In this, the second, and concluding, part of his masterly account of Mary Queen of Scots, her son James, and the hoary question of their succession to the English throne, Robert Stedall takes us from the aftermath of Bothwell s murder, through Mary s imprisonment and execution for treason, to James eventual coronation as James I of England. En route, he skilfully leads us though the murky labyrinth of Renaissance politics, revealing a world in which few, if any, could afford to remain innocent. In this volume, James moves to centre-stage and his complex, neurotic personality is explored. What exactly was his relationship with his mother, removed from his side at such an early age, and how can we explain his seeming lack of feeling for her fate? Meticulously researched, beautifully written and handsomely illustrated, The Survival of the Crown is a magnificent conclusion to Stedall s illuminating account of a crucial turning point in British history.