Mary queen of scots full biography summary

They were always attended to by a retinue of servants and, even then, Mary had developed a fondness for animals, especially dogs, which was to continue throughout her life. Mary was also educated in the traditional manner of French princesses; she spoke French and learned Latin, Italian, Spanish and a little Greek. She learned to dance, sing, play the lute as well as converse on religious matters.

Her religious tutor was the prior of Inchmahome, a Scottish priest. When she was seven, her mother came to France to visit her; when Mary of Guise returned to Scotland, neither realized that they would never see each other again. By the age of eleven, Mary was deemed to be as intelligent and well-spoken as a woman of twenty-five by her doting father-in-law.

It is worth noting that the Guise family regarded Mary as one of their own; not only was betrothed to the heir to the throne but her mother was a Guise as well. Her uncle, Cardinal Guise, taught her about statecraft, perhaps encouraging her natural feelings of clemency and mercy. In fact, Mary was to be remarkably free from bigotry during her short reign in Scotland, even towards her subjects of a different religion.

Exceptionally tall for a woman in the 16th century, Mary was every inch the regal Queen; she had an oval face, shapely chin, and small mouth which were set off by her golden-red hair, her large forehead, and hazel eyes. Mary was not always in the best of health but, unlike her husband, there were no immediate concerns for her life.

In his opinion — and that of most of Catholic Europe — Mary of Scotland was the next heir to the English throne. Elizabeth I never forgot this first offense and never rested easily while her Catholic relative was alive. InHenry II of France, died at the age of Mary and her husband were crowned Queen and King of France. And just six months later, her young husband also died of an ear infection.

Mary was understandably devastated by this chain of tragic events. She wrote a poem, in French, about her grief at his death; this is a translation of one verse:. What was Mary to do next?

Mary queen of scots full biography summary: Mary, Queen of Scots is

She left for Scotland, a land rife with religious and civil discord. Without waiting for a safe-conduct pass from Elizabeth, whose ships were patrolling her route, Mary set out for Scotland on 14 August and, five days later, reached Leith, the port of Edinburgh. Learn more about the husbands of Mary Queen of Scots. Mary knew very well that she was succeeding to a most troubled heritage.

But after her recent years of loss and grief, she was determined to make a bright future. In this, she resembled her cousin Elizabeth I. The Scots received their new queen with great joy and celebration. At once, she began to try and help them; within a year of her arrival, one-sixth of all Church benefices was given to the Protestant ministers to relieve their poverty.

Of course, such a strategy would lead to more peace and stability within the realm. As a result, she was popular with the common people but not the nobility; she played croquet, golfed, went for hunts and archery practice, sung, danced, and, in general, showed an admirable zest for life. Inthe fourth Earl of Atholl organized a great hunt in honor of the queen and, yet again, Mary charmed all who met her.

Yet she also treaded dangerous ground with her policy of non-discrimination and desire to unify the nation, taking power away from the independent nobles. Though a Catholic, Mary became friends with one of the most learned Protestants of the time, George Buchanan. In the political realm, Mary kept up peaceful relations with France, Spain, and England, though she never met Elizabeth face-to-face.

And her peace with France and Spain was kept without a treaty, though a treaty would have given Scotland some measure of protection against England in the possibility of conflict. However, Mary was aware that any treaty could compromise her subjects, involving them in yet another war and causing strife. Above all, she wanted peace and prosperity, and she kept Scotland safely distanced from political machinations.

As queen, Mary was more than aware that she should marry and provide heirs to the throne. Mary spent the remainder of her life in captivity until her execution. Elizabeth I was Mary's cousin. Her mother, however, ended up acting as regent on Mary's behalf. Scottish Catholics, however, objected to this plan, since England had separated from the Catholic Church.

When the match was annulled, England attacked Scotland in raids that became known as "The Rough Wooing. At the age of 5, Mary was sent to France, where she grew up in the luxurious French court. Mary's mother was French, and the Scots had a longstanding alliance with France, so Mary was betrothed to the 4-year-old French heir. Mary was married three times, with the last union eventually leading to her downfall.

Unfortunately, Francis died from an ear infection the year after he ascended to the throne, leaving Mary a widow at age Her marriage to Darnley also turned Mary's half-brother against her. In Darnley and a group of Protestant nobles viciously murdered David Rizzio, Mary's Italian secretary, stabbing him 56 times as a pregnant Mary looked on.

Though she gave birth to their son a few months later, she no longer wished to be married to Darnley. When Darnley was mysteriously killed following an explosion at Kirk o' Field, outside Edinburgh, in Februaryfoul play was suspected. Darnley was a weak man and soon became a drunkard as Mary ruled entirely alone and gave him no mary queen of scots full biography summary authority in the country.

He, together with others, murdered Riccio in front of Mary in Holyrood House. She was six months pregnant at the time. This caused alarm amongst the Protestants. His body was found in the garden of the house after the explosion, but he had been strangled! Mary had now become attracted to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, and rumours abounded at Court that she was pregnant by him.

Shortly after he was acquitted, Mary and Bothwell were married. Bothwell meanwhile had bid Mary goodbye and fled to Dunbar. Many of her other descendants, including Elizabeth of BohemiaPrince Rupert of the Rhine and the children of Anne, Queen of Great Britainwere interred in her vault. Assessments of Mary in the 16th century divided between Protestant reformers such as George Buchanan and John Knoxwho vilified her mercilessly, and Catholic apologists such as Adam Blackwoodwho praised, defended and eulogised her.

It condemned Buchanan's work as an invention, [ ] and "emphasized Mary's evil fortunes rather than her evil character". Cowan also produced more balanced works. Historian Jenny Wormald concluded that Mary was a tragic failure, who was unable to cope with the demands placed on her, [ ] but hers was a rare dissenting view in a post-Fraser tradition that Mary was a pawn in the hands of scheming noblemen.

Such accusations rest on assumptions, [ ] and Buchanan's biography is today discredited as "almost complete fantasy". Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikisource Wikidata item. Queen of Scotland from to Portrait of Mary at about 17 years old, c.

See list. Peterborough Cathedral. Westminster Abbey. Francis II of France. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. Childhood and early reign [ edit ]. Treaty of Greenwich [ edit ]. Life in France [ edit ]. Claim to the English throne [ edit ]. Return to Scotland [ edit ]. Marriage to Lord Darnley [ edit ].

Murder of Darnley [ edit ]. Main article: Murder of Lord Darnley. Imprisonment in Scotland and abdication [ edit ].

Mary queen of scots full biography summary: Biography of Mary, Queen of

Escape and imprisonment in England [ edit ]. Lochleven Castle. Workington Hall. Carlisle Castle. Bolton Castle. Casket letters [ edit ]. Main article: Casket letters. Plots [ edit ]. Trial [ edit ]. Execution [ edit ]. Main article: Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. Legacy [ edit ]. Further information: Cultural depictions of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Genealogical chart [ edit ].

Mary queen of scots full biography summary: The only daughter of the late

See also [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. In this article, dates before are Old Style, with the exception that years are assumed to start on 1 January rather than 25 March. Retrieved 30 September The phrase was first recorded by John Knox in the s as "The devil go with it! It will end as it began: it came from a woman, and it will end in a woman" Wormaldpp.

The disputed will is printed in Historical Manuscripts Commission London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Catherine's interests competed with those of the Guise family, and there may have been an element of jealousy or rivalry between the two queens Donaldsonpp. Paris: Annet Briere.

Archived from the original on 14 December Retrieved 9 June Paris: Renouard. British Library. Retrieved 4 February The Wars of Religion in France. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN London: Andrew Melrose, pp. Glasgow: W. John Knox claimed the surgeons who examined the body were lying and that Darnley had been strangled, but all the sources agree that there were no marks on the body, and there was no reason for the surgeons to lie as Darnley was murdered either way Weirp.

For other versions see Guyp. Other contemporaries dismissed the abduction as bogus Donaldsonp. See also Guypp. In response, Mary's commissioners withdrew from the inquiry Weirpp. Inventaires de la Royne d'Ecosse. Edinburgh: Bannatyne Club. The Crime of Mary Stuart. London: Hutchinson. Royal Collection Trust. Inventory no. ISSN S2CID