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    Experts crack the secret to last letter of Mary, Queen of Scots before her execution

    Before envelopes existed, Mary, Queen of Scots used an elaborate technique known as the spiral lock to protect her letters from prying eyes.
    by Tien Le Dec 14, 2021 2 minutes
    Mary, Queen of Scots was executed in 1587. Researchers have shed new light on how she safeguarded the final letter that she wrote on the eve of her execution, using a technique known as the spiral lock.

    On the eve of her execution in 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots wrote what is thought to be her very last letter.

    She had been imprisoned for nearly 20 years for the perceived threat she represented to Queen Elizabeth I in terms of a takeover of the English throne. With hours to go until her beheading,

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