Last updated: 31 October 2026
This website, maryqueenofscots.net, is run by Robert Stedall, an author based in the United Kingdom. This page explains what personal information the website collects, why, who it is shared with and what your rights are. If you have any questions, please use the contact form.
What we collect and why
When you contact us
The contact form asks for your name, phone number (optional), email address and message. These are sent to Robert by email so that he can reply to you. They are not used for anything else, and they are not added to the newsletter. The form uses Cloudflare Turnstile to check that it is being used by a person rather than a spam robot.
When you sign up to the newsletter
If you sign up, we keep your email address and first name (if you give it) in Mailchimp, the service we use to send the newsletter. We send you an email first asking you to confirm that you want to subscribe. Every newsletter has an unsubscribe link, and you can unsubscribe at any time. We do this because you have given your consent.
When you buy a book
To process your order we need your name, email address, billing and delivery address and phone number. We use these to take payment, send your book, deal with any problems and keep the records the law requires. Card payments are handled by WooPayments, which is powered by Stripe. Your card details go directly to them and are never stored on this website. Your delivery details are shared with the delivery service so that your parcel can reach you.
If you create an account, we keep your account details and order history so that you can see your orders and check out more quickly next time.
When you visit the website
We use Google Analytics to understand how many people visit the website and which pages they read. It records information such as the pages you view, roughly where you are in the world, and the type of device and browser you use. We use this only to improve the website.
To keep the website secure, our hosting, Cloudflare and the Wordfence security plugin record technical information such as your IP address. This helps us block attacks and spam.
Cookies
Cookies are small files stored by your browser. This website uses:
- Essential cookies that make the shop, checkout and security work, for example to remember what is in your basket. These are set by WooCommerce, Stripe, Cloudflare and our web server.
- Analytics cookies set by Google Analytics to count visits and see how the website is used.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser’s settings. If you block essential cookies, the shop may not work.
Who we share your information with
We never sell your information. We only share it with the services that help us run the website:
- Mailchimp (Intuit) for the newsletter
- WooPayments and Stripe for card payments
- Google for Google Analytics and the fonts used on the website
- Cloudflare for security, spam protection and delivering the website quickly
- Our web hosting provider, where the website and its data are stored
- The delivery service that posts your books
Some of these companies store information outside the UK, mainly in the United States. Where they do, they use legal safeguards approved under UK data protection law.
How long we keep it
- Messages sent through the contact form: for as long as needed to deal with your enquiry.
- Newsletter: until you unsubscribe.
- Orders: six years, as required for tax records.
- Analytics: up to 14 months.
Your rights
You can ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, ask us to correct it or delete it, object to how we use it, or withdraw your consent (for example by unsubscribing from the newsletter). To do any of these, please use the contact form. We may need to keep some order records for tax purposes.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we use your information, we will update this page and the date at the top.