The Tragic Life of Mary Queen of Scots

Princess Mary Stuart was born at Linlithgow Place,France decided to withdraw their troops from
Linlithgow, Scotland in December 1542 to KingScotland and recognise Elizabeth as Queen of
James V of Scotland and his French wife Mary ofEngland, Mary refused to ratify this agreement.
Guise. The week old Mary became Queen ofShe returned to Scotland in 1561 but she
Scotland when her father died at the age of 30.tolerated the Protestant ascendancy. In 1565,
Things were moving rather swiftly for Mary,Mary married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.
when just six months old, the Treaties ofElizabeth felt threatened by the match as both
Greenwich promised Mary to be married towere claimants to the English throne, both being
Edward , son of King Henry VIII in 1552 and fordirect descendants of Margaret Tudor, the elder
their heirs to inherit the Kingdoms of Scotland andsister of Henry VIII. Following the birth of their
England. However, the Treaties of Greenwich fellson James in 1566, a plot was hatched to remove
apart, the agreement did not sit well with theDarnley and he was duly assassinated in February
Scots, Henry embarked on what has become1567. In April, 1567, Mary was abducted and
known as the ‘rough wooing’ designed toraped by James Hepburn, Fourth Earl of Bothwell,
ensure the agreement was met. He began raidingthey were married the following month according
Scottish territories, in May 1544, English forcesto Protestant rites. The Scottish nobility turned
arrived in the Firth of Forth intent on capturingagainst Mary, she was incarcerated and forced to
Edinburgh and kidnapping Mary, however she wasabdicate the Scottish throne in favour of her one
secretly hid at Stirling Castle. The French came toyear old son James. Mary escaped in 1568 and
the aid of the Scots, the King of France, Henry II,raised a small army but she was defeated at the
proposed to unite France and Scotland byBattle of Langside and fled to England, where she
marrying Mary to his three year old son, thewas immediately imprisoned and remained so for
Dauphin Francis. With her marriage agreementthe ensuing eighteen years. In 1586, Mary was
settled, the five year old Mary moved to Francetried for treason over her alleged involvement in
in 1548 to the French court. In 1558 she marriedthe Babington Plot to kill Elizabeth. She was found
the Dauphin Francis with him assuming the titleguilty and beheaded . She is interred along with
King consort of Scots. When Henry II died inElizabeth in Westminster Abbey. Mary’s son
1559, Mary, Queen of Scots, became QueenJames married Anne of Denmark in 1589, they
consort of France, her husband becoming Francishad many children but only three survived -
II of France. Mary was next in line to the EnglishCharles I of England; Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia
throne after her father’s cousin Queenand Frederick, Prince of Wales. Her grand-children
Elizabeth I who was childless.included Charles II of England and James II of
When Mary’s husband, Francois died in 1560,England.