Mary the queen of scots biography sampler

Queen of Scotland from to

For other people called Mary, Queen of Scots, see Mary, Queen of Scots (disambiguation).

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December – 8 February ), also known as Mary Stuart^[3] or Mary I of Scotland,^[4] was Queen of Scotland from 14 December until her forced abdication in

The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland, Mary was six days old when her father died and she inherited the throne.

During her childhood, Scotland was governed by regents, first by the heir to the throne, James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, and then by her mother, Mary of Guise. In , she was betrothed to Francis, the Dauphin of France, and was sent to be brought up in France, where she would be safe from invading English forces during the Rough Wooing.

Mary married Francis in , becoming queen consort of France from his accession in until his death in December Widowed, Mary returned to Scotland in August The tense religious and politi