Elizabeth I ordered the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic claimant to the English throne, on this day in 1587

On February 8, 1587, the executioner’s ax struck three times, beheading Mary, Queen of Scots. The monarch’s demise has captivated scholars for more than 400 years—and its cause has made Mary’s story even more compelling to historians and Hollywood filmmakers alike.

Mary ascended to Scotland’s throne when she was just 6 days old. Her father, James V, who likely died of cholera or dysentery after suffering a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss in November 1542, left behind his newborn daughter as his only legitimate heir.

The child queen spent her early years in France, where she eventually married the heir to the throne, the future Francis II. During Francis’ brief reign, which spanned July 1559 to December 1560, Mary also served as queen consort of France.

Across the pond, Mary’s cousin Elizabeth I, who’d ascended to the English throne in November 1558, was watching her closely. The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, the new English queen had a tenuous claim to the crown. Her mother’s fall from favor and subsequent execution in 1536 caused the public to question Elizabeth’s legitimacy as queen. Her Protestant faith also put her at odds with a large swath of the population.