Who was Mary Stuart?

Mary Stuart was born on December 8, 1542. Her mother, Marie de Guise, was a member of the House of Guise, a French family of nobles. Marie de Guise married King James V (James the 5th) of Scotland on June 18, 1538, and conceived Mary. Six days after Mary’s birth, her father, James, died. Mary was declared queen of Scotland at 6 days old while her mother served as regent to the throne. A regent is somebody elected to rule the country if the current king or queen is too young. Mary’s claim as queen to the Scottish throne was extremely strong because of her paternal relation to Margaret Tudor, a past Scottish queen. The king also had James Stewart, Earl of Moray, and Mary’s illegitimate half-brother. As an illegitimate child due to his mother not being queen, his ability to claim the Scottish throne was very weak. Males had a great sense of power in the past, showing how little power James had.

Who were Mary Stuart’s ladies-in-waiting?

Female monarchs took as many girls as they wanted to be their ladies-in-waiting. This was a very honorary title that many families begged the royal family for. Ladies-in-waiting were to live in the castle with their queen/princess and attend to her every need. They paid no expenses and were given a luxurious life that many people could not afford. Most ladies-in-waiting were either rich or from a noble family. Mary Stuart had 4 ladies-in-waiting who all coincidentally were named Mary: Mary Seton, Mary Fleming, Mary Beaton, and Mary Livingston. Throughout the country, they were known as the 4 Marys. Mary Seton was noble-born as she was the daughter of George Seton, the 6th Lord Seton, and the great-granddaughter of Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell. Mary Fleming was Mary Stuart’s cousin and was related to her through their mutual grandmother, Margaret Tudor. Mary Beaton’s title came from her father, Robert Beaton, 4th laird of Criech. Her mother was a lady-in-waiting for Marie de Guise, raising Beaton’s chances of being one of Mary Stuart’s. Lastly, Mary Livingston was known as the daughter of Alexander Livingston, 5th lord Livingston. All four Marys were companions to Mary Stuart during childhood, helping Marie de Guise differentiate potential ladies-in-waiting.

Who did Mary Stuart marry?

Her first husband was Francis II (Francis the 2nd), a future king of France. They were betrothed when Mary was 5 and so she was sent to France as a young child. She lived in the castle being raised by servants, rather than her own parents. At 17 years old, Mary joined 15-year-old Francis in matrimony on April 24, 1558. Francis died on December 5, 1560, from an ear condition and Mary left for Scotland, no longer the queen of France. The next 5 years she spent searching for a suitable husband who would benefit her country. On July 29, 1565, she married her cousin Henry Stuart, to strengthen her claim to the English throne. Word spread of his impudent requests to be given the crown matrimonial of Scotland, which would make him Mary’s equal. He was murdered two years later on February 10, 1567. However, Mary bore a son with him who would later be King of Scotland, England, and Ireland. The young Scottish queen found a new husband, James Hepburn, the 4th earl of Bothwell. Their union as husband and wife took place on May 15, 1567. James died on April 14, 1578, making him Mary’s longest-living spouse.

Who was Elizabeth Tudor?

Born on September 7, 1553, Elizabeth Tudor was the only child of King Henry VIII (Henry the 8th) of England and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. She was also a first cousin once removed of Mary Stuart. Elizabeth was not favored by her father, who had expected a son as most royals did. Unfortunately, the young Boleyn queen could not bear more children after her alleged three miscarriages. Rumors of her cheating on Henry with her own brother to conceive an heir spread. Henry VIII had Anne executed and their marriage was annulled, meaning the pope declared it as non-existent. This almost ruined Elizabeth’s chances at becoming queen, as she was now seen as an illegitimate figure. In the future, she became England’s first unconventional protestant monarch. Elizabeth never married or had any children, thus, her title the “virgin queen”. Without any heirs, she was the last monarch of the Tudor family. Although, her successor to the throne of England turned out to be Mary Stuart’s son.

Were Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor rivals?

The common question about these two political enemies is crystal clear. Yes, both queens despised each other despite not ever meeting. Contrasting to some ideas, it was a long-lasting feud over power. They were related and given authority through Margaret Tudor, the paternal grandmother of Mary Stuart, and the paternal aunt of Elizabeth Tudor. Since the marriage of Elizabeth’s parents was annulled, people claimed she was not related to Margaret. It was her birthright, although, one person had a stronger claim to the English throne, Mary. This was mainly because Mary’s parents never separated and people knew her as the biological great-niece of King Henry VIII of England. Along with the backup of Scotland, Mary was a catholic, and England was a catholic country. However, Elizabeth’s legitimate half-sister, Mary I (Mary the 1st) Tudor, was a queen of England. On her death bed, she passed the position as queen to Elizabeth. 

What were the Scotland vs. England wars?

Throughout the years of history, wars between Scotland and England commenced. This sequence of military conflict was called the Anglo-Scottish Wars. According to various sources, this progression was rumored to have started in the late 13th century and ended sometime in the 16th century. These events added to the feud between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor. Of course, both queens longed to be the best ruler they could be by protecting their countries from war. The pair saw each other’s military powers as menaces and threats to their people. 

Why was Mary Stuart’s religion influential?

Mary Stuart practiced Catholicism her entire life. Due to her illegitimate cousin, Elizabeth Tudor of England, many people became protestant. Her half-brother, James Stewart, was one of those people. With Elizabeth trying to take over Scotland with her armies, Mary faced pressure from protestants opposing her. They wanted a protestant queen on the throne and Marie de Guise had died from an illness. Scotland was now without a regent. Mary had to make the best decision for her and Scotland. She also had to take into consideration the safety of her 1-year-old son and only heir, James. 

How did Mary Stuart die?

While Mary Stuart was still married to Henry Stuart, she became unusually close to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. When Henry was murdered, rumors emerged. Talk of the pub said that Bothwell was behind the incident. People suspected Mary planned this and forced her off the throne. She was locked in a castle on the island Loch Leven, managing to escape with the help of Mary Seton, her lady-in-waiting. Mary Stuart soon fled to England after escaping, seeking shelter. Her cousin Elizabeth initially greeted her warmly but was forced to lock her up when news about the number of people after her came into view. Elizabeth felt pity for Mary, holding her captive for as long as she could until she had to kill her. The royal executioner beheaded Mary Stuart and that was the end of the life of a great Scottish queen. James Stewart took care of her son by acting as regent for him. The Stuart lineage lives on to this day through Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. 

Why did I choose to write about this topic? (Author’s Note)

As writers, we always want to choose a topic that evokes a sense of passion. I have been watching a TV show on Netflix called Reign, which illustrates the life of Mary Stuart. As a queen who experienced many tragedies in her life, her reign was the strongest of many past monarchs. I ended up watching The Other Boleyn Girl, a movie about Anne Boleyn. Men were considered superior in the past and kings always wanted male heirs. But, I learned about the life of two of the best queens in history. They were rivals who felt the sting of being an unmarried woman ruling a country without a man’s “needed” support. One grew up as Mary Stuart, a Scottish queen: living in luxury, spoiled, nothing to fear, and met her demise. The other was raised as Elizabeth Tudor, an illegitimate English queen: suffering her entire childhood, locked up, neither parent in her life, and was victorious. Both had something to celebrate. Mary’s son ruled the United Kingdom: Scotland, England, and Ireland integrated as one. Elizabeth ruled England successfully for many years without a spouse or heir to ensure her rule. And to me, they show how strong women really are.