Ridolfi plot
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The Ridolfi plot was a Roman Catholic plot of 1570 to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary I of Scotland.
The conspirators were led by Roberto di Ridolfi, who, posing as an international banker, was able to travel between Brussels, Rome and Madrid without attracting too much suspicion. Ridolfi had discussed his plans with the Duke of Alba in the Netherlands.
[edit] Execution
The plan was to foment a rebellion of the northern English nobility, many of whom were believed to still be Catholic, and marry Mary to Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, the leading Catholic nobleman. Spanish ships carrying large sums of money destined for their armies in the Netherlands caused a worsening of relations between England and Spain. The Spanish, encouraged by petitions from English Catholics for deliverance, went along with the plan.
However, Spanish involvement was never guaranteed. The Duke of Alba, commander of the Spanish army in the Netherlands, was unenthusiastic about an invasion along with the French. He feared that if the plot should be successful, it might lead to Mary, Queen of Scots occupying the throne of England. The consequence of this would be an England wedded to her beloved France, which the Spanish feared.
[edit] Discovery
Charles Baillie, a Scot favourable to Mary's party, was arrested at Dover carrying compromising letters, and revealed the existence of the plot under torture. The Duke of Norfolk was discovered to have been funding Mary's party in Scotland and was arrested on September 7, 1571. Norfolk was put on trial for treason early in 1572 and executed in June.
[edit] Consequences
Although unsuccessful, the plot concentrated the minds of the English government on assassination attempts on Queen Elizabeth, and, more importantly, exacerbated the Puritan demand that Mary be executed in order to safeguard the English church and state. After the Babington plot failed, Elizabeth had Mary thrown into prison and later executed.
A very fictionalised version of the Ridolfi plot was featured in the movie Elizabeth (1998) which depicted Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, as the chief conspirator. However the film omitted the involvement of Ridolfi himself.
