Octagonal needlework panel of coloured silk cross stitch on canvas of interlaced monogram (possibly of Francis II of France) flanked by the Lily of France and Thistle of Scotland surmounted by Royal crown. Border with Latin inscription. Thought to have been worked by Mary, Queen of Scots. When Mary, Queen of Scots escaped from Scotland in 1568, she fled to England to seek help from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Instead, the English Queen put her in the custody of George, Earl of Shrewsbury. From this time until her death in 1587, Mary, a skilled needlewoman, created many embroideries. She worked initially with Shrewsbury's wife, Elizabeth (Bess of Hardwick), discussing the designs for small panels of canvas, worked in cross stitch with coloured silks on a rectangular frame.