Linlithgow Palace

Mary Stuart (1542-1587)

Mary Stuart was born in Linlithgow Palace, Scotland, on 7th December 1542. She was the daughter of King James V of Scotland, and his French wife, Mary of Guise. Her father died only a few days after her birth, so the week old Mary became Queen of Scotland on 14th December 1542. She was crowned on 9th September 1543 at Stirling Castle.

Mary was related to the Tudors. Her grandmother was Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII's older sister. Margaret Tudor had married King James IV of Scotland, and her son was Mary's father, James V. Henry VIII was thus her great Uncle, and she and Elizabeth were cousins.

Mary is sent to Dumbarton Castle before going to France.

Henry VIII wished to have baby Mary as a future bride for his son, Edward, and in 1544, his forces invaded Scotland in an attempt to force this union, but he failed. In 1548, Mary was sent to France to marry Dauphin Francis, the eldest son of the king of France, later Francis II. Her mother, Mary of Guise acted as regent in Scotland.

In 1559, the King of France was killed in an accident, and at only 17, Mary became Queen of France. This alarmed Elizabeth, as she and her government feared that the French would now try and claim the English throne as well. The French were simply not in a position to do this. Mary of Guise's position in Scotland was weak, and she was fighting for survival in a country that was now Protestant. The French could not attack England when French rule in the country via Mary and her French mother was so fragile. For this reason, Elizabeth's ministers urged her to aid the Scots against their Catholic government. She agreed to some aid. William Cecil was sent to Scotland to negotiate peace with the Scots, and he played a prominent part in drawing up a treaty with the Scottish government, which guaranteed peace between the two realms. Mary never ratified the treaty of Edinburgh.

Mary was always seen as a considerable threat to Elizabeth. Many Catholics did not recognize Elizabeth as the true Queen of the realm. They did not recognize the marriage of her mother, Anne Boleyn, to Henry VIII, in other words, they thought she could not be queen for she was an illegitimate child.

Elizabeth was Protestant and Mary a Catholic.

For many years Catholics plotted to depose and kill Elizabeth in order to put Mary on her throne. Mary herself did not recognize Elizabeth as the true Queen, and believed that she herself was the rightful Queen of England. Sometimes she even referred to herself as such. The relationship between Mary and Elizabeth was always very difficult. As mutual queens and cousins they pretended to be friends. In films and novels, Elizabeth is often portrayed as being very cruel to Mary, but this was not really true.

Mary had been married to Francis II for only a year when he died, Mary decided to return to Scotland for she didn’t want to live under the domination of her mother-in-law Catherine De Medicis.  Her return was much needed as her mother, Mary of Guise, had died in June 1560. In August 1561 Mary arrived at Leith Port in Edinburgh, she was greeted by only a few of her lords. Because she was still refusing to sign the Treaty of Edinburgh, Elizabeth denied her cousin passage through England, so Mary had to sail from Calais to Leith directly. But the news of her arrival soon reached her people, and they gathered in crowds to welcome her return.  

See Part II

Mary Stuart by Norman Trench

Henry VIII

Elizabeth

Copyright Mónica Loreto