Elizabeth already regarded Mary as guilty and ordered her money seized and her servants dismissed. Walsingham warned that delay made any resulting danger the queen's responsibility and pressed ahead with plans for the prisoner's transfer and trial. He and his colleagues preferred the Tower of London for security, but Elizabeth rejected a venue so close to the capital, while Hertford Castle was also considered and refused. At Chartley, Mary's jailer Paulet demanded the key to her cabinet and called for crowbars when she refused. Mary yielded, allowing officials to inventory French crowns, silver, seals, and more money found with her secretary before she travelled under heavy escort to Fotheringhay. Control of Mary's location, household, money, and official seals isolated her before the court issued a judgment.
Chapter · 6:08-8:58
Isolating Mary and securing her trial
Elizabeth's government combines confinement, trial-site security, household control, and the seizure of cash and seals to tighten pressure on Mary.