Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots is one of Scotland’s most well known monarchs, famed for her tragic life and falling foul of the Machiavellian politics of the Elizabethan era in Britain.

Mary Queen of Scots always seemed to be on the wrong side of the political agenda in both Scotland and England. Her life is outlined in the many places and visitor attractions in Scotland associated this tragic heroine of Scottish history.

Right from her infancy Mary’s life was a turbulent one. Born at Linlithgow Palace on December 8, 1542, Mary became Queen of Scotland, when her father James V of Scotland died shortly after her birth. Seeing an opportunity to seize control of Scotland, Henry the VIII of England, immediately pressurised the Scottish court to marry Mary off to his son, Edward, still himself a young boy.

To press his claim Henry sent his army to Scotland on a campaign known ironically as the ‘Rough Wooing’. During this time the Scots suffered heavy defeats and Mary was placed in hiding at Inchmahome Priory, on a lake isle in the Trossachs, before escaping to France.

Under the protection of the King of France, Mary was educated at the French court. At the age of 16 Mary was married to the French King’s son, Francis, who shortly after succeed to the throne. Mary was now Queen Consort of France as well as Queen of Scotland. Mary was also next in line to the throne of England, as the childless Queen Elizabeth was her first cousin.

However tragedy was to strike Mary’s life when her husband died just two years into their marriage, a fate that would repeat itself throughout Mary’s short life. A widow at 18, Mary returned to Scotland, to find her royal court in turmoil. The Scottish nobles were locked in bitter feuds with each other and regarded Mary, a Catholic, suspiciously. At the same time Scotland was undergoing a reformation, led by fanatical Protestant John Knox who deeply detested the Catholic Queen.

The political situation was to worsen, with Mary’s decision to marry Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, a descendant of King Henry VII of England and a leading Catholic in both the Scottish and English courts. A group of protestant nobles led by the Earl of Moray rebelled against the Queen but were defeated. However this failed to increase Darnley’s popularity or dispel the plotters.

An arrogant and ambitious man, Darnley demanded the power that his marriage to the Queen would imply. He was also jealous and possessive over Mary, and in a fit of jealous rage, Darnley killed her private secretary David Rizzio in the Palace of Holyroodhouse as Mary, who was pregnant with his child, looked on horrified. The marriage broke down, shortly after Mary gave birth to James VI of Scotland (who would later become James I of England). A plot was hatched to murder Darnley, allegedly by Mary and her lover the Earl of Bothwell, whom she married soon after Darnley was killed. The nobles again turned against their Queen and this time successfully deposed her in favour of her one-year-old son James.

Mary was imprisoned at Loch Leven Castle for a year before managing to escape to England. But she was far from welcomed by her cousin Queen Elizabeth, who first imprisoned her at Carlisle Castle, that at Sheffield Castle, where her ghost is said to haunt the building. As an heir to the English throne and a key figure for Catholics, Mary was a threat to Elizabeth and was imprisoned for many years before the English Queen finally had Mary Queen of Scots executed on charges of treason in 1587. Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle, aged 44.