History UsefulNotes / MaryOfScotland

This interesting distant family connection aside, Mary's relation to--and ultimate reason for marrying--Darnley was more recent and more practical: he had a claim to the throne of England, through the same line as Mary herself. Specifically, Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England--and an especially strong one at that, being through the eldest surviving child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Some months after this incident 22 year old Mary met[[labelnote:*]]or rather re-met, as he had briefly made her acquaintance in France when he brought his family's condolences after the death of Francis[[/labelnote]] Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, a 19-year-old nobleman. Darnley was an English lord of Scottish descent--and related to the royal Stuarts. His family were a junior line of the House of Stuart, descended from a younger son of the grandfather of the first Stuart King of Scots (Robert II). These cadet Stuarts acquired lands around [[OopNorth Leeds]] and later settled there.

This interesting family connection aside, Mary's reason for marrying Darnley was more recent and more practical: he had a claim to the throne of England, through the same line as Mary herself. Specifically, Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England--and an especially strong one at that, being through the eldest surviving child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Some months after this incident 22 year old Mary met[[labelnote:*]]or rather re-met, as he had briefly made her acquaintance in France when he brought his family's condolences after the death of Francis[[/labelnote]] Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, a 19-year-old nobleman. Darnley was an English lord of Scottish descent: his family were a junior line of the House of Stuart, descended from a younger son of the grandfather of the first Stuart King of Scots (Robert II). These cadet Stuarts acquired lands around [[OopNorth Leeds]] and later settled there.

This interesting family connection aside, Mary's reason for marrying Darnley was more recent and more practical: he had a claim to the throne of England, through the same line as Mary herself. Specifically, Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England--and an especially strong one at that, being through the eldest surviving daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

This interesting family connection aside, Mary's reason for marrying Darnley was more recent and more practical: he had a claim to the throne of England, through the same line as Mary herself. Specifically, Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England--and an especially strong one at that, being through the eldest surviving daughter of Henry VII. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

This interesting family connection aside, Mary's reason for marrying Darnley was more recent and more practical: he had a claim to the throne of England, through the same line as Mary herself. Specifically, Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

This interesting family connection aside, Mary's reason for marrying Darnley was more recent and more practical: he had a claim to the throne of England, almost the same as she had herself. Specifically, Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

This interesting family connection aside, Mary's reason for marrying Darnley was more recent and more practical: he had a claim to the throne of England--almost the game as she had herself. Specifically, Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Some months after this incident 22 year old Mary met[[labelnote:*]]or rather re-met, as he had briefly made her acquaintance in France when he brought his family's condolences after the death of Francis[[/labelnote]] Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, a 19-year-old nobleman. Darnley was an English lord of Scottish descent: his family were a junior line of the House of Stuart, descended from a younger son of the grandfather of the first Stuart King of Scots (Robert II), who acquired lands around [[OopNorth Leeds]] and later settled there. Like Queen Mary, he had a claim to the throne of England.[[note]]Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). [[/note]] This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Some months after this incident 22 year old Mary met[[labelnote:*]]or rather re-met, as he had briefly made her acquaintance in France when he brought his family's condolences after the death of Francis[[/labelnote]] Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, a 19-year-old nobleman. Darnley was an English lord of Scottish descent: his family were a junior line of the House of Stuart, descended from a younger son of the grandfather of the first Stuart King of Scots (Robert II), who acquired lands around [[OopNorth Leeds]] and later settled there. Like Queen Mary, he had a claim to the throne of England.[[note]]Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). [[/note]] This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Some months after this incident 22 year old Mary met[[labelnote:*]]or rather re-met, as he had briefly made her acquaintance in France when he brought his family's condolences after the death of Francis[[/labelnote]] Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, a 19-year-old nobleman. Darnley was English, being from [[OopNorth Leeds]] and, like her, had a claim to the throne of England.[[note]]Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret's first marriage to King James IV. Darnley's mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). [[/note]] This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Mary's life and character have been a matter of great dispute ever since her execution. She has been depicted by supporters of Elizabeth and the Protestant settlement as [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade a murderous adulteress and Machiavellian Papist plotter]], while those on the Catholic side often view her as [[HistoricalHeroUpgrade a spotless martyr and the victim of Protestant treachery]]. She has, at any rate, been generally depicted as a [[Beauty Equals Goodness beautiful]], [[ErmineCapeEffect elegant]], and wildly romantic woman.

Elizabeth wasn't unsympathetic to Mary's plight. They were among the only surviving members of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor, they were both anointed queens, and it's likely Elizabeth did feel sorry for Mary - twice widowed, kept away from her only child, unable to either live free in Scotland or return to the France of her happy childhood. Mary was "jailed" in a series of castles and manor houses under the supervision of the Earl of Shrewsbury, one of Elizabeth's most loyal courtiers, and she was given many luxuries not normally afforded to prisoners, like exercise, fresh air, good food, and whatever visitors she chose to entertain. She wrote more poetry, published collections of which still exist today, and excelled at needlework, with some pieces surviving in museums; of particular note is the so-called [[https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/prison-embroideries-mary-queen-of-scots/ Marian Hanging]], consisting of multiple small panels of her own design sewn together into a tapestry. The majority of the icons depicted in the embroidery had some sort of personal meaning to the exiled queen, and in particular is the dolphin panel representing her dearly departed first husband (the French word for 'dolphin' being ''Dauphin'', François's rank when they married).

Mary's life and character have been a matter of great dispute ever since her execution. She has been depicted by supporters of Elizabeth and the Protestant settlement as [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade a murderous adulteress and Machiavellian Papist plotter]], while those on the Catholic side often view her as [[HistoricalHeroUpgrade a spotless martyr and the victim of Protestant treachery]]. She has, at any rate, been generally depicted as a [[HistoricalBeautyUpdate beautiful]], [[ErmineCapeEffect elegant]], and wildly romantic woman.

When Mary was 15 and Francis was 14 in 1558, they were married and Mary was declared Dauphine of France; meanwhile, the Scottish lords agreed to allow Mary to confer upon Francis the crown matrimonial, meaning that they were now of equal rank in both countries. In 1559, Francis’s father was in a jousting accident and developed an infection, which killed him. Francis II and he and Mary were thus the joint rulers of France and Scotland. By all contemporary accounts, theirs was a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage and they adored one another, but Francis tragically died at the age of 16 from an ear infection. Mary was kept in confinement, both as a tradition of mourning and also to see if she was pregnant, but it soon became clear she wasn’t. Mary’s 10-year-old brother-in-law, Charles IX, was crowned, and Mary’s mother-in-law, UsefulNotes/CatherineDeMedici, became regent. She had never particularly liked Mary, though she had tolerated her and treated her appropriately while Francis was alive. Once Mary's formal mourning period was over, Catherine ordered the return of the French crown jewels and 'advised' Mary to leave court. Following several months visiting her various maternal relations in France, the teenage Queen returned to Scotland.

Darnley had always been unpopular with the Scots, both for his spoiled, obnoxious nature and his effeminate appearance - he had blond hair, no beard, and a {{Pretty Boy}} appearance, and quite interested in fashion. Mary had been enamoured with his height (he was over 6 feet tall, one of the few men taller than her) and his skill with poetry, and this led her to marry him; but when it became obvious Darnley had merely used her to gain the crown, they became bitter enemies. He was especially aggravated that she would not grant him the crown matrimonial (as she had done for François years earlier), meaning that he was not and never would be her co-monarch and remained just below her in the peerage. He was the King-Consort of Scots, but had no real authority, and if Mary died he had no claim to be her successor.

Some months after this incident she met[[labelnote:*]]or rather re-met, as he had briefly made her acquaintance in France when he brought his family's condolences after the death of François[[/labelnote]] Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, a 19-year-old nobleman. Darnley was English, being from [[OopNorth Leeds]] and, like her, had a claim to the throne of England.[[note]]Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret’s first marriage to King James IV. Darnley’s mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret’s second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). [[/note]] This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]] Elizabeth had been keen on presenting her own favorite, Robert Dudley, to Mary as a marriage prospect, but both Mary and Dudley refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Mary knew it was her duty to marry again and produce an heir, but for the first few years of her active reign, she was still in mourning for her beloved François. Meanwhile, men were lusting over the Queen, the most gorgeous woman at the court. One day, the 21-year-old Queen was undressing with only two ladies-in-waiting, when a French poet and friend of Mary’s, Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard, stormed into her bedroom. Pierre was infatuated with the Queen (who only saw him as a friend), and Mary had even let him ride her horse (which was a present from Mary’s illegitimate half-brother) and he gave her a book of his poems. However, Mary was forced to banish him; they had allegedly had a similar incident beforehand for which Mary had pardoned him. Though he was banished, he came back the next day, hiding under Mary’s bed. Mary screamed “Attack the villain!” when she realised he was in her private quarters, and she had no choice but to have him executed. Nowadays, this would have been considered sexual harassment.

Mary's people were glad enough to get her back, but the new obstacle before her was that she was and remained staunchly Roman Catholic, and this was an unpopular stance in a country that had adopted the Calvinist form of Protestantism, mostly among the nobility. Mary was successful at first. She was religiously tolerant, meaning she allowed Protestants to pray and worship how they please. Though she did attend a few Protestant church services, she refused to personally convert to Protestantism; but in view of her tolerance for their religion, her people were content to extend her the same courtesy and let her worship privately as she chose. She also employed mostly Protestant men for her council, chiefly her illegitimate half-brother James, the Earl of Moray. She was very charismatic and capable of winning the common subjects to her side when need be; she was also regarded as extremely attractive, with long red hair and fair skin, and stood 5 ft 11 inches tall (she was one of the tallest women in all of Europe).

As Mary was only a baby, she needed a regent. Her first regent was James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, who was Protestant. Arran had been heir to the Scottish throne before Mary’s birth. However, he was unpopular with Catholics. Though he was originally supported by Protestants, they came to despise him when he agreed with UsefulNotes/HenryVIII that Mary (who was 6 months old) should marry Henry’s 6-year-old son, Edward, which would unite England and Scotland and give the English control of Scotland. Marie de Guise, however, was very against the betrothal (she herself had once been considered as a potential bride for Henry and had been against that too!), and her daughter's engagement was broken off, Henry VIII promptly declared war on Scotland. Marie de Guise eventually became regent of the kingdom, but with the war her daughter had to be sent to a number of different castles to avoid being murdered. Marie (a devout Catholic) arranged for her daughter to be betrothed to François, the Dauphin (heir) of France. Five-year-old Mary was sent to France to marry the four-year-old Dauphin, where she became popular at the French court. Her future father-in-law, King Henri II of France, adored her, and Mary became best friends with her future sisters-in-law, Elisabeth and Claude of France. Mary was also close with her fiancé and they often played together. They were raised more like siblings than betrothed, but were very much in love as they grew older. Mary had four ladies-in-waiting, all named Mary as well. Her governess, Janet Fleming, was the mother of Mary Fleming, and Queen Mary liked her. However, Janet was sent back to Scotland in disgrace when she became pregnant with King Henri’s child. While living in France, Mary changed the name of Stewart to Stuart so that the French (and she herself, who spoke with a French accent) could pronounce her surname properly.

When Mary was 15 and François was 14 in 1558, they were married and Mary was declared Dauphine of France; meanwhile, the Scottish lords agreed to allow Mary to confer upon François the crown matrimonial, meaning that they were now of equal rank in both countries. In 1559, François’s father was in a jousting accident and developed an infection, which killed him. François was crowned François II, and he and Mary were thus the joint rulers of France and Scotland. By all contemporary accounts, theirs was a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage and they adored one another, but François tragically died at the age of 16 from an ear infection. Mary was kept in confinement, both as a tradition of mourning and also to see if she was pregnant, but it soon became clear she wasn’t. Mary’s 10-year-old brother-in-law, Charles IX, was crowned, and Mary’s mother-in-law, UsefulNotes/CatherineDeMedici, became regent. She had never particularly liked Mary, though she had tolerated her and treated her appropriately while François was alive. Once Mary's formal mourning period was over, Catherine ordered the return of the French crown jewels and 'advised' Mary to leave court. Following several months visiting her various maternal relations in France, the teenage Queen returned to Scotland.

Mary was inconsolable following François's death. She solaced herself somewhat by writing poetry, and her ''[[http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/poetry.htm#Ode Ode to Francis II]]'' makes it clear just how deeply she had loved her husband and lifelong companion and how much she was grieving. The death of her mother, just months before that of her husband, only added to her misery. She wore her white mourning hood for a formal portrait, and a few other times throughout her widowhood; it was said that her skin turned ashen with sorrow and she never held a blush in her cheeks again.

She was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland. James V had been married to another French princess, Madeline of Valois, before he married Mary’s mother, Marie of Guise. James and Madeline had been very much in love and James hoped to have a large brood of children with her, but Madeline was in poor health for most of her life and tragically died at age 16. James wasn’t quite as in love with his second wife, but he and Marie certainly had some affection. James and Marie had two sons together before Mary’s birth, named James and Arthur, but both tragically died unexpectedly around the same time. James V was at war with England at the time of Mary’s birth, and, allegedly, when he was told his wife had given birth to a daughter and not a son, he said “it came with a lass and it shall go with a lass” which was a reference to how the Stewart dynasty had come through a woman, Marjorie Bruce, who had no brothers and married Walter Stewart, taking his surname. This prediction actually did come through, though not by Mary, but rather her descendant, Queen Anne of Great Britain. Six days after her birth, James died, most likely of dysentery, and Mary became the new Scottish monarch.

As Mary was only a baby, she needed a regent. Her first regent was James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, who was Protestant. Arran had been heir to the Scottish throne before Mary’s birth. However, he was unpopular with Catholics. Though he was originally supported by Protestants, they came to despise him when he agreed with UsefulNotes/HenryVIII that Mary (who was 6 months old) should marry Henry’s 6-year-old son, Edward, which would unite England and Scotland and give the English control of Scotland. Mary’s mother, Marie of Guise, was very against the betrothal and the engagement was broken off, and Henry VIII declared war on Scotland. Marie of Guise eventually became regent of the kingdom, but with the war her daughter had to be sent to a number of different castles to avoid being murdered. Marie (a devout Catholic) arranged for her daughter to be betrothed to François, the Dauphin (heir) of France. Five-year-old Mary was sent to France to marry the four-year-old Dauphin, where she became popular at the French court. Her future father-in-law, King Henri II of France, adored her, and Mary became best friends with her future sisters-in-law, Elisabeth and Claude of France. Mary was also close with her fiancé and they often played together. They were raised more like siblings than betrothed, but were very much in love as they grew older. Mary had four ladies-in-waiting, all named Mary as well. Her governess, Janet Fleming, was the mother of Mary Fleming, and Queen Mary liked her. However, Janet was sent back to Scotland in disgrace when she became pregnant with King Henri’s child. While living in France, Mary changed the name of Stewart to Stuart so that the French (and she herself, who spoke with a French accent) could pronounce her surname properly.

When Mary was 15 and François was 14 in 1558, they were married and Mary was declared Dauphine of France; meanwhile, the Scottish lords agreed to allow Mary to confer upon François the crown matrimonial, meaning that they were now of equal rank in both countries. In 1559, François’s father was in a jousting accident and developed an infection, which killed him. François was crowned François II, and he and Mary were thus the joint rulers of France and Scotland. By all contemporary accounts, theirs was a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage and they adored one another, but François tragically died at the age of 16 from an ear infection. Mary was kept in confinement, both as a tradition of mourning and also to see if she was pregnant, but it soon became clear she wasn’t. Mary’s 10-year-old brother-in-law, Charles IX, was crowned, and Mary’s mother-in-law, UsefulNotes/CatherinedeMedici (who had never particularly liked Mary) ordered the return of the French crown jewels and 'advised' Mary to leave court. Following several months visiting her various maternal relations in France, she returned to Scotland.

Mary's people were glad enough to get her back, but the new obstacle before her was that she was and remained staunchly Roman Catholic, and this was an unpopular stance in a country that had adopted the Calvinist form of Protestantism, mostly among the nobility. Mary was successful at first; she was religiously tolerant, meaning she allowed Protestants to pray and worship how they please, but she refused to convert to Protestantism. Mary even attended a few Protestant church services. She also employed mostly Protestant men for her council, chiefly her illegitimate half-brother James, the Earl of Moray. She was very charismatic and capable of winning the common subjects to her side when need be; she was also regarded as extremely attractive, with long red hair and fair skin, and stood 5 ft 11 inches tall (she was one of the tallest women in all of Europe).

18-year-old Mary knew it was her duty to marry again and produce an heir, but she was still in mourning for her beloved François. Meanwhile, men were lusting over the Queen, the most gorgeous woman at the court. One day, the 21-year-old Queen was undressing with only two ladies-in-waiting, when a French poet and friend of Mary’s, Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard, stormed into her bedroom. Pierre was infatuated with the Queen (who only saw him as a friend), and Mary had even let him ride her horse (which was a present from Mary’s illegitimate half-brother) and he gave her a book of his poems. However, Mary was forced to banish him; they had allegedly had a similar incident beforehand for which Mary had pardoned him. Though he was banished, he came back the next day, hiding under Mary’s bed. Mary screamed “attack the villain” when she realised he was in her private quarters. Mary had no choice but to have him executed. Nowadays, this would have been considered sexual harassment.

Eventually, 22-year-old Mary decided to take a holiday, where she met Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, a 19-year-old nobleman. Darnley was English, being from [[OopNorth Leeds]] and, like her, had a claim to the throne of England.[[note]]Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret’s first marriage to King James IV. Darnley’s mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret’s second husband, Archibald Douglas (whom she later divorced). [[/note]] This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]]. Elizabeth had been keen on marrying her own favorite, Robert Dudley, off to Mary, but both refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including the aforementioned Earl of Moray. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was almost certainly innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart, also known as '''Mary I of Scotland''', was Queen of Scotland from 1542 to her forced abdication in 1567. She was the first undisputed queen regnant of both Scotland and any kingdom in the British Isles, preceding the reign of her cousin UsefulNotes/MaryTudor by a decade.[[note]]In 1286, Margaret, Maid of Norway, became the presumptive Scottish monarch at age three after the death of her grandfather, Alexander III, but died four years later before being crowned or ever having reigned in her own right.[[/note]] She was also briefly queen consort of France through her marriage to Francis II.

As Mary was only a baby, she needed a regent. Her first regent was James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, who was Protestant. Arran had been heir to the Scottish throne before Mary’s birth. However, he was unpopular with Catholics. Though he was originally supported by Protestants, they came to despise him when he agreed with UsefulNotes/HenryVIII that Mary (who was 6 months old) should marry Henry’s 6-year-old son, Edward, which would unite England and Scotland and give the English control of Scotland. Mary’s mother, Marie of Guise, was very against the betrothal and the engagement was broken off, and Henry VIII declared war on Scotland. Marie of Guise eventually became regent of the kingdom, but with the war her daughter had to be sent to a number of different castles to avoid being murdered. Marie (a devout Catholic) arranged for her daughter to be betrothed to Francis, the Dauphin (heir) of France. 5-year-old Mary was sent to France to marry the 4-year-old Dauphin, where she became popular at the French court. Her future father-in-law, King Henri II of France, adored her, and Mary became best friends with her future sisters-in-law, Elisabeth and Claude of France. Mary was also close with her fiancé and they often played together. They were raised more like siblings than betrothed, but were very much in love. Mary had four ladies-in-waiting, all named Mary as well. Her governess, Janet Fleming, was the mother of Mary Fleming, and Queen Mary liked her. However, Janet was sent back to Scotland in disgrace when she became pregnant with King Henri’s child. While living in France, Mary changed the name of Stewart to Stuart so that the French (and herself, who spoke with a French accent) could pronounce her surname properly.

When Mary was 15 and Francis was 14 in 1558, they were married and Mary was declared Dauphine of France. In 1559, Francis’s father was in a jousting accident and developed an infection, which killed him. Francis was crowned Francis II and he and Mary were thus the joint rulers of France and Scotland. By all contemporary accounts, theirs was a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage and they adored one another, but Francis tragically died at the age of 16 from an ear infection. Mary was kept in confinement to see if she was pregnant, but it soon became clear she wasn’t. Mary’s 10-year-old brother-in-law, Charles XI, was crowned, and Mary’s mother-in-law, UsefulNotes/CatherinedeMedici (who had never particularly liked Mary) sent her back to Scotland. Mary was inconsolable following Francis's death. She solaced herself somewhat by writing poetry, and her ''[[http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/poetry.htm#Ode Ode to Francis II]]'' makes it clear just how deeply she had loved her husband and lifelong companion and how much she was grieving. The death of her mother, just months before that of her husband, only added to her misery.

Mary's people were glad enough to get her back, but the new obstacle before her was that she was and remained staunchly Roman Catholic, and this was an unpopular stance in a country that had adopted the Calvinist form of Protestantism, mostly among the nobility. Mary was successful at first, she was religiously tolerant, meaning she allowed Protestants to pray and worship how they please, but she refused to convert to Protestantism. Mary even attended a few Protestant church services. She also employed mostly Protestant men for her council. She was very charismatic and capable of winning the common subjects to her side when need be; she was also regarded as extremely attractive, with long red hair and fair skin, and stood at 5 ft 11 (she was one of the tallest women in all of Europe).

18-year-old Mary knew it was her duty to marry again and produce an heir, but she was still in mourning of her beloved Francis. Meanwhile, men were lusting over the Queen, the most gorgeous woman at the court. One day, the 21-year-old Queen was undressing with only two ladies-in-waiting, when a French poet and friend of Mary’s, Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard, stormed into her bedroom. Pierre was infatuated with the Queen (who only saw him as a friend) and Mary had even let him ride her horse (which was a present from Mary’s illegitimate half-brother) and he gave her a book of his poems. However, Mary was forced to banish him, they had allegedly had a similar incident beforehand that Mary pardoned him with. Though he was banished, he came back the next day, hiding under Mary’s bed. Mary screamed “attack the villain” when she realised he was in her private quarters. Mary had no choice but to have him executed. Nowadays, this would have been considered sexual harassment.

Eventually, 22-year-old Mary decided to take a holiday, where she met Henry Darnley, a 19 year old nobleman. Darnley was English, being from [[OopNorth Leeds]] and, like her, had a claim to the throne of England.[[note]]Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England, Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret’s first marriage to King James IV. Darnley’s mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret’s second husband, Archibald Douglas, who later got divorced.[[/note]] This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]]. Elizabeth had been keen on marrying her own favorite, Robert Dudley, off to Mary, but both refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including James, Earl of Moray, Mary’s older half-brother and chancellor. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was probably innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Darnley had always been unpopular with the Scots, both for his spoiled, obnoxious nature and his effeminate appearance, with his Blonde hair, lack of facial hair, interest in fashion and {{Pretty Boy}} appearance. Mary had been enamoured with his height (he was over 6 feet tall, one of the few men taller than her) but when it became obvious Darnley wanted the crown, they became bitter enemies, especially after Mary only named him king consort, rather than her co-monarch. In 1567, Darnley was being treated for syphilis. Eventually, he and Mary attempted a reconciliation; Darnley recognized that Mary was the only one who could protect him from his enemies, and Mary that she had no honorable way to end her marriage, she had considered a divorce, but that would have made her baby son, James V, illegitimate. To that end, he was brought to the Old Provost's Lodging at Kirk O'Field. It blew up in February 1567, while Mary and most of her lords were at a wedding party after spending the day with Darnley. Darnley himself apparently escaped the explosion, as he and his male servant were subsequently found strangled in the garden, Darnley in just his underwear, with no marks on his body at all. Darnley was due to complete his treatment the next day and subsequently resume cohabitation with his wife.

Popular opinion blamed Mary. While she was certainly not there for the actual murder, many believed she had authorized it. This is at best unlikely; Mary may have disdained her husband as much as she had once been attracted to him, but she knew that continuing the marriage was still her best chance at the English throne. Their united position gave them an advantage over other potential claimants, and for that if nothing else he was more valuable to her alive. Darnley was still her husband and the father of her only child, and with her romantic nature Mary may have even harbored some hope of the marriage improving. The chief pieces of "evidence" against her were the so-called Casket Letters - letters found [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in a casket]] and purported to have been written by Mary herself, ordering the murder. Modern historians, with their access to greater technology, have examined the surviving letters and generally believe them to have been forgeries. (Ironically, it's the opinion of at least some modern medical historians that Darnley's syphilis treatment was less than effective, and he likely would have died of the illness within a year or two anyway.) Mary was seen playing golf a few days later, so it’s very unlikely she mourned her husband’s death either way.

She subsequently married chief conspirator James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, and one of the few Scottish lords with a consistent record of supporting Mary and her mother. He had famously abducted her. [[QuestionableConsent Whether or not Mary and Bothwell planned the abduction so they could get married, or whether Bothwell kidnapped and went so far as to]] ''[[QuestionableConsent rape]]'' [[QuestionableConsent the queen to]] ''[[QuestionableConsent force]]'' [[QuestionableConsent her to marry him, was hotly debated then and still is now]]. [[note]]A man at Mary’s court had previously bragged about planning to rape her at night so that she would marry him and make him king, before Mary had even wed Darnley. This plot was uncovered before anything could happen and the man was sent away[[/note]] Many historians, however, do believe that she was forced into the marriage; notably, she miscarried twins whose gestation indicated that they would have been conceived during the time of her abduction, despite her protestation that they could only have been conceived after the marriage took place.

The resulting rebellion ended with Bothwell fleeing the country[[labelnote:*]]to Norway, where he was subsequently arrested by his estranged first wife, a Danish-Norwegian noble, and spent the rest of his life imprisoned in Denmark[[/labelnote]] and Mary imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle, where she had the above-mentioned miscarriage; the fetuses were buried on the island where the castle still stands. She was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her one-year-old son, who assumed the throne as James VI (who later became James I of England). She made an attempt to escape the island by disguising herself as the woman who took her dirty laundry to the mainland, but was recognized when someone caught sight of her hands, which were very distinct due to their pale coloring and elegant fingers. A second escape attempt in a fishing boat proved successful, however, and she fled to England, seeking protection from her cousin, [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethI Queen Elizabeth I of England]]. Elizabeth's response was to have Mary arrested, as she and her Protestant councilors (not entirely unjustifiably) considered Mary a probable focus for Catholic conspiracies against her rule. She also wasn't completely sure whether or not Mary was complicit in her husband's murder.

Elizabeth wasn't unsympathetic to Mary's plight. They were among the only surviving members of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor, they were both anointed queens, and it's likely Elizabeth did feel sorry for Mary - twice widowed, kept away from her only child, unable to either live free in Scotland or return to the France of her happy childhood. Mary was "jailed" in a series of castles and manor houses under the supervision of the Earl of Shrewsbury, one of Elizabeth's most loyal courtiers, and she was given many luxuries not normally afforded to prisoners, like exercise, fresh air, good food, and whatever visitors she chose to entertain. She wrote more poetry, published collections of which still exist today, and excelled at needlework, with some pieces surviving in museums; of particular note is the so-called [[https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/prison-embroideries-mary-queen-of-scots/ Marian Hanging]], consisting of multiple small panels of her own design sewn together into a tapestry. The majority of the icons depicted in the embroidery had some sort of personal meeting to the exiled queen, and in particular is the dolphin panel representing her dearly departed first husband (the French word for 'dolphin' being ''Dauphin'', Francois's rank when they married).

-->''To God, the best and greatest. To her good memory, and in eternal hope. MARY STUART, QUEEN OF SCOTS, Dowager Queen of France, daughter of James V of Scotland, sole heir and great granddaughter of Henry VII, King of England, through his elder daughter Margaret, (who was joined in marriage to James IV of Scotland): great-great-granddaughter of Edward IV, King of England through his eldest daughter of Elizabeth [of York]: wife of Francis II, King of France sure and certain heiress to the crown of England while she lived: mother of James, most puissant sovereign of Great Britain.''

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart, also known as '''Mary I of Scotland''', was Queen of Scotland from 1542 to her forced abdication in 1567. She was the first undisputed queen regnant of both Scotland and any kingdom in the British Isles, preceding the reign of her cousin UsefulNotes/MaryTudor by a decade.[[note]]In 1286, Margaret, Maid of Norway, became the presumptive Scottish monarch at age three after the death of her grandfather, Alexander III, but died four years later before being crowned or ever having reigned in her own right.[[/note]]

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart, also known as '''Mary I of Scotland''', was Queen of Scotland from 1542 to her forced abdication in 1567. She was the first undisputed queen regnant of both Scotland and any kingdom in the British Isles, preceding the reign of her cousin UsefulNotes/MaryTudor by a decade.[[note]]In 1286, Margaret, Maid of Norway, became the presumptive Scottish monarch at age three after the death of her father, Alexander III, but died four years later before being crowned or ever having reigned in her own right.[[/note]]

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart, also known as '''Mary I of Scotland''', was Queen of Scotland from 1542 to her forced abdication in 1567 and was the first undisputed queen regnant of both Scotland and any kingdom in the British Isles, preceding the reign of her cousin UsefulNotes/MaryTudor by a decade.[[note]]In 1286, Margaret, Maid of Norway, became the presumptive Scottish monarch at age three after the death of her father, Alexander III, but died four years later before being crowned or ever having reigned in her own right.[[/note]]

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart, also known as '''Mary I of Scotland''', was Queen of Scotland from 1542 to her forced abdication in 1567 and was the first undisputed queen regnant of Scotland and in the British Isles, preceding the reign of her cousin UsefulNotes/MaryTudor by a decade.[[note]]In 1286, Margaret, Maid of Norway, became the presumptive Scottish monarch at age three after the death of her father, Alexander III, but died four years later before being crowned or ever having reigned in her own right.[[/note]]

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart, also known as '''Mary I of Scotland''', was Queen of Scotland from 1542 to her forced abdication in 1567 and was the first undisputed queen regnant of Scotland.[[note]]In 1286, Margaret, Maid of Norway, became the presumptive Scottish monarch at age three after the death of her father, Alexander III, but died four years later before being crowned or ever having reigned in her own right.[[/note]]

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart, also known as '''Mary I of Scotland''', was Queen of Scotland from 1542 to her forced abdication in 1567.

She was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland. James V had been married to another French princess, Madeline of Valois, before he married Mary’s mother, Marie of Guise. James and Madeline had been very much in love and James hoped to have a large brood of children with her, but Madeline was in poor health for most of her life and tragically died at age 16. James wasn’t quite as in love with his second wife, but he and Marie certainly had some affection. James and Marie had two sons together before Mary’s birth, named James and Arthur, but both tragically died unexpectedly around the same time. James V was at war with England at the time of Mary’s birth, and, allegedly, when he was told his wife had given birth to a daughter and not a son, he said “it came with a lass and it shall go with a lass” which was a reference to how the Stewart dynasty had come through a woman, Marjorie Bruce, who had no brothers and married Walter Stewart, taking his surname. This prediction actually did come through, though not by Mary, but rather her descendant, Queen Anne of Great Britain. Six days after her birth, James died, most likely of dysentery, and Mary became the new Scottish monarch.

Eventually, 22-year-old Mary decided to take a holiday, where she met Henry Darnley, an acquaintance of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI who was 19. Darnley was English, being from [[OopNorth Leeds]] and, like her, had a claim to the throne of England.[[note]]Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England, Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret’s first marriage to King James IV. Darnley’s mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret’s second husband, Archibald Douglas, who later got divorced.[[/note]] This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]]Maybe - there is a school of thought that Elizabeth deliberately put Darnley in Mary's path because she knew just how obnoxious he was. However, Elizabeth had been keen on marrying her own lover, Robert Dudley, off to Mary, but both refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including James, Earl of Moray, Mary’s older half-brother and chancellor. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was probably innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Elizabeth wasn't completely unsympathetic to Mary's plight. They were among the only surviving members of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor, they were both anointed queens, and it's likely Elizabeth did feel sorry for Mary - twice widowed, kept away from her only child, unable to either live free in Scotland or return to the France of her happy childhood. Mary was "jailed" in a series of castles and manor houses under the supervision of the Earl of Shrewsbury, one of Elizabeth's most loyal courtiers, and she was given many luxuries not normally afforded to prisoners, like exercise, fresh air, good food, and whatever visitors she chose to entertain. She wrote more poetry, published collections of which still exist today, and excelled at needlework, with some pieces surviving in museums; of particular note is the so-called [[https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/prison-embroideries-mary-queen-of-scots/ Marian Hanging]], consisting of multiple small panels of her own design sewn together into a tapestry. The majority of the icons depicted in the embroidery had some sort of personal meeting to the exiled queen, and in particular is the dolphin panel representing her dearly departed first husband (the French word for 'dolphin' being ''Dauphin'', Francois's rank when they married).

A few attempts to have the two queens meet were arranged, but they never came to fruition, though they did correspond occasionally and Mary sent Elizabeth gifts of her handiwork from time to time. After nearly twenty years of this hospitable imprisonment (Elizabeth was notably hesitant to condemn her), Mary was tried and executed for treason on the grounds of conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth and place herself on the throne of England. It remains questionable whether Mary herself was actually involved in the Babington plot or if she was just an innocent figurehead, but Elizabeth was taking no chances.

Mary, Queen of Scots(8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart, also known as '''Mary I of Scotland''', Queen of Scotland from 1542 to her forced abdication in 1567.

She was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V. James V had been married to another French Princess, Madeline of Valois, before he married Mary’s mother, Marie of Guise. James and Madeline had been very much in love and James hoped to have a large brood of children with her, but Madeline tragically died aged 16, as she had always had poor health. James wasn’t quite as in love with his second wife, but he and Marie certainly had some affection. James and Marie had two sons together before Mary’s birth, named James and Arthur, but both tragically died unexpectedly around the same time. James V was at war with England at the time of Mary’s birth, and, allegedly, when he was told his wife had given birth to a daughter and not a son, he said “it came with a lass and it shall go with a lass” which was a reference to how the Stewart dynasty had come through a woman, Marjorie Bruce, who had no brothers and married Walter Stewart, taking his surname. This prediction actually did come through, though not by Mary, but rather her descendant, Queen Anne of Great Britain. 6 days after her birth, James died, most likely of Dysentery.

As Mary was only a baby, she needed a regent. Her first regent was James Hamilton, the Earl of Arran, who was Protestant. Arran had been heir to the Scottish throne before Mary’s birth. However, he was unpopular with Catholics. Though he was originally supported by Protestants, they came to despise him when he agreed with UsefulNotes/HenryVIII that Mary (who was 6 months old) should marry Henry’s 6 year old son, Edward, which would unite England and Scotland and give the English control of Scotland. Mary’s mother, Marie of Guise, was very against the betrothal and the engagement was broken off, and Henry VIII declared war on Scotland. Marie of Guise eventually assumed the Regency of the kingdom, but with the war, her daughter had to be sent to a number of different castles to avoid being murdered. Marie (a devout Catholic) arranged for her daughter to be betrothed to Francis, the Dauphin (heir) of France. 5 year old Mary was sent to France to marry the 4 year old Dauphin, where she became popular at the French court. Her future father-in-law, King Henri II of France adored her and Mary became best friends with her future sisters-in-law, Elisabeth and Claude of France. Mary was also close with her Fiancé and they often played together. They were raised more like siblings than betrothed, but were very much in love. Mary had four ladies-in-waiting, all named Mary as well. Her governess, Janet Fleming, was the mother of Mary Fleming, and Queen Mary liked her. However, Janet was sent back to Scotland in disgrace when she became pregnant with King Henri’s child. While living in France, Mary changed the name of Stewart to Stuart so that the French (and herself, who spoke with a French accent) could pronounce her surname properly.

When Mary was 15 and Francis was 14 in 1558, they were married and Mary was declared Dauphine of France. In 1559, Francis’s father was in a jousting accident and developed an infection, which killed him. Francis was crowned Francis II and he and Mary were thus the joint rulers of France and Scotland. By all contemporary accounts, theirs was a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage and they adored one another, but Francis tragically died at the age of 16 from an ear infection. Mary was kept in confinement to see if she was pregnant, but it soon became clear she wasn’t. Mary’s 10 year old brother-in-law, Charles XI, was crowned and Mary’s mother-in-law, UsefulNotes/CatherinedeMedici (who had never particularly liked Mary) sent her back to Scotland. Mary was inconsolable following Francois's death. She solaced herself somewhat by writing poetry, and her ''[[http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/poetry.htm#Ode Ode to Francis II]]'' makes it clear just how deeply she had loved her husband and lifelong companion and how much she was grieving. The death of her mother, just months before that of her husband, only added to her misery.

Mary's people were glad enough to get her back, but the new obstacle before her was that she was and remained staunchly Roman Catholic, and this was an unpopular stance in a country that had adopted the Calvinist form of Protestantism, mostly among the nobility. Mary was successful at first, she was religiously tolerant, meaning she allowed Protestants to pray and worship how they please, but she refused to convert to Protestantism. Mary even attended a few Protestant church services. She also employed mostly Protestant men for her council. She was very charismatic and capable of winning the common subjects to her side when need be; she was also regarded as extremely attractive, with long Red hair and fair skin, and stood at 5 ft 11 (she was one of the tallest women in all of Europe).

18 year old Mary knew it was her duty to marry again and produce an heir, but she was still in mourning of her beloved Francis. Meanwhile, men were lusting over the Queen, the most gorgeous woman at the Court. One day, the 21 year old Queen was undressing with only two ladies-in-waiting, when a French poet and friend of Mary’s, Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard, stormed into her bedroom. Pierre was infatuated with the Queen (who only saw him as a friend) and Mary had even let him ride her horse (which was a present by Mary’s illegitimate half-brother) and he gave her a book of his Poems. However, Mary was forced to banish him, they had allegedly had a similar incident beforehand that Mary pardoned him with. Though he was banished, he came back the next day, hiding under Mary’s bed. Mary screamed “attack the villain” when she realised he was in her private quarters. Mary had no choice but to have him executed. Nowadays, this would have been considered sexual harassment.

Eventually, 22 year old Mary decided to take a holiday, where she met Henry Darnley, an acquaintance of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI who was 19. Darnley was English, being from [[OopNorth Leeds]] and, like her, had a claim to the throne of England.[[note]]Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England, Mary's father, James V, was the only surviving child of Margaret’s first marriage to King James IV. Darnley’s mother, Margaret Douglas, was the half-sister of James V and the daughter of Margaret’s second husband, Archibald Douglas, who later got divorced.[[/note]] This was a good match for Mary because it meant that their children would not only be the heirs to the Scottish throne, but also have a double claim to England. Mary married him in 1564, against the wishes of UsefulNotes/ElizabethI[[note]]Maybe - there is a school of thought that Elizabeth deliberately put Darnley in Mary's path because she knew just how obnoxious he was. However, Elizabeth had been keen on marrying her own lover, Robert Dudley, off To Mary, but both refused[[/note]] and, more importantly, against the advice of every responsible member of the Scottish government, including James, Earl of Moray, Mary’s older half-brother and chancellor. The marriage was a bitter failure -- by nearly all accounts, Darnley was both vicious and effeminate, while Mary was widely accused of luxury and adultery. She might have been at least somewhat guilty of the former charge, but most historians agree she was probably innocent of the latter, though Darnley himself engaged in adulterous activities. Her supposed affair partner was her (openly Gay) Italian secretary and court musician, David Rizzio, who was best friends with the Queen. Darnley (in league with the Protestant Scots lords) murdered David while he was dining with Mary (who was 7 months pregnant) in 1566. The couple separated after the birth of their son James, and Darnley took refuge from his numerous enemies with his father.

Darnley had always been unpopular with the Scots, both for his spoiled, obnoxious nature and his effeminate appearance, with his Blonde hair, lack of facial hair, interest in fashion and {{Pretty Boy}} appearance. Mary had been enamoured with his height (he was over 6 feet tall, one of the few men taller than her) but when it became obvious Darnley wanted the Crown, they became bitter enemies, especially after Mary only named him her King Consort, rather than her Co-Monarch. In 1567, Darnley was being treated for syphilis at the time. Eventually, he and Mary attempted a reconciliation; Darnley recognized that Mary was the only one who could protect him from his enemies, and Mary that she had no honorable way to end her marriage, she had considered a divorce, but that would have made her baby son, James V, an illegitimate child. To that end, he was brought to the Old Provost's Lodging at Kirk O'Field. It blew up in February 1567, while Mary and most of her lords were at a wedding party after spending the day with Darnley. Darnley himself apparently escaped the explosion, as he and his male servant were subsequently found strangled in the garden, Darnley in just his underwear, with no marks on his body at all. Darnley was due to complete his treatment the next day and subsequently resume cohabitation with his wife.

She subsequently married chief conspirator James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell and one of the few Scottish lords with a consistent record of supporting Mary and her mother. He had famously abducted her. [[QuestionableConsent Whether or not Mary and Bothwell planned the abduction so they could get married, or whether Bothwell kidnapped and went so far as to]] ''[[QuestionableConsent rape]]'' [[QuestionableConsent the queen to]] ''[[QuestionableConsent force]]'' [[QuestionableConsent her to marry him, was hotly debated then and still is now]]. [[note]]A man at Mary’s court had previously bragged about planning to rape her at night so that she would marry him and make him King, before Mary had even wed Darnley. This plot was uncovered before anything could happen and the man was sent away[[/note]] Many historians, however, do believe that she was forced into the marriage; notably, she miscarried twins whose gestation indicated that they would have been conceived during the time of her abduction, despite her protestation that they could only have been conceived after the marriage took place.

The resulting rebellion ended with Bothwell fleeing the country[[labelnote:*]]to Norway, where he was subsequently arrested by his estranged first wife, a Danish-Norwegian noble, and spent the rest of his life imprisoned in Denmark[[/labelnote]] and Mary imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle, where she had the above-mentioned miscarriage; the fetuses were buried on the island where the castle still stands. She was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her son, the one-year-old James VI (later James I of England). She made an attempt to escape the island by disguising herself as the woman who took her dirty laundry to the mainland, but was recognized when someone caught sight of her hands, which were very distinct due to their pale coloring and elegant fingers. A second escape attempt in a fishing boat proved successful, however, and she fled to England, seeking protection from her cousin, [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethI Queen Elizabeth I of England]]. Elizabeth's response was to have Mary arrested, as she and her Protestant councilors (not entirely unjustifiably) considered Mary a probable focus for Catholic conspiracies against her rule. She also wasn't completely sure whether or not Mary was complicit in her husband's murder.

Elizabeth wasn't completely unsympathetic to Mary's plight. They were among the only surviving members of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor, they were both anointed queens, and likely Elizabeth did feel sorry for Mary - twice widowed, kept away from her only child, unable to either live free in Scotland or return to the France of her happy childhood. Mary was "jailed" in a series of castles and manor houses under the supervision of the Earl of Shrewsbury, one of Elizabeth's most loyal courtiers, and she was given many luxuries not normally afforded to prisoners, like exercise, fresh air, good food, and whatever visitors she chose to entertain. She wrote more poetry, published collections of which still exist today, and excelled at needlework, with some pieces surviving in museums; of particular note is the so-called [[https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/prison-embroideries-mary-queen-of-scots/ Marian Hanging]], consisting of multiple small panels of her own design sewn together into a tapestry. The majority of the icons depicted in the embroidery had some sort of personal meeting to the exiled queen, and in particular is the dolphin panel representing her dearly departed first husband (the French word for 'dolphin' being ''Dauphin'', Francois's rank when they married).