Born: 1542 (Linlithgow, Scotland)
Died: 1587 (Fotheringhay Castle, England)
Biography:
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. Born as the only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland, Mary ascended to the throne at the tender age of six days old, following the death of her father. Due to her young age, Scotland was governed by regents during her childhood, first by James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, and then by her mother, Mary of Guise.
In 1548, at the age of five, Mary was betrothed to Francis, the Dauphin of France, and was sent to be raised in France for her safety against the invading English forces during the Rough Wooing. While in France, Mary married Francis in 1558, becoming the queen consort of France from his accession in 1559 until his untimely death in December 1560. Widowed at the age of eighteen, Mary decided to return to Scotland in August 1561.
Mary’s return to Scotland was met with a tense religious and political climate, further agitated by influential Scots such as John Knox, who openly questioned her authority over her subjects. However, Mary’s early years of personal rule were marked by pragmatism, tolerance, and moderation. She issued a proclamation accepting the religious settlement in Scotland as she had found it upon her return, and retained advisors such as her illegitimate half-brother, James Stewart, Earl of Moray, and William Maitland of Lethington. As a Catholic monarch ruling over a predominantly Protestant kingdom, Mary skillfully navigated the complexities of religious and political tensions in her realm.
In 1565, Mary married her half-cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and in June 1566, they welcomed a son, James. Unfortunately, their marriage soured after Darnley orchestrated the murder of Mary’s Italian secretary and close friend, David Rizzio. The situation deteriorated further when Darnley’s residence was destroyed by an explosion in February 1567, and he was found murdered in the nearby garden. Although James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, was widely believed to have orchestrated Darnley’s death, he was acquitted of the charge in April 1567, and the following month, he married Mary.
However, an uprising against the couple led to Mary’s imprisonment in Lochleven Castle in July 1567. Forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her one-year-old son, James VI, Mary attempted to regain power but ultimately had to seek the protection of her first cousin once removed, Elizabeth I of England. As a great-granddaughter of Henry VII of England, Mary had previously claimed Elizabeth’s throne as her own and was considered the legitimate sovereign of England by many English Catholics who participated in a rebellion known as the Rising of the North.
Perceiving Mary as a threat, Elizabeth confined her in various castles and manor houses in the interior of England. After eighteen years of captivity, Mary’s activities and correspondence were closely monitored. She became entangled in various plots and conspiracies, including the Babington Plot, which aimed to assassinate Elizabeth I and put Mary on the English throne. This ultimately sealed her fate.
In 1586, Mary was put on trial by a commission appointed by Elizabeth I, charged with treason. Found guilty, she was sentenced to death. On 8 February 1587, at the age of 44, Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed at Fotheringhay Castle. Her death became a significant moment in history, symbolizing the conflicts between Catholic and Protestant powers, with Mary serving as a martyr for Catholic supporters.