The encoded documents were believed to be Italian texts, hidden deep within the French national library. They were later decrypted and discovered to be letters from Queen Mary written in the 16th century.
The decrypted characters in Queen Mary’s letter. (Photo: George Lasry, Norbert Biermann, Satoshi Tomokiyo/New York Times).
Three decryptors, including George Lasry (Israel), Norbert Biermann (Germany), and Satoshi Tomokiyo (Japan), discovered that this was not an Italian text, but rather a letter secretly sent by Mary, Queen of Scots, while she was imprisoned, according to the New York Times.
“We found a treasure right before our eyes,” Lasry stated about the project announced on February 8, marking the 436th anniversary of Queen Mary’s death.
Portrait sketch of Mary, Queen of Scots. (Photo: Time Life Pictures/History).
Mary became the Queen of Scotland in 1542 at just six years old, but was later imprisoned and forced to abdicate in 1567. She fled to England but was subsequently imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I.
The 57 decrypted letters were written between 1578 and 1584, detailing her thoughts on her health and living conditions while imprisoned in England.
She also expressed her anguish over being separated from her son James, who became the King of Scotland at just one year old, after Mary was forced to abdicate.
The majority of the letters were addressed to the French ambassador in England, Michel de Castelnau. As a descendant of King Henry VII of England, Mary was regarded by many Catholics as the legitimate queen of England, opposing Queen Elizabeth I, who was Protestant, according to CNN.
The three decryptors began their work about a year ago, decrypting 50,000 words. They initially had no idea that the author of these documents was a famous historical figure.
The decrypted characters in Queen Mary’s letter. (Photo: George Lasry, Norbert Biermann, Satoshi Tomokiyo/New York Times).
“When I discovered what this document was, I thought, ‘There’s no way we stumbled upon this. It must have been discovered before.’,” Lasry remarked.
