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Mary The Queen of Scots

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Prepared by a second-year student

of the faculty of foreign philology
Zavodovska Alina
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Mary | Stuart

 Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December

1542 – 8 February 1587), also
known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of
Scotland, was Queen of Scotland
from 14 December 1542 until her
overthrow in 1567, as well as Queen
of France from 1559 to 1560 and a
contender for the English throne.
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Life in France
Mary, the only surviving legitimate child of King
James V of Scotland, was six days old when her
father died and she acceded to the throne. She
spent most of her childhood in France while
Scotland was ruled by regents, and in 1558, she
married the Dauphin of France, Francis. Mary was
queen consort of France from his accession in
1559 until his death in December 1560. Widowed,
Mary returned to Scotland, arriving in Leith on 19
August 1561. Four years later, she married her
half-cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and in
June 1566 they had a son, James.
 Candidate for the English throne
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. Perceiving
Mary as a threat, Elizabeth had her confined in
various castles and manor houses in the
interior of England. After eighteen and a half
years in custody, Mary was found guilty of
plotting to assassinate Elizabeth in 1586, and
was beheaded the following year at
Fotheringhay Castle. Mary's life, marriages,
lineage, alleged involvement in plots against
Elizabeth, and subsequent execution
established her as a divisive and highly
romanticised historical character, depicted in
culture for centuries.
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Return to Scotland
• King Francis II died on 5 December 1560. Mary was grief-stricken. Her mother-in-law, Catherine de'
Medici, became regent for the late king's ten-year-old brother Charles IX, who inherited the French throne.
Mary returned to Scotland nine months later.
• Scotland was torn between Catholic and Protestant factions. Mary's illegitimate half-brother, the Earl of
Moray, was a leader of the Protestants. To the surprise and dismay of the Catholic party, Mary tolerated
the newly established Protestant ascendancy, and kept her half-brother Moray as her chief advisor.
• Foreign policy was a serious problem. The leaders of the Scottish government of Morea and Maitland
were staunch supporters of Anglo-Scottish rapprochement. Queen Mary herself refused to recognize
Elizabeth I as Queen of England, hoping to exercise her rights to the English throne. A compromise could
have been possible on the condition that Mary relinquish her claim to the crown during Elizabeth's
lifetime in exchange for recognition as her heiress to the Queen of England. However, neither Mary,
driven by self-confident hopes, nor Elizabeth, not ready to resolve the issue of inheritance, did not want to
go closer.
• At the same time, the question of the new marriage of Queen Mary arose. There were many contenders for
it among European monarchs (kings of France, Sweden, Denmark, the Archduke of Austria). Don Carlos,
the son of King Philip II of Spain, has long been considered the most likely bridegroom. Negotiations on
this union worried England: Elizabeth I even offered to recognize Mary as her heiress for refusing a
Spanish marriage. However, by the end of 1563, it became clear that Don Carlos was mentally insane, and
this project failed. Elizabeth, for her part, offered her hand to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, her
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Second marriage and the murder of
Ricci
• In 1565, the Queen's cousin arrived in Scotland - nineteen-year-old
Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, son of the Earl of Lennox and a maternal
descendant of King Henry VII of England - a tall, handsome young
man. Mary Stuart fell in love with him from the first meeting and
married him on July 29, 1565, to the greater displeasure of Elizabeth I.
This marriage not only meant a break with England, but also pushed
away from the queen of her former allies - Morea and Maitland. In
August 1565, Moray tried to revolt, but Mary Stuart immediately
attacked the rebel and forced him to flee to England.

• On March 9, 1566, in the presence of the pregnant queen, opposition

leaders brutally assassinated David Ricci, one of Mary Stuart's closest
friends, favorite and personal secretary. Probably, by this crime the
conspirators wanted, having created a threat to the life of the queen, to
force her to make concessions. However, Maria's effective actions again
thwarted the opposition's plans: the queen demonstratively reconciled
with her husband and Morey, which caused a split in the ranks of
conspirators, and decisively dealt with the perpetrators of the murder.
Morton and his associates fled to England.
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The assassination of Darnley and the
overthrow of the queen
• Mary Stewart's reconciliation with her husband was short-lived. Her sympathy for James Hepburn, Earl of
Botwell, soon became apparent, in stark contrast to Darnley's strength, courage, and determination. The
break between the queen and the king became a fait accompli: Darnley even refused to attend the baptism of
their child, the future King James VI, who was born on June 19, 1566. Mary Stewart's policy was
increasingly determined by her feelings, especially her passion for Botwell. Darnley became an obstacle that
had to be overcome.
• On February 10, 1567, under secret circumstances, a house exploded in Kirk-o'Field, a suburb of Edinburgh,
where Darnley stayed, and he himself was found dead in the yard, apparently stabbed while trying to escape
from a burning house. The question of Mary Stewart's involvement in the assassination of her husband is
one of the most controversial in Scottish history. Apparently, the Earl of Morea and Maitland at least knew
about the planned crime, and possibly participated themselves.
• However, whoever was the real killer of Darnley, at least the indirect blame for this crime was placed on
Scottish public opinion by the Queen as an unfaithful wife. Mary Stewart did nothing to prove her
innocence. On the contrary, on May 15, 1567, Mary and Count Botwell were married in Holyrood. This
marriage to the king's alleged assassin deprived Mary Stewart of any support in the country, which was
immediately taken advantage of by Protestant lords and Morea supporters.
• Mary Stuart was forced to surrender, having previously secured the unimpeded departure of Botwell, and
was transferred by the rebels to Lochleven Castle, where on July 24 she signed her abdication in favor of her
son James VI. Count Morey was appointed regent of the country when the king was a minor.
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The trial and execution of Mary
Failure in Scotland did not break the queen. She still remained a contender for
the English throne, refusing to relinquish her rights, which could not help but
disturb Elizabeth I. In England, Mary was under supervision in Sheffield
Castle.
Mary did not cease to intrigue against Elizabeth I, establishing secret
correspondence with European powers, but she did not take a real part in the
uprisings against the Queen of England. However, the name of Mary Stuart,
the legitimate great-granddaughter of King Henry VII of England, was
actively used by conspirators against Elizabeth I.
Mary Stuart was involved in a careless correspondence with Anthony
Babington, an agent of the Catholic forces, in which she supported the idea of ​
a conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth I. However, the conspiracy was
uncovered and the correspondence fell into the hands of the Queen of
England. Mary Stewart appeared in court and was sentenced to death. On
February 8, 1587, Mary Stuart was beheaded at Fotheringay Castle.
The Queen was buried in Peterborough Cathedral, and in 1612, by order of her
son James, who became King of England after the death of Elizabeth I, the
remains of Mary Stuart were moved to Westminster Abbey, where they were
buried next to the tomb of her eternal rival Queen Elizabeth.
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