Top 10 facts about Mary of Guise

A Portrait of Mary of Guise. Photo By Corneille de Lyon. Wikicommons.

Top 10 facts about Mary of Guise

Mary of Guise is a French noble woman who lived between 1515 –1560 and became the Queen of Scotland  between 1538 to 1542.

She was the eldest of the twelve children born to Claude, Duke of Guise, and Antoinette de Bourbon.

Her life was marked by many misfortunes among them being caught up in the political and religious upheaval of mid-16th-century Scotland.

She ruled Scotland between 1554 to 1560 on behalf of her daughter. Throughout her reign, Mary displayed tolerance towards the religious reform movement. Below are some interesting facts about the Queen of Scotland;

1.She Became Queen Of Scotland at Infancy 

 She was born in Linlithgow Palace, Scotland, on December 8, 1542.

Mary’s father, James V, King of Scotland died on 14^th December 1542 following the Battle of Solway Moss leaving the infant Mary as the queen of Scotland.

Naturally, Mary couldn’t actually rule as a baby and so her great-uncle Henry tried to gain control of Scotland. But Mary’s mother, Mary of Guise who was born in what is now France, was the one who acted on Mary’s behalf as regent.

2.She Was Used as a Political Pawn at a Young age

At five, Mary was betrothed to Henry VIII’s only son, Edward. Henry wanted to secure an alliance with Scotland to distance it from France.

The betrothal was annulled since Scottish catholic did not have good relationship with English royal.

English did not receive it well so they started attacking Scotland in series of raids.

3.She Became a Widow at Teenage

At six years old, Mary was betrothed to Francis, heir to the French crown. She married him in 1558 at Notre Dame Cathedral. Mary wore a white gown, an unusual choice given that white was traditionally a colour of mourning in France.

The choice proved fateful. Francis became king a year later but died in 1560, leaving Mary a widow at eighteen. Francis’s mother Catherine de Medici, who had always viewed Mary as a threat, ensured she returned to Scotland.

4.She was a Staunch Catholic

At her early years, she joined her grandmother Philippa of Guelders in the convent of the Poor Clares at Pont-à-Mousson and she learnt of Catholicism.

Scotland was a Catholic country, Henry VIII’s religious reforms never crossed the border, and her time at the French court had further cemented her Catholic faith. On her return to Scotland, Mary briefly aligned herself with the Protestant  because it was illegal to practice catholic conventions such as mass. But in July 1565 she married a Catholic, Henry, and Lord Darnley.

She attempted to lead by example by being tolerant to both Protestantism and Catholicism, a characteristic that made her fairly unique as far as rulers go. But many grew hostile toward the queen, despite her desire for tolerance.

5.Her Second Husband Murdered Her Favorite Secretary

She fell in love with Henry, Lord Darnley after she returned Scotland. She genuinely care for him, and he was a wise match for her in the eyes of her advisors thanks to his Protestant faith. Though this love story started out positively, there was no happy ending.

During her pregnancy, Mary witnessed the murder of her secretary, David Rizzio, at the hands of Darnley and other nobles, who suspected him of seducing the queen.

Their son, James, was born on 10th June 1566, but her marriage to Darnley was in turmoil

Darnley turned out to be a drunk and was no real support for Mary.

In 1567, he committed suicide by exploding himself in the building he was staying in Edinburg.

The prime suspect for the murder was a man Mary had grown close to, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell.

6.Her Third Husband was Not Well Received by the Scottish Nobles

Three months after her husband lord Darnley death, she got married to Earl of Bothwell, a prime suspect of her former husband death.

Catholics refused to recognize the validity of the marriage at all.

The Scottish nobles did not supportive the marriage, and was one of the key elements that led to Mary’s downfall. The nobility rose against Mary, and after her army deserted her, she was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle.

7.She Gave Birth To Still-Born Twins While in Prison

During her imprisonment at the castle, she gave birth to still-born twins, and Bothwell was forced into exile in Denmark. He later became insane and died in 1578.

 With the help of the brother of the castle’s owner, Mary was able to escape Lochleven and raise an army of around 6,000 men. When her army was defeated, she traveled to England with the hope that her cousin, Elizabeth I, would help her regain her throne.

8.She was held Prisoner by her Cousin Queen Elizabeth I for Eighteen Years

Elizabeth did not welcome her cousin Mary with open arms. Mary had a strong claim to the English throne as the great-niece of Henry VIII, and had previously declared her intent to become Queen of England too. 

she was detained at various places on north and midlands

Although she was held captive, she still had her own members of staff working or her and was allowed to bring her own belongings with her.

9.She was the Mother of England Longest Serving King 

Mary’s son that she left behind in Scotland became the king of both Scotland and England after her death. He was known as James I of England and VI of Scotland, as his grandfather was James V of Scotland.

10.She Was Executed At The Age Of 44

Her execution marked the first execution of a royally anointed European monarch. As death, as in life, she retained some of her customary glamour. Underneath her black dress, Mary was said to be wearing crimson petticoats underneath: red being the colour of martyrs.

The executioner took several swings of the axe to complete the execution, and when, as customary, he lifted the severed head to proclaim ‘God Save Queen Elizabeth’, he instead found himself grasping a red wig. Mary’s head  with the lips still moving  fell to the floor.

After Mary’s execution, she was buried in Peterborough Cathedral. In 1612, James had her body exhumed and reburied at Westminster Abbey, which was deemed to be a place of honor. He also had Elizabeth I exhumed and reburied in a different tomb nearby. James ruled for over 57 years—the longest rule of any Scottish monarch.