France recognised Elizabeth's right to rule England, but the seventeen-year-old Mary, still in France and grieving for her mother, refused to ratify the treaty. By the 1580s, she had severe rheumatism in her limbs, rendering her lame. Pope Gregory XIII endorsed one plan in the latter half of the 1570s to marry her to the governor of the Low Countries and illegitimate half-brother of Philip II of Spain, John of Austria, who was supposed to organise the invasion of England from the Spanish Netherlands. Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Mary Stuart, was born into conflict. They claimed Riccio had undue influence over her foreign policy but, in reality, they probably meant to cause Mary, from watching this horrific crime, to suffer a miscarriage, thus losing her child and her own life as well since one usually meant the other in the 16th century. Mary was born on 8 December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland, to King James V and his French second wife, Mary of Guise. [100], Before long, Darnley grew arrogant. [214], She was convicted on 25 October and sentenced to death with only one commissioner, Lord Zouche, expressing any form of dissent. If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content. . Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 - 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart [3] or Mary I of Scotland, [4] was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. Mary certainly believed that Darnley, angry because she had denied him the crown matrimonial, wanted to kill her and the child, thus becoming King of Scots. Mary Queen of Scots was married three times, to: Francis II of France (1558-1560) Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (1565-1567) Under the Third Succession Act, passed in 1543 by the Parliament of England, Elizabeth was recognised as her sister's heir, and Henry VIII's last will and testament had excluded the Stuarts from succeeding to the English throne. At the end of that month, July 1567, James was crowned king and James Stewart, the Earl of Moray, Marys half-brother, became Regent. [216], Elizabeth asked Paulet, Mary's final custodian, if he would contrive a clandestine way to "shorten the life" of Mary, which he refused to do on the grounds that he would not make "a shipwreck of my conscience, or leave so great a blot on my poor posterity". The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland, Mary was six days old when her father died and she inherited the throne. Many nobles were implicated in the murder of Lord Darnley, most particularly James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell. Registration now open. Link will appear as Hanson, Marilee. Elizabeth forbade her attendance anyway. [151] A commission of inquiry, or conference, as it was known, was held in York and later Westminster between October 1568 and January 1569. Regardless of whether sexual attraction, love or faith in Bothwell as her protector against the feuding Scottish lords guided Marys decision, her alignment with him cemented her downfall. Many of her other descendants, including Elizabeth of Bohemia, Prince Rupert of the Rhine and the children of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, were interred in her vault. For the list of documents see, for example. She was said to have been born prematurely and was the only legitimate child of James to survive him. [248] There is no concrete proof of her complicity in Darnley's murder or of a conspiracy with Bothwell. [143] Managing to raise an army of 6,000 men, she met Moray's smaller forces at the Battle of Langside on 13 May. [72] In this, she was acknowledging her lack of effective military power in the face of the Protestant lords, while also following a policy that strengthened her links with England. They sent him to France ostensibly to extend their condolences, while hoping for a potential match between their son and Mary. As she told Elizabeths ambassador soon before her July 1565 wedding to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, not to marry, you know it cannot be for me. Darnley, Marys first cousin through her paternal grandmother, proved to be a highly unsuitable match, displaying a greed for power that culminated in his orchestration of the March 9, 1566, murder of the queens secretary, David Rizzio. [70] Her privy council of 16 men, appointed on 6 September 1561, retained those who already held the offices of state. [111] The cause of her illness is unknown. December 14 2018 5:26 PM EST. After Riccios death, the nobles kept Mary prisoner at Holyrood Palace. [80] The proposal came to nothing, not least because the intended bridegroom was unwilling. However, this newfound love turned dark quickly, and Marys initial happiness soon faded. The castle was the site of the birth of King James VI, also James I of England from 1603, to Mary Queen of Scots in 1566. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine [87] They married at Holyrood Palace on 29 July 1565, even though both were Catholic and a papal dispensation for the marriage of first cousins had not been obtained. [103] On 9 March, a group of the conspirators accompanied by Darnley murdered Rizzio in front of the pregnant Mary at a dinner party in Holyrood Palace. She became queen at 6 days old. [39] Mary's maternal grandmother, Antoinette de Bourbon, was another strong influence on her childhood[40] and acted as one of her principal advisors. Bastardized following the 1536 execution of her mother, Anne Boleyn, she spent her childhood at the mercy of the changing whims of her father, Henry VIII. [59], King Francis II died on 5 December 1560 of a middle ear infection that led to an abscess in his brain. In October, she was put on trial for treason under the Act for the Queen's Safety before a court of 36 noblemen,[209] including Cecil, Shrewsbury, and Walsingham. Mary Queen of Scots picks up in 1561 with the eponymous queen's return to her native country. Francis and Mary knew each since before they married Mary grew up in the French royal court after her father, King James V of Scotland died when she was only 5 days old. She assumed the throne as queen of Scotland when she was just six days old, upon the death of her father. Why Mary wed Darnley remains a mystery. Such accusations rest on assumptions,[249] and Buchanan's biography is today discredited as "almost complete fantasy". For nineteen years she was kept under lock and key until she was finally executed in 1587 for conspiring against Elizabeth. [222] The scaffold that was erected in the Great Hall was draped in black cloth. [221] She spent the last hours of her life in prayer, distributing her belongings to her household, and writing her will and a letter to the King of France. [246], Historian Jenny Wormald concluded that Mary was a tragic failure, who was unable to cope with the demands placed on her,[247] but hers was a rare dissenting view in a post-Fraser tradition that Mary was a pawn in the hands of scheming noblemen. This decision proved to be disastrous, since Mary was soon a prisoner of the queen and would spend the next nineteen years as Elizabeths prisoner, before she was executed for plotting against the queen on 8 February 1587 at Fotheringay Castle. At the same time, she prevented herself from producing an heir, effectively ending the Tudor dynasty after just three generations. The sensational life of Mary Stuart is on the . [10], Mary was christened at the nearby Church of St Michael shortly after she was born. [195], In 1571, Cecil and Walsingham (at that time England's ambassador to France) uncovered the Ridolfi Plot, a plan to replace Elizabeth with Mary with the help of Spanish troops and the Duke of Norfolk. They took temporary refuge in Dunbar Castle before returning to Edinburgh on 18 March. [159] The chair of the commission of inquiry, the Duke of Norfolk, described them as horrible letters and diverse fond ballads. The versions of Mary and Elizabeth created by Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie may reinforce some of the popular misconceptions surrounding the twin queensincluding the oversimplified notion that they either hated or loved each other, and followed a direct path from friendship to arch rivalrybut they promise to present a thoroughly contemporary twist on an all-too-familiar tale of women bombarded by men who believe they know better. The early years of her personal rule were marked by pragmatism, tolerance, and moderation. On 9 February 1567, Darnley was found dead outside a dwelling in Kirk oField, Edinburgh, following an explosion. She also offered to join an offensive league against France. [120] Mary visited him daily, so that it appeared a reconciliation was in progress. [152] In Scotland, her supporters fought a civil war against Regent Moray and his successors. English troops then intervened in the Scottish civil war, consolidating the power of the anti-Marian forces. Bothwell fled to Denmark, where he died in captivity 11 years later. During her son's minority, she played a key role in the conflict between the pro-French and pro-English factions in Scotland, constantly shifting her allegiances to suit her financial interests. [226] As she disrobed Mary smiled and said she "never had such grooms before nor ever put off her clothes before such a company". Josie Rourkes film sees Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie transform from allies into rivals, but in actuality, the queens relationship was far more complex. [64], As a devout Catholic, she was regarded with suspicion by many of her subjects, as well as by the Queen of England. Mary's father, James V, King of Scotland died on 14 December 1542 following the Battle of Solway Moss. [132] Bothwell and his first wife, Jean Gordon, who was the sister of Lord Huntly, had divorced twelve days previously. [134] The marriage was tempestuous, and Mary became despondent. [136] Bothwell was given safe passage from the field. Mary's illegitimate half-brother, the Earl of Moray, was a leader of the Protestants. Not content with his position as king consort, he demanded the Crown Matrimonial, which would have made him a co-sovereign of Scotland with the right to keep the Scottish throne for himself, if he outlived his wife. [55], In Scotland, the power of the Protestant Lords of the Congregation was rising at the expense of Mary's mother, who maintained effective control only through the use of French troops. [250] Mary's courage at her execution helped establish her popular image as the heroic victim in a dramatic tragedy.[251]. [71], Modern historian Jenny Wormald found this remarkable and suggested that Mary's failure to appoint a council sympathetic to Catholic and French interests was an indication of her focus on the English throne, over the internal problems of Scotland. Abduction: 24 April 1567 [68], To the surprise and dismay of the Catholic party, Mary tolerated the newly established Protestant ascendancy,[69] and kept her half-brother Moray as her chief advisor. [114], At Craigmillar Castle, near Edinburgh, at the end of November 1566, Mary and leading nobles held a meeting to discuss the "problem of Darnley". On 24 July 1567, she was forced to abdicate in favour of her one-year-old son. [133], Originally, Mary believed that many nobles supported her marriage, but relations quickly soured between the newly elevated Bothwell (created Duke of Orkney) and his former peers and the marriage proved to be deeply unpopular. Kristen Post Walton outlines a middle ground between these extremes, noting that Marys Catholic faith and gender worked against her throughout her reign. One of the most shocking scenes in the upcoming Mary Queen of Scots movie comes when Mary Stuart, played by Saoirse Ronan, walks in on her husband Henry . Among them was the Duke of Norfolk,[172] who secretly conspired to marry Mary in the course of the commission, although he denied it when Elizabeth alluded to his marriage plans, saying "he meant never to marry with a person, where he could not be sure of his pillow". Mary married Francis in 1558, becoming queen consort of France from his accession in 1559 until his death in December 1560. [174] Elizabeth, as she had wished, concluded the inquiry with a verdict that nothing was proven against either the confederate lords or Mary. 24 Apr 1558. A Protestant husband for Mary seemed the best chance for stability. The wedding took place on 29 July 1565 in the chapel of Holyrood Palace. Unfortunately, this choice turned out to be very poorly thought out; instead of safety, Mary became a prisoner of her cousin the queen. [78] Elizabeth attempted to neutralise Mary by suggesting that she marry English Protestant Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. [82] In early 1563, he was discovered during a security search hidden underneath her bed, apparently planning to surprise her when she was alone and declare his love for her. Historian Jenny Wormald believes this reluctance on the part of the Scots to produce the letters and their destruction in 1584, whatever their content, constitute proof that they contained real evidence against Mary. Although each of these marriages was short-lived, every one of these unions made an impact on Scottish history. It was reached by two or three steps, and furnished with the block, a cushion for her to kneel on, and three stools for her and the earls of Shrewsbury and Kent, who were there to witness the execution. In the immediate aftermath of Darnleys murder, he met with Mary about six miles outside of Edinburgh. [181] Elizabeth considered Mary's designs on the English throne to be a serious threat and so confined her to Shrewsbury's properties, including Tutbury, Sheffield Castle, Sheffield Manor Lodge, Wingfield Manor, and Chatsworth House,[182] all located in the interior of England, halfway between Scotland and London and distant from the sea. 1559 - 1560. [35] When Lady Fleming left France in 1551, she was succeeded by a French governess, Franoise de Paroy. Margaret Tudor, (born November 29, 1489, Londondied October 18, 1541, Methven, Perth, Scotland), wife of King James IV of Scotland, mother of James V, and elder daughter of King Henry VII of England. Instead, Elizabeth placed Maryan anointed monarch over whom she had no real jurisdictionunder de facto house arrest, consigning her to 18 years of imprisonment under what can only be described as legally grey circumstances. There was never any intention to proceed judicially; the conference was intended as a political exercise. James Feder. [234] Davison was arrested, thrown into the Tower of London, and found guilty of misprision. Potential diagnoses include physical exhaustion and mental stress,[112] haemorrhage of a gastric ulcer,[113] and porphyria. Her only condition was the immediate alleviation of the conditions of her captivity. Vivacious, beautiful, and clever (according to contemporary accounts), Mary had a promising childhood. Not only were the two absolute rulers in a patriarchal society, but they were also women whose lives, while seemingly inextricable, amounted to more than their either their relationships with men or their rivalry with each other. Terms of Use Did you know that Mary Queen of Scots had three husbands? [65] Scotland was torn between Catholic and Protestant factions. Instead, its more likely the queens attitudes toward each other were dictated largely by changing circumstance. [124][125] Bothwell, Moray, Secretary Maitland, the Earl of Morton and Mary herself were among those who came under suspicion. (Francis younger brother, Charles IX, became king of France at just 10 years old with his mother, Catherine de Medici, acting as regent. The French fleet sent by Henry II, commanded by Nicolas de Villegagnon, sailed with Mary from Dumbarton on 7 August 1548 and arrived a week or more later at Roscoff or Saint-Pol-de-Lon in Brittany.[33]. Despite these concerns, Elizabeth certainly considered the possibility of naming Mary her heir. At the height of her power, she juggled proposals from foreign rulers and subjects alike, always prevaricating rather than revealing the true nature of her intentions. According to Janet Dickinson of Oxford University, any in-person encounter between the Scottish and English queens wouldve raised the question of precedence, forcing Elizabeth to declare whether Mary was her heir or not. [83] Maitland claimed that Chastelard's ardour was feigned and that he was part of a Huguenot plot to discredit Mary by tarnishing her reputation.[84]. After Francis' death, she married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. [97] In what became known as the Chaseabout Raid, Mary with her forces and Moray with the rebellious lords roamed around Scotland without ever engaging in direct combat. The murder 25 years later of Henry Lord Darnley, her consort and the father of the infant who would become King James I of England and James VI of Scotland, remains one of history's most notorious unsolved crimes. [47][48], In November 1558, Henry VIII's elder daughter, Mary I of England, was succeeded by her only surviving sibling, Elizabeth I. [208], Mary was moved to Fotheringhay Castle in a four-day journey ending on 25 September. Her husband, Francois II, King of France had died unexpectedly, and . For myself, I beg you to believe that I would not harbour such a thought. [30] In February 1548, Mary was moved, again for her safety, to Dumbarton Castle. [197] Plots centred on Mary continued. The nobles demanded that Mary abandon Bothwell, whom they had earlier ordered her to wed. She refused and reminded them of their earlier order. In her lifetime, Mary married three times her final husband causing her downfall. [16][17] The treaty provided that the two countries would remain legally separate and, if the couple should fail to have children, the temporary union would dissolve. On 24 April 1567, Bothwell, with a force of 800 men, kidnapped Mary whilst she was riding between Linlithgow and Edinburgh. [56] In early 1560, the Protestant Lords invited English troops into Scotland in an attempt to secure Protestantism. Darnley was found dead in the garden, apparently smothered. 3 Francis II [57] Instead, the Guise brothers sent ambassadors to negotiate a settlement. So she consented to wed Bothwell, hoping that this would finally stabilize the country. According to most contemporaries, they were close and affectionate with one another even as children. [Marys] failures are dictated more by her situation than by her as a ruler, she says, and I think if she had been a man, she would've been able to be much more successful and would never have lost the throne.. All were said to have been found in a silver-gilt casket just less than one foot (30cm) long and decorated with the monogram of King Francis II. As a great-granddaughter of Henry VII of England, Mary had once claimed Elizabeth's throne as her own and was considered the legitimate sovereign of England by many English Catholics, including participants in a rebellion known as the Rising of the North. Mary's life and subsequent execution established her in popular culture as a romanticised historical character. They were Mary Fleming, Mary Seton, Mary Beaton and Mary Livingstone. Mary would go back to claim her throne in Scotland, leaving Charles Franciss younger brother who was only 10 years old at the time-to inherit his brothers title and position as king. At the same time, Post Walton says, the fact that the cousins never stood face-to-face precludes the possibility of the intensely personal dynamic often projected onto them; after all, its difficult to maintain strong feelings about someone known only through letters and intermediaries. Mary Queen of Scots picks up in 1561 with the eponymous queens return to her native country. [52], When Henry II died on 10 July 1559, from injuries sustained in a joust, fifteen-year-old Francis and sixteen-year-old Mary became king and queen of France. From the beginning, her life was mired in struggle as she grappled with the demands of the Scottish throne and the deaths of several husbands. Her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I held her. Mary had one ally leftor so she thought. [36] At the French court, she was a favourite with everyone, except Henry II's wife Catherine de' Medici. The daughter of King Henry VIII and the Spanish princess Catherine . [147], Mary apparently expected Elizabeth to help her regain her throne. [231] Items supposedly worn or carried by Mary at her execution are of doubtful provenance;[232] contemporary accounts state that all her clothing, the block, and everything touched by her blood was burnt in the fireplace of the Great Hall to obstruct relic hunters. [85] Both Mary and Darnley were grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII of England, and patrilineal descendants of the High Stewards of Scotland. At that moment, the auburn tresses in his hand turned out to be a wig and the head fell to the ground, revealing that Mary had very short, grey hair. Sketch of Mary, queen of Scots, age 12 or 13, by Clouet. [229] Cecil's nephew, who was present at the execution, reported to his uncle that after her death, "Her lips stirred up and down a quarter of an hour after her head was cut off" and that a small dog owned by the queen emerged from hiding among her skirts[230]though eye-witness Emanuel Tomascon does not include those details in his "exhaustive report". By running to England, Mary hoped Elizabeth I would protect her from harm. explains, Marys story is one of murder, sex, pathos, religion and unsuitable lovers. Add in the Scottish queens rivalry with Elizabeth, as well as her untimely end, and she transforms into the archetypal tragic heroine. Following an uprising against the couple, Mary was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle.
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