After escaping Leven Castle, Mary unsuccesful attempted to win back her throne and had to flee south. There she sought the protection of her first cousin Queen Elizabeth, resulting in her being confined for the next 18 years to various catles and manor houses all over the country. She quicly became the focal point of the catholic English party, which was seeking her succession to the throne of England instead of Elizabeth. The affair became more and more urgent after Elizabeth had been excommunicated by pope Clement XI in 1581 and after it became known that Elizabeth was heading Philip II of Spain's hitlist (on which William of Orange had also figured), who was at the same time wooing Mary Stuart as his wife. Fearing catholic plots and a Spanish invasion under the Duke of Alva, Mary Stuart was finally suspected of plotting the assassination of Elizabeth herself and executed in Fotheringay Castle on 8 February 1587. Bothwell had fled to Denmark in 1568, where he eventually died, apparently insane, in 1578.