Mary, Queen of Scots (1542 - 1587)

Portrait of Mary Queen of Scots ©

Mary was born in December 1542 in Linlithgow Palace, the only child of James V of Scotland and his French wife, Mary of Guise. Her father's death soon after she was born left her queen. She was initially betrothed to Henry VIII's son but the Scottish parliament broke the agreement and Henry ordered a series of savage raids into Scotland known as 'The Rough Wooing'. Mary was sent to France and raised at the court of Henry II; in April 1558 she was married to Francis, Henry's son. Francis became king in 1559 but died the next year. A widow at 18, Mary returned to Scotland where she faced many challenges. As a Roman Catholic she was regarded with suspicion by her Protestant subjects. However, she accepted the Protestant-led government and initially ruled with moderation.

In 1565, Mary married her cousin the Earl of Darnley. Their relationship quickly soured, particularly after the murder in March 1566 of Mary's secretary, David Rizzio, by Darnley and a group of nobles. Darnley and Mary's son James was born in June 1566 but this did not improve their relationship. In February 1567, the house where Darnley was staying blew up and he was killed. Three months later, Mary married the Earl of Bothwell, chief suspect in Darnley's murder.

This turned the Scottish nobility against Mary. Bothwell was exiled and Mary forced to abdicate in July 1567. In 1568, her supporters were defeated in battle and she fled to England seeking refuge from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth. Mary had a strong claim to the English throne and therefore posed a threat to Elizabeth, who had her imprisoned. Over the next 19 years, she became the focus of numerous plots which aimed to kill Elizabeth and put Mary on the English throne. The discovery in 1586 of the Babington plot convinced Elizabeth that, while she lived, Mary would always be a danger. Mary was tried and condemned to death in October 1586. Elizabeth prevaricated over signing the death warrant but eventually relented and Mary was executed on 8 February 1587. Her son James was to succeed Elizabeth in 1603.