sheer volume of encrypted material presented a formidable challenge. The 57 letters contained approximately 150,000 individual characters, with the transcription process proving even more time-consuming than the codebreaking itself.
This research exemplifies how historical treasures can lie hidden within vast archival collections. Similar discoveries, like the rare King Arthur manuscript found in a Bristol library and the doodles discovered in an 8th-century Old Testament manuscript, underscore the importance of ongoing scholarly exploration.
Further Insights into a Queen’s Captivity
This initial phase of the project promises to provide historians with invaluable insights into Mary’s captivity, her political maneuvering, and the extent of her collaborators’ efforts on her behalf. Further analysis of these decoded letters may unveil even more details about this pivotal period in British history.
Further exploration: How Did Mary Queen of Scots Send Secret Messages?
