BRITPOLITICSFactSheet–MaryQueenofScots
ThisfactsheetcoversthelifeofMaryQueenofScots.Youcanfindlotsmoreabouttoday’sRoyal
FamilyandpastBritishKingsandQueensonwww.britpolitics.co.uk
Timeline
1542BirthofMaryStuart
1542DeathofJamesV
1543TreatyofGreenwich
1543MaryStuartcrownedQueen,9September
1544BeginningofRoughWooing
1547BattleofPinkieCleugh,10September
1548MaryQueenofScotssailstoFrance
1554MariedeGuiseappointedRegentinScotland
1558MarriagetoDauphinFrancis,24April
1558DeathofQueenMaryIofEngland
1558ElizabethcrownedQueenofEngland
1559DeathofKingHenriIIofFrance
1559MarybecomesQueenConsortofFrance
1560DeathofMariedeGuise
1560TreatyofEdinburgh
1560DeathofKingFrancisIIofFrance
1561MaryQueenofScotsreturnstoScotland
1565MarriagetoLordDarnley,29July
1566MurderofDavidRizzio,9March
1566BirthofJamesVI,19June
1567MurderofLordDarnley,10February
1567AinslieTavernBond
1567MarriagetotheEarlofBothwell,15May
1567MarysurrenderstotheLordsoftheCongregationatCarberryHill,15June
1567MaryimprisonedinLochlevenCastle
1567Maryforcedtoabdicate
1568MaryescapesLochlevenCastle,2May
1568BattleofLangside,13May
1568MaryarrivesinEngland,16May
1569ConferenceofYork-Westminsterconcludesitsinquiry
1586BabingtonPlot
1586TrialofMaryQueenofScots
1586Sentencedtodeath,25October
1587QueenElizabethIsignsMary’sdeathwarrant,1February
1587MaryQueenofScotsexecuted,8February
EarlyLifeinScotland
MaryStuartwasborninDecember1542atLinlithgowPalace,WestLothian.HermotherwasaFrench
Catholicnoblewoman,MariedeGuise.Mary’sfatherwastheScottishKing,JamesV.Whenshewasjust
sixdaysold,JamesVdied.AstheonlysurvivinglegitimatechildofKingJamesV,MarybecameQueen
ofScotland.
TheProtestantJamesHamilton,EarlofArranactedasRegent.Hamiltonnegotiatedpeacewith
EnglandandsignedtheTreatyofGreenwichinJuly1543.ItwasagreedthatMarywouldmarry
PrinceEdward,sonofHenryVIIIandfutureKingEdwardVIofEngland.MariedeGuisewasopposed
tothisarrangementandwentwithherdaughtertoStirlingCastle.TheCatholicswithintheScottish
nobilitywantedtokeeptheAuldAlliancewithFranceratherthanallywithEngland.
MarywascrownedQueenatStirlingCastleinSeptember1543.
SoonafterwardstheScottishParliamentrepudiatedtheTreatyofGreenwich.HenryVIIIretaliatedby
launchingamilitarycampaignagainsttheScots.ItbecameknownastheRoughWooing.HenryVIII
ordered‘putalltofireandsword’fortheir‘falsehood’and‘disloyalty’.HenryVIIIwastryingtocoerce
theScotsintoacceptingthemarriageagreement.
AlthoughHenryVIIIdiedinJanuary1547,themilitarycampaignagainstScotlandcontinuedduring
thereignofEdwardVI.AttheBattleofPinkieCleugh,10September1547,theScottishforceswere
heavilydefeatedbytheEnglish.TheEnglishArmyremainedtooccupytheScottishBorders.
TheScotsappealedtoFranceforhelp.InreturnforFrenchmilitaryassistanceMarywasbetrothedto
Francis,thesonoftheFrenchKingHenriII.FranciswasknownastheDauphinashewasheirtothe
FrenchCrown.Hewasfouryearsold.
InAugust1548,thefive-year-oldMaryQueenofScotssailedwiththeFrenchfleetfromDumbarton
Castle.
TheFrenchCourt
MaryhadsailedfromScotlandwithherownCourt.Thisincludedherfourladies-in-waiting,knownas
theFourMarys(orFourMaries):LadyMaryFleming,MaryBeaton,MaryLivingstoneandMary
Seaton.
MarywasbroughtupattheFrenchCourtwiththechildrenofKingHenriII.Alargepartofher
childhoodwasspentatChateaudeChambord.Maryenjoyedtheoutdoors,particularlyhorseriding
andfalconry.Shewasalsowelleducated.AswellasspeakingScots,MaryalsolearntFrench,Spanish,
Italian,GreekandLatin.Maryhadanenthusiasmforpoetryandproseandwouldwriteherown
poems.Shewasalsoaccomplishedatembroidery.
Marywasgracefulandtall,growingtoalmostsix-foot,withauburnhairandpaleskin.Shewasclever
andquick-witted.
On24April1558thefifteen-year-oldMaryQueenofScotsmarriedFrancisatNotreDameCathedral
inParis.TheDauphin,whowasfourteenyearsold,wasnowtheKingConsortofScotland.This
marriagehadthepotentialtounitebothcountries,astheirdescendantswouldrulebothFranceand
Scotland.Priortothewedding,Maryhadalsosignedanagreementthatshouldshediechildless,
ScotlandandherclaimtotheEnglishthronewouldpasstotheFrenchCrown.
InNovember1558QueenMaryIofEnglanddied.MaryTudor’ssuccessorwasherhalf-sister,the
ProtestantElizabethI.ElizabethwasconsideredbymanyCatholicstobeillegitimate.HenryVIII’s
divorcefromhisfirstwifeCatherineofAragonwasnevergivenPapalapproval.TotheCatholicsin
Europe,thismadehismarriagetoAnneBoleyn,Elizabeth’smother,illegal.MaryQueenofScotsasthe
granddaughterofMargaretTudor,eldersisterofHenryVIII,wasseenastherightfulclaimanttothe
Englishthrone.Mary’sroyalcoatofarmswasre-designedtoincludethearmsofEnglandaswellas
ScotlandandFrance.
In1559KingHenriIIdiedofinjuriessustainedinajoustingtournament.FrancisbecameKingof
FranceandMaryQueenConsort.Francis’reignwasshort.Hehadalwaysbeenasicklychildandin
December1560diedofanearinfection.MariedeGuise,Mary’smother,haddiedofdropsyearlier
thatsameyear.
MarywasnolongertheQueenofFrance.KingFrancis’youngerbrotherCharlesinheritedthethrone.
Hismother,CatherinedeMedici,becameRegent.
Theseventeen-year-oldMarydecidedtoreturntoScotland.
ProtestantScotland
MariedeGuisehadgovernedScotlandasRegentfrom1554.AsaFrenchwoman,theScottishnobility
distrustedMarie.TheyalsoobjectedtoFrenchnoblesbeingputintopositionsofpoweratCourt
insteadofthemselves.MariedeGuisetriedtosuppresstheProtestantreligioninfavourof
Catholicism.
TheLordsoftheCongregationwereagroupofScottishnobleswhowantedtocreateaProtestant
Scotland,freeofFrenchinfluence.InMay1559JohnKnoxreturnedtoScotlandtospreadthe
Protestantfaith.TheLordsraisedanarmycalledtheArmyoftheCongregation.Havingoccupied
Perth,theyattackedchurchesastheymarchedonEdinburgh.TheLordsreceivedfinancialand
militarysupportfromQueenElizabethI.MariedeGuisecalleduponFrancetoassistherownarmy.
AfterthedeathofMarieapeacetreatywassigned.TheFrenchandEnglisharmiesleftScotland.Mary
QueenofScots,however,refusedtoratifytheTreatyofEdinburgh,thetermsofwhichalsorecognised
ElizabethastherightfulrulerofEngland.
InAugust1560theLordsoftheCongregationcalledtheReformationParliament.Scotlandwastobe
aProtestantnation.AllformaltieswiththePopeweresevered.CatholicMasswasbanned.
ReturntoScotland
InAugust1561,MaryQueenofScotslandedatLeith.Maryreceivedawarmwelcomefromthecrowds
inEdinburgh.However,theScottishpeoplestillhadtheirconcerns.MarywasaRomanCatholicwho
hadbeenbroughtupattheFrenchCourt.TheywereworriedthatMarymighttrytorestorethe
CatholicChurchinScotland.Therulingnoblesthoughttheymightlosetheirpositionsofpowerand
thewealththatcamewithit.RivalriesbetweentheScottishnobleswouldhaveasignificantimpact
onMary’sreign.
Atfirst,Mary’srulewassuccessful.ShechosetogovernusingScottishnobles,ratherthanFrench
ones.MarytriedtobemoderateinreligiousmattersandtoleratedtheProtestantKirk.Hermain
advisorswereJamesStuart,EarlofMorayandWilliamMaitlandofLethington.
Moraywastheillegitimatehalf-brotherofMaryQueenofScots.HewasalsoamemberoftheLordsof
theCongregation.MoraynegotiatedforMarytobeallowedtohearMassinprivate,eventhoughithad
beenpublicallybanned.ThisallowedMarytocontinueinherRomanCatholicfaith.Protestant
reformerJohnKnoxledalargegroupofprotestorstoHolyroodtostopMaryhearingMass.Knox
wouldbeoneofhermostvociferousopponents.
MarriagetoHenryStuart,LordDarnley
MaryQueenofScotsneededtoremarrytoprovideanheirtotheScottishthrone.
MarychosetomarryhercousinHenryStuart,LordDarnley.Darnleywasalsoagrandchildof
MargaretTudor.HewouldhelpstrengthenMary’sandtheirchildren’sclaimtotheEnglishthrone.
Darnley’sfatherwastheScottishEarlofLennox.HismotherwasLadyMargaretDouglas.Lennoxwas
pro-EnglishandhadfledtoEnglandaftertheRoughWooing.DarnleyhadbeenborninYorkshire.
TheywereanambitiousfamilyandDarnleyhadclaimstoboththeScottishandEnglishCrowns.
MaryQueenofScotsandLordDarnleyweremarriedon29July1565inthePalaceofHolyroodHouse.
ItwasaCatholicservice,althoughDarnleyleftwhileMarystayedintheChapeltohearMass.
TheEarlofMorayandotherleadingnoblesroseinrebellionagainstMary’smarriagetoDarnley.The
ChaseaboutRaidendedwithMorayseekingrefugeinEngland.
Darnleywasyoung,tallandhandsomeandappearedtosharealotofcommoninterestswithMary.
WithinafewmonthsoftheirmarriageDarnleyshowedhisrealcharacter.
Darnleywasspoilt,jealousandarrogant.Hewouldratherspendhistimedrinkingintavernsthan
helpingMarygovernScotland.Darnleytriedtogainmoreroyalauthority,yetdespitehispersistent
asking,MaryrefusedtograntDarnleytheCrownMatrimonial.Thiswouldhaveentitledhimtoruleas
ajointSovereignratherthanasaKingConsort.HewouldalsobeabletoruleasKinginhisownright
intheeventofMary’sdeath.Darnley’sbehaviourangeredmanyoftheScottishnobles,hewasvery
unpopular.MaryandDarnley’smarriagebrokedownandMaryturnedtoherclosefriendsand
advisorsforsupport.
On9March1566Mary’sItalianpersonalsecretaryDavidRizziowasviciouslystabbedtodeathatthe
PalaceofHolyroodHouse.DarnleyheldMary,whowassixmonthspregnantatthetime,backas
armedProtestantnoblesmurderedRizzio.
On19June1566Marygavebirthtoason,James,atEdinburghCastle.Darnleywassummonedto
acknowledgethechildashis.
InDecember1566JameswasbaptizedatStirlingCastle.Darnleydidnotattendtheceremony.James’
godparentsincludedQueenElizabethI,althoughshedidnottravelinpersonbutsenta
representative.
DarnleywenttostayinGlasgowwherehefellillwithsmallpox(althoughitcouldalsohavebeen
symptomsofsyphilis).HewaslatervisitedbyMaryandpersuadedtoreturntoEdinburgh.On10
February1567atabout2amtherewasalargeexplosionatthehouseinKirkO’FieldswhereDarnley
wasstaying.Thetwenty-oneyearoldDarnleyandaservantwerefounddeadinagarden.Theydid
nothaveanymarksfromtheexplosiononthemandhadmostlikelybeensuffocatedorstrangled.
JamesHepburn,EarlofBothwellwasimplicatedinthemurder.Hewasacquittedafterabrieftrial.
Followingthebreakdownofhermarriage,BothwellhadbecomeacloseconfidentofMary.A
propagandacampaignwaslaunchedagainstMaryandBothwell.PosterswereputupinwhichMary
wasdepictedasamermaid,thesymbolforaprostitute.RumourswerespreadthatMaryhadplotted
withBothwelltomurderDarnley.
MarriagetoJamesHepburn,EarlofBothwell
BothwellwasaloyalsupporterofMaryQueenofScotsandhadmadeenemiesamongtheProtestant
Lords.Withindaysofhistrial,BothwellhadseveralnoblessigntheAinslieTavernBond,givingtheir
approvalforhimtomarryMary.
BothwellandhismenabductedMaryQueenofScots,therewererumoursthatshehadgonewillingly,
andtookhertoDunbarCastle.BothwellhadhismarriagetoLadyJeanGordonannulled.On15May
1567,threemonthsafterthedeathofDarnley,BothwellmarriedMaryQueenofScotsinaProtestant
serviceatHolyrood.
Mary’smarriagetoBothwellwasapoliticaldisaster.TheProtestantLords,includingherhalf-brother
theEarlofMoray,roseupagainsther.MaryandBothwellfledEdinburghtoraisetheirownarmy.
On15June1567thetwoarmiesmetatCarberryHillnearEdinburgh.Thetwosidesnegotiatedand
eventuallyMaryagreedtosurrendertotheProtestantLords.MarywastakenbacktoEdinburgh
beforebeingimprisonedinLochlevenCastle.
TheEarlofBothwellescapedandfledScotlandforScandinavia.Hewascapturedandimprisonedin
DragsholmCastlebytheKingofDenmark.Bothwellissaidtohavespenttherestofhislifechainedto
astonepillar.HewentinsaneanddiedinApril1578.
ImprisonmentinScotland
LochlevenCastlewasonanislandinthemiddleoftheLoch.Marywasimprisonedinthetowerhouse.
Shortlyafterherarrival,itisbelievedthatMarymiscarriedtwins.InJuly1567Marywasforcedto
abdicate.Her13montholdsonJameswascrownedJamesVIofScotlandinaProtestantceremonyat
Stirling.Mary’sillegitimatehalf-brother,theEarlofMoraywouldruleasRegent.
TheScottishnoblesweredivided.NotallsupportedMoray’sruleasRegent.On2May1568Mary
escapedfromLochlevenwiththehelpofGeorgeDouglasandLordSeton.Maryralliedhersupporters
andraisedanarmy.TheymetMoray’sarmyatLangside,nearGlasgow,on13May.Mary’sarmywas
defeatedandshefledtotheSolwayFirth.InsteadofsailingforFrance,Marychosetoseeksupport
fromhercousinQueenElizabethI.On16May1568,MaryQueenofScotslandedatWorkingtoninthe
northofEngland.
ImprisonmentinEngland
QueenElizabethandherministersdecidedtoholdaninquiryintoMary’sallegedroleinthedeathof
herhusbandLordDarnley.TheEarlofMoraypresentedtheCasketLettersasevidenceofMary’s
guilt.TheseunsignedlettersweresaidtohavebeenwrittenbyMarytoLordBothwell.Theyappeared
toshowthatMarywascomplicitintheplottomurderLordDarnley.Marydeclaredthemtobe
forgeries.
MaryputElizabethinadifficultposition.MarywashercousinandaSovereign,butshewasalsoa
RomanCatholicwithastrongclaimtotheEnglishthrone.TheConferenceofWestminsterfoundthat
therewasn’tenoughevidencetoproveMary’sguiltinDarnley’sdeath.Neitherhaditbeenprovedthat
theLordsoftheCongregationhadunjustlyrebelledagainstMary.MoraywouldreturntoScotland
andruleasRegent.MarywastoremaininEngland,effectivelyasaprisoner.
MarystillhadsupportersinScotland,whichwasinastateofcivilwar.TheScottishnobleshadsplit
intotwofactions,theQueen’sPartyandtheKing’sParty.TheEarlofMoraywasshotdeadinJanuary
1570whileridingthroughLinlithgow.TheEarlofLennox,LordDarnley’sfather,wasmadeRegentin
hisplace.HewaskilledwhentheQueen’sPartyattackedStirlinginSeptember1571.
ForalmostnineteenyearsMarywasmovedfromcastletocastleandkeptundersurveillance.While
imprisoned,MarywasthefocusofseveralRomanCatholicplotstoremoveElizabethfromthethrone.
Elizabeth’sministersdidnotthinkEnglandortheQueenwassafewhileMarystilllived.SirFrancis
Walsingham,Elizabeth’sspymaster,usedtheBabingtonPlottoentrapMaryQueenofScots.
TrialandExecutionofMaryQueenofScots
MaryQueenofScotswasarrestedinAugust1586.InOctoberMarywasputontrialatFotheringhay
Castle.ThelettersobtainedduringtheBabingtonPlotwereusedasevidencethatMarywascomplicit
inconspiringtoassassinateQueenElizabeth.Maryprotestedherinnocence,claimingalsothatshe
couldnotbeguiltyoftreasonasshewasnotanEnglishsubject.
Marywasfoundguiltyandsentencedtodeathbybeheading.QueenElizabethdelayedsigningher
deathwarrantuntil1February1587.
DespitebeingheldcaptiveinEnglandfornineteenyears,MaryQueenofScotsandQueenElizabeth
nevermetinperson.
‘InMyEndIsMyBeginning’
MaryQueenofScotswasexecutedinthegreathallofFotheringhayCastleon8February1587.She
wasforty-fouryearsold.
Atherexecution,Maryworeablackdresswitharedunder-gown.IntheRomanCatholicfaith,red
wassymbolicofmartyrdom.
MarywasburiedinPeterboroughCathedral.Herson,KingJamesVIofScotland,IofEnglandhadher
bodydisinterredandre-buriedinKingHenryVII'sChapelinWestminsterAbbey.