In 1605, the Gunpowder Plot was foiled — a daring plan by Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators to blow up the Houses of Parliament and assassinate King James I. Their discovery sparked nationwide relief and celebrations that continue today as Guy Fawkes Day, with fireworks and bonfires marking the night England narrowly escaped disaster.

On June 20, 1567, a silver casket was opened—and with it, a royal scandal that would echo through history. The Casket Letters, allegedly written by Mary, Queen of Scots to her lover Bothwell, hinted at passion, betrayal, and murder. Were they authentic or a clever forgery to destroy her? Their discovery deepened the mystery surrounding Mary’s downfall and remains one of the most debated episodes in Tudor and Stuart history.