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Mary
Queen of Scots 1542 - 1587
 Mary,
Queen of Scots is perhaps the best known figure in Scotland's
history. Her life provided tragedy and romance, more dramatic
than any legend.
She
was born in 1542 a week before her father, King James V of Scotland,
died. Mary was sent to France in 1548 to be the bride of the
Dauphin, the young French prince, in order to secure a Catholic
alliance against England. In 1561, after the Dauphin, still in
his teens, died, Mary returned to Scotland, a young and beautiful
widow. Scotland
at this time was in the throes of the Reformation and a widening
Protestant - Catholic split. A Protestant husband for Mary seemed
the best chance for stability. Mary fell passionately in love
with Henry, Lord Darnley, but it was not a success. Darnley
was a weak man and soon became a drunkard as Mary ruled entirely
alone and gave him no real authority in the country. Darnley
became jealous of Mary's secretary and favourite, David Riccio. He,
together with others, murdered Riccio in front of Mary in Holyrood
House. She was six months pregnant at the time.
Her son,
the future King
James VI of Scotland and I of England, was baptised in the
Catholic faith in Stirling Castle. This caused alarm amongst the
Protestants.
Lord
Darnley, Mary's husband, later died in mysterious circumstances in
Edinburgh, when the house he was lodging in was blown up one night
in February 1567. His body was found in the garden of the
house after the explosion, but he had been strangled!
Mary
Stuart and Lord Darnley
Mary
had now become attracted to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, and
rumours abounded at Court that she was pregnant by him, Bothwell was
accused of Darnley's murder but was found not guilty. Shortly
after he was acquitted, Mary and Bothwell were married. The
Lords of Congregation did not approve of Mary's liason with Bothwell
and she was imprisoned in Leven Castle where she gave birth to
still-born twins.
Bothwell
meanwhile had bid Mary goodbye and fled to Dunbar. She never
saw him again. He died in Denmark, insane, in 1578. In
May 1568 Mary escaped from Leven Castle. She gatheried together a
small army but was defeated at Langside by the Protestant
faction. Mary then fled to England.
The
abdication of Mary Queen of Scots in 1568 In
England she became a political pawn in the hands of Queen
Elizabeth I and was imprisoned for 19 years in various castles
in England. Mary was found to be plotting against Elizabeth;
letters in code, from her to others, were found and she was deemed
guilty of treason. She
was taken to Fotheringhay Castle and executed in 1587. It is
said that after her execution, when the executioner raised the head
for the crowd to see, it fell and he was left holding only Mary's
wig. Mary's
son became James I and VI of Scotland after Elizabeth's death in
1603.
Mary
with her son, later James I ©
E.P.C |