10 Dramatic Facts about Mary, Queen of Scots
March 11, 2021
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Mary, Queen of Scots was perhaps best known for the role she played in Scotland’s royal history. You may already know that her actions in politics and marriage sparked rebellion among Scottish nobles, or that she died by beheading after being accused of complicity.
Read on to discover 10 dramatic facts about this iconic queen of Scotland!
1. Mary, Queen of Scots was born in 1542, exactly one week before her father, King James V of Scotland, died prematurely.
2. She was originally set to marry the English King Henry VIII’s son Prince Edward, but the Scots refused. Henry wasn’t too pleased with this decision, so to make sure everyone was aware of his displeasure he started an entire war between Scotland and England.
3. While the war — known as the “Rough Wooing” was going down, 16-year-old Mary was sent to France to marry a teenage prince called the Dauphin. This was mostly done as a measure to secure a Catholic alliance against England, which was Protestant at the time. The Dauphin died two years later, in 1560, leaving Mary a widow at only 18 years old.
4. Four years after Mary returned to Scotland, she fell madly in love with her half-cousin Henry, Lord Darnley. The two married and had a son who they named James. Darnley was supposedly a weak man and Mary gave him no real authority to rule. As a result, he became a drunkard.
5. Darnley was jealous of Mary’s secretary and confidant, David Rizzio, who was rumored to be the father of their child, James. Darnley’s jealousy grew to the point that he gathered other conspirators of said rumor, and they teamed up to kill Rizzio in front of Mary (who was six months pregnant) in 1566.
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6. In 1567, Darnley’s residence in Edinburgh was destroyed, and his body was discovered in the garden. The cause of death was reportedly strangulation.
7. James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, was accused of murdering Darnley. Mary was showing an interest in James, and both Protestants and Catholics were astounded that she should marry the man who was accused of murdering her husband. Regardless, they married and the relationship was turbulent.
8. A group of 26 Scottish peers (aka the confederate lords) raised an army against Mary and her new husband. No battle was fought, but the lords took Mary to Edinburgh where spectators accused her of being an adulteress and murderer.
9. While imprisoned in Leven Castle, Mary gave birth to still-born twins. James said a final goodbye to Mary, fled to Dunbar, reportedly grew insane, and died in 1578.
10. Mary eventually fled to the protection of her first cousin once removed, Queen Elizabeth I of England, but when Elizabeth believed Mary to be a threat, she had her imprisoned. Mary spent 19 years in various prisons in English castles, and was eventually found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth. Mary, Queen of Scots was put to death by beheading in 1587.
Thanks for reading our 10 dramatic facts about Mary, Queen of Scots. From now until June 1, 2021, we’ll have 500-year-old original documents from Mary, Queen of Scots and James I of England on view inside our European History exhibit.
Don’t miss this (possibly once-in-a-lifetime) chance to see an artifact from Scotland’s most famous queen in history!
