Editing Babington Plot (section)

{{Short description|1586 plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I of England}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}

[[File:Babington postscript.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Walsingham's "Decypherer" forged this [[cipher]] postscript to Mary's letter to Babington. It asks Babington to use the{{snd}}broken{{snd}}cipher to tell her the names of the conspirators.]]

The '''Babington Plot''' was a plan in 1586 to assassinate Queen [[Elizabeth I]], a [[Protestantism|Protestant]], and put [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], her [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] cousin, on the English throne. It led to Mary's execution, a result of a letter sent by Mary (who had been imprisoned for 19 years since 1568 in England at the behest of Elizabeth) in which she consented to the assassination of Elizabeth.<ref>{{cite book|last=Somerest|first=Anne|title=Elizabeth One|year=1991|pages=545–548}}</ref>

The long-term goal of the plot was the invasion of England by the Spanish forces of King [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]] and the [[Catholic League (French)|Catholic League in France]], leading to the restoration of the old religion. The plot was discovered by Elizabeth's spymaster Sir [[Francis Walsingham]] and used to entrap Mary for the purpose of removing her as a claimant to the English throne.

The chief conspirators were [[Anthony Babington]] and [[John Ballard (Jesuit)|John Ballard]]. Babington, a young [[Recusancy|recusant]], was recruited by Ballard, a [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] priest who hoped to rescue the Scottish queen. Working for Walsingham were [[double agent]]s [[Robert Poley]] and [[Gilbert Gifford]], as well as [[Thomas Phelippes]], a spy agent and [[cryptanalyst]], and the Puritan spy [[Maliverey Catilyn]]. The turbulent Catholic deacon Gifford had been in Walsingham's service since the end of 1585 or the beginning of 1586. Gifford obtained a letter of introduction to Queen Mary from a confidant and spy for her, [[Thomas Morgan (of Llantarnam)|Thomas Morgan]]. Walsingham then placed double agent Gifford and spy decipherer Phelippes inside [[Chartley Castle]], where Queen Mary was imprisoned. Gifford organised the Walsingham plan to place Babington's and Queen Mary's [[Encryption|encrypted]] communications into a beer barrel cork which were then intercepted by Phelippes, decoded and sent to Walsingham.<ref>Anthony Babington, Dictionary of National Biography (1895). http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Bios/AnthonyBabington.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121155117/http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Bios/AnthonyBabington.htm |date=21 January 2017 }}</ref>

On 7 July 1586, the only Babington letter that was sent to Mary was decoded by Phelippes. Mary responded in code on 17 July 1586 ordering the would-be rescuers to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. The response letter also included deciphered phrases indicating her desire to be rescued: "The affairs being thus prepared" and "I may suddenly be transported out of this place". At the Fotheringay trial in October 1586, Elizabeth's Lord High Treasurer William Cecil{{snd}}[[William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley|Lord Burghley]]{{snd}}and Walsingham used the letter against Mary who refused to admit that she was guilty. However, Mary was betrayed by her secretaries [[Claude Nau|Nau]] and [[Gilbert Curle|Curle]], who confessed under pressure that the letter was mainly truthful.<ref>{{cite book|last=Fraser|first=Antonia|title=Mary Queen of Scots|pages=575–577|year=1985}}</ref>