Mary Stuart was born at Linlithgow Palace on 8 December, 1542, heir to James V of Scotland and his consort, the French Mary of Guise. After her father’s death on 14 December, the infant Mary became Queen of Scots when she was just six days old. Henry VIII wanted her to be married to his only son Edward but Mary of Guise had other plans. In 1548, Mary was sent to France to be raised with the family of King Henry II and Queen Catherine de Medici. Mary of Guise remained in Scotland, acting as regent for her daughter.

Mary and the Dauphin Francis were married in 1558, and after the sudden death of Henry II, they were crowned King and Queen of France in July, 1559. But Mary’s new found happiness and rank were short lived as Francis succumbed to an illness in December, 1562, leaving her a very young and powerless dowager queen at the mercy of her formidable mother-in-law, Catherine de Medici. The new king, Charles IX, young and firmly in the control of his mother, Catherine, left Mary without allies and she headed back to her own kingdom of Scotland.

In 1565, Mary went against the advice of many and wed her English cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. As grandchildren to King Henry VII of England, Mary and Darnley had the strongest claims to the English throne after Elizabeth I, and many Catholics believed Mary and Darnley to have the stronger claim. They believed Elizabeth to be the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, a Protestant who encouraged Henry to unlawfully abandon his first marriage to the Catholic Catherine of Aragon.
Despite their initial passion, Darnley’s demands and arrogance soured relations within a few months of the marriage, although not before Mary became pregnant. As the marriage became more strained, Mary became dependent on her Italian secretary, David Rizzio, infuriating Darnley. In March 1566, Darnley and a number of Scottish Lords forced entry into Mary’s chambers at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and murdered Rizzio in front of the very shocked, very pregnant Queen.

Mary finally realized the treachery of her husband and her own vulnerability, and she worked to restore her power and support. With her well-known charms, she easily won Darnley back into her camp, promising him forgiveness and a renewal of their relationship. In June 1566, Mary gave birth to the future James VI, but she never trusted Darnley again and quickly began relying more on the Earl of Bothwell for guidance and advice. In February 1567, Lord Darnley was spending the evening at the Old Provost’s Lodge at Kirk o’Field, within the city walls of Edinburgh. At 2am, when Mary had departed after a visit, a sudden explosion shook the area and destroyed the lodge. Darnley’s body was later found in a nearby orchard, unmarked from the explosion. Later examination showed that he was strangled to death.

Conspiracies and accusations raced through Edinburgh. Mary and Bothwell, long suspected of being lovers, topped the list of suspects for Darnley’s murder. They added fuel to the fire when they suddenly wed three months later, sealing their fates. The Scottish nobles raised an army against the queen, and after a few minor battles and skirmishes, Mary surrendered and was imprisoned at Lochleven Castle. They forced her to abdicate her crown in favour of her son, and chose her half-brother, the Earl of Moray, as regent. Mary fled to England, hoping that her cousin Elizabeth would sympathize with her cause and provide desperately needed support to regain her throne.
But Elizabeth saw Mary as a threat to her own crown, and although she publicly expressed outrage at the situation, she privately reprimanded Mary for her inexplicable actions. Elizabeth decided to keep Mary in England until her reputation could be cleared of Darnley’s murder. A farcical trial cleared Mary of Darnley’s murder, but also found the Protestant Earl of Moray not guilty of treason. Ultimately, Elizabeth supported Moray’s regency and imprisoned Mary in England for nineteen years.

Mary was moved numerous times to disrupt various plots for her rescue and escape. Despite repeated warnings, she continued to conspire with various Catholic supporters who wanted to restore her to the Scottish throne and even use her to overthrow Elizabeth. After incessant haranguing from her secretary, William Cecil, Elizabeth finally signed the warrant to have Mary executed. On 8 February, 1587, Mary was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle, aged 44 years.