For the first time in a generation, the last letter penned by Mary, Queen of Scots, will be displayed to the public in a rare and evocative exhibition at Perth Museum, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the poignant words of a monarch whose story has captivated Scotland and the world for centuries. From 23 January until 26 April 2026, visitors will be able to view the letter written by Mary Stuart just hours before her execution—a document that has not been on prolonged public display since 2017, when it drew long queues to the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, according to BBC.
The manuscript, written in French from her prison cell at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, was composed at 2am on 8 February 1587. Mary had been imprisoned for 19 years by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England, and her fate was sealed after accusations of plotting against the English crown. In her last moments, Mary wrote to her brother-in-law, King Henry III of France, informing him with stark clarity, "I am to be executed like a criminal at eight in the morning." The letter, as reported by Midlothian View, was both a farewell and a final assertion of her beliefs and rights.
Mary’s letter is as much a testament to her enduring faith as it is to her political predicament. She wrote, "The Catholic faith and the assertion of my God-given right to the English crown are the two issues on which I am condemned. And yet I am not allowed to say that it is for the Catholic religion that I die." These words, preserved for more than four centuries, echo her sense of injustice and steadfastness. She declared, "I scorn death and vow that I meet it innocent of any crime," and requested that her servants’ wages be paid after her death, signing off, "Your very loving and most true sister, Mary R."
The letter is typically kept in secure storage at the National Library of Scotland (NLS) and is rarely removed due to its age, fragility, and immense historical value. As BBC notes, the manuscript is preserved in a specially designed mount to protect it from the damaging effects of light exposure—bright or ultraviolet light can cause irreversible harm. Shona Hunter, a conservator at the NLS, explained, "It's such an important and precious document that we're really careful about who will see it because we want to reduce the amount of light that will fall onto the object."
Chris Cassells, head of archives and manuscript collections at NLS, described the impact of seeing the letter in person: "It is really important in that it gives us an insight into Mary's final hours on earth. It is obviously testimony to how she views herself in those final moments." He added, "It's in her own hand. It has her signature. She touched it. She folded it up to be sent off to France in the hours right before her death. So it's undeniably a really special document."
The exhibition at Perth Museum is part of the National Library’s OUTWITH programme, a series of loans, events, and activities designed to bring Scotland’s national treasures to communities across the country in celebration of the library’s centenary. Alison Stevenson, the library’s director of collections, access, and research, emphasized, "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for people to see the Last Letter. The last time it was on public display was back in 2017 for one day only, and there were queues of people forming along George IV Bridge, Edinburgh." She continued, "We are delighted to partner with Culture Perth and Kinross to bring the letter to Perth Museum, as well as a range of collections and events to AK Bell Library."
The choice of Perth as the exhibition’s location is deeply symbolic. Mary Queen of Scots had strong ties to Perthshire, most notably her imprisonment and abdication at Loch Leven Castle. Ashleigh Hibbins, head of audiences at the museum, remarked, "Perth and Kinross is at the heart of Mary’s story, particularly her imprisonment, abdication, and dramatic escape from Lochleven Castle. Mary’s poignant last words will be displayed within a wider immersive exhibition, directly above the Stone of Destiny and objects from the reigns of her son and grandson, so we really do view this as a homecoming."
Indeed, Mary’s strained relationship with her only son, James VI, is evident in the letter itself: "As for my son, I commend him to you in so far as he deserves, for I cannot answer for him." After her forced abdication in favor of the infant James—who would later become James I of England and unite the crowns of Scotland and England in 1603—their relationship remained distant and fractured. Yet, as some historians have observed, Mary may have had the "last laugh," as her son ultimately succeeded Elizabeth I, the very monarch who condemned Mary to death.
Complementing the display at Perth Museum, the nearby AK Bell Library will host ‘The Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots’, featuring Robert Burns’ handwritten poem ‘Lament of Mary, Queen of Scots, On the Approach of Spring’ and early manuscripts from Liz Lochhead’s play ‘Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off’. These exhibits, as detailed by The Courier and Midlothian View, highlight how Mary’s life and death have inspired generations of artists and writers, deepening the cultural resonance of her story.
The Scottish Government has lauded the exhibition. Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, stated, "Mary, Queen of Scots is one of the most well-known figures in Scottish history. Her last letter, penned just hours before her execution, is a priceless record from somebody who lived over 400 years ago. We owe an immense debt of gratitude to all those who have preserved it from her hand to the care of our national library." He encouraged the public to seize the opportunity, saying, "Due to its age this letter is rarely on display, so I would strongly encourage people across Scotland and beyond to make the most of this opportunity, before it goes back into storage for safekeeping."
Access to both the Perth Museum exhibition and the AK Bell Library display is free, ensuring that as many people as possible can engage with this remarkable chapter of Scottish history. The OUTWITH programme, as Stevenson explained, is about "taking our collections, our people and our services to parts of Scotland beyond the Central Belt." After its three-month run, the letter will return to secure storage, its next public appearance uncertain.
For those drawn to the drama and humanity of history, Mary Queen of Scots’ final letter offers a tangible, intimate connection to the past—a queen’s last words, preserved against the odds, now brought home to the land that shaped her fate.
