Mary
Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587), was the only surviving child of King James V of Scotland. The princess, whose mother was Mary of Guise, was only a week old when James V died. However, she was immediately proclaimed queen of Scotland. Mary was sent to France at the age of 5 to be educated. She married the French dauphin (crown prince) at the age of 15. The dauphin became king of France soon after their marriage, but he died in 1560.
Mary returned to Scotland in 1561, soon after it had officially become a Protestant country. Before the 1560's, the Roman Catholic Church had been Scotland's official church. Although Mary was a Catholic, she did not oppose the spread of the Protestant faith at first. But in 1565, she married her cousin Henry Stuart, who was also known as Lord Darnley. This young Catholic nobleman's rise to power caused leading Protestant lords to revolt. The rebellion was quickly put down. But the queen soon discovered that she had married an ineffective and overly ambitious husband, and she came to hate him.
A rumor began to develop that Mary was having an affair with her private secretary, an Italian musician named David Riccio (also spelled Rizzio). A band of Protestant nobles dragged Riccio from Mary's presence and stabbed him to death in March 1566. Darnley, Mary's husband, was one of the leaders in the murder, but Mary fled with him to Dunbar and thus preserved her power. Mary gave birth to a son three months later. This son eventually became King James I of England.
Mary still hated her husband. Before long she began to show marked attention to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. Early in 1567, Bothwell probably murdered Darnley. Mary married Bothwell three months later. This marriage was Mary's fatal mistake. She was forced to abdicate in favor of her son in June 1567 and was imprisoned. She escaped in 1568 and raised a small army, but most people in Scotland opposed her. Her forces were defeated, and she fled to England.
Mary was next in line for the English throne after her second cousin Queen Elizabeth I. However, Mary refused to recognize Elizabeth as queen. Beginning in 1569, Mary supported a series of plots to overthrow her. Elizabeth kept Mary confined and for years refused demands for her execution. Eventually, however, Elizabeth had her tried for high treason. Mary was found guilty, and Elizabeth reluctantly signed Mary's death warrant. Mary was beheaded on Feb. 8, 1587.
Excerpt adapted from the "Mary, Queen of Scots" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999