Mary Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland, she was six days old when her father died and she acceded to the throne. She spent most of her childhood in France while Scotland was ruled by regents, and in 1558, she married the Dauphin of France, Francis. Mary was queen consort of France from his accession in 1559 until his death in December 1560. Widowed, Mary returned to Scotland, arriving in Leith on 19 August 1561. Four years later, she married her half-cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and in June 1566 they had a son, James.

Upon the death of Darnley she married James Hepburn. However, an uprising against her and Hpeburn, she was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. On 24th July she was fored to adbicate the throne in favour of her one year old son. She tried and failed to regain control and fled to the protection of Elizabeth I, Queen of England. A champion for the Catholics in England, she was seen as the legitimate heir to the throne of England. Elizabeth did not want Mary as a threat to her throne and kept her confined to various different estates around England. After eighteen and a half years in custody she was trialled with plotting to assasinate Elizabeth in 1586. She was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle.