Mary, Queen of Scots wore red at her execution as a symbol of Catholic martyrdom. It was the climax of a life throughout which Mary used textiles to advance her political agenda, affirm her royal lineage and tell her story - from her lavish gowns to the subversive messages she embroidered in captivity for her supporters. 

In this episode to mark the 480th anniversary of Mary’s birth on 8 December 1542, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to artist Clare Hunter - author of Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power - to discover more about Mary via the textiles of her life. 

This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. 

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