Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots: My Royal Cousin and Her Extraordinary Life

No story about the Tudor dynasty and my royal cousins would be complete without Mary Stuart (or Stewart), Queen of Scots, my paternal 4th cousin, 14 times removed. I am related to Mary through my paternal grandfather’s family, though there may also be a connection through my paternal grandmother’s line that I have yet to confirm.

Mary Stuart was born on December 8, 1542, at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland, the daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise. Her father, King James, was the son of Margaret Tudor, the elder sister of King Henry VIII of England.

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Early Life and Ascension to the Scottish Throne

Tragically, Mary’s father died just six days after her birth. As his only legitimate heir, Mary became Queen of Scotland as an infant. Too young to rule, her reign was overseen by regents. Her great-uncle, King Henry VIII, attempted to unite Scotland and England by proposing Mary’s marriage to his son, Prince Edward, with the marriage contract signed when Mary was only six months old. The treaty stipulated she would marry Edward at age 10 and move to England under Henry’s supervision.

However, the plan was unpopular in Scotland, especially among her Catholic supporters, who preferred an alliance with France, another Catholic nation. To protect Mary from potential English threats, her regents moved her and her mother to Stirling Castle, where she was crowned Queen of Scotland on September 9, 1543, less than a year old.

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French Alliance and Life at the French Court

Tensions between Scotland and England continued, and Scottish Parliament rejected Henry VIII’s marriage treaty, favoring France instead. The French King, Henry II, proposed Mary marry his three-year-old son, Francis, in exchange for military support and a dukedom for Mary’s regent. By August 7, 1548, five-year-old Mary sailed to France, beginning a 13-year upbringing at the French court.

At the French court, Mary became renowned for her intelligence, beauty, and charm, though she occasionally clashed with Catherine de Medici, Francis’s mother. Mary mastered French, Latin, Italian, Spanish, and Greek, and excelled in prose, poetry, horsemanship, falconry, and needlework.

Mary and Francis married on April 24, 1558, at Notre Dame in Paris, making Francis King Consort of Scotland. Soon after, Queen Mary I of England died, succeeded by her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth I. Mary, a devout Catholic, had a strong claim to the English throne through her grandmother, Margaret Tudor, which created lifelong tension with Elizabeth.

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Queen of France and Scotland

When King Henry II of France died on June 10, 1559, 16-year-old Mary became Queen of France alongside Francis. Meanwhile, Scotland faced religious upheaval, with Protestant factions gaining power. The Treaty of Edinburgh (1560) called for the withdrawal of French and English troops from Scotland, but Mary never ratified it, likely because it acknowledged Elizabeth I as the undisputed English queen.

After Francis’s death in December 1560, Mary returned to Scotland on August 19, 1561, facing a nation where Protestantism was growing and political intrigue was rampant. Despite being Catholic, she worked to accommodate Protestant nobles, shaping her privy council mostly with Protestant advisors.

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Marriage to Lord Darnley

Mary sought to strengthen her claim to the English throne through marriage. She initially considered European royals, including Archduke Charles of Austria and Don Carlos of Spain, but negotiations failed. Queen Elizabeth I even proposed an English suitor, Robert Dudley, but the plan faltered.

Mary eventually married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, a fellow Stuart cousin, on July 29, 1565. The marriage caused outrage among Scottish Protestant lords and Elizabeth I, who feared that their union would solidify Mary’s claim to the English throne.

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Political Intrigue and Darnley’s Murder

Mary’s marriage quickly deteriorated. Darnley became power-hungry and demanded the Scottish crown, which Mary refused. Tensions escalated after Darnley murdered David Rizzo, Mary’s secretary, in front of her while she was pregnant with the future King James VI of Scotland.

James was born on June 19, 1566, but Mary’s relationship with Darnley continued to crumble. In early 1567, Darnley was murdered in a suspicious explosion, with James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, accused of orchestrating the murder.

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Marriage to Bothwell and Imprisonment

In a controversial move, Mary married Bothwell on May 15, 1567, causing widespread outrage among Scottish nobles and Catholics alike. Shortly after, Mary was captured by rebellious lords at Carberry Hill and imprisoned at Loch Leven Castle, where she miscarried twins and was forced to abdicate in favor of her son, James VI.

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Escape, Defeat, and Custody in England

Mary escaped Loch Leven in May 1568 and raised an army of 6,000 men but was defeated at the Battle of Langside. She fled to England, hoping for protection from Elizabeth I but was instead placed in custody at Carlisle Castle, later moved to Bolton Castle. Despite being under house arrest, she lived in relative comfort with a sizable staff.

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The Babington Plot and Execution

Mary remained a focus of Catholic plots to dethrone Elizabeth I, including the Babington Plot (1586), which aimed to assassinate Elizabeth and place Mary on the English throne. Evidence suggested Mary sanctioned the plot, leading to her trial under the Queen’s Safety Act.

Convicted of treason, Mary was executed on February 8, 1587, at Fotheringhay Castle. The execution was gruesome, requiring three swings of the axe to sever her head, which was mistakenly held by a wig during the ceremony. Elizabeth I, though furious that her Privy Council had acted without authorization, allowed the sentence to stand.

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Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary Stuart’s life was a tale of political intrigue, religious conflict, and personal tragedy. Her tumultuous marriages, relentless pursuit of the English throne, and eventual execution cemented her as one of history’s most fascinating monarchs. Whether she was the author of her own destiny or a pawn in the struggles of powerful nations remains a matter of historical debate.