[February 8] Mary I, queen of Scots

Parents: James V, king of Scots, and Mary of Guise

Date of Birth: 8 December 1542

Royal House: Stuart (Stewart)

Spouse: Francis II, king of France, then Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, then James Hepburn, earl of Bothwell

Reign: 1542 – 1567

Predecessor: James V

Summary: The last of the Scottish Stewart line, Mary became queen at the age of six days old. For the first twelve years of her life, Scotland was ruled by a regency led by James Hamilton, earl of Arran and Mary's senior heir. In 1543, Henry VIII of England proposed the marriage of his son, Edward, to Mary to unify Scotland and England. Scotland declined the offer and Henry sought to force it by invading Scotland. France came to the aide of Scotland and proposed their own marriage alliance, which Mary of Guise, Mary's mother, accepted. Mary moved to France and spent the next thirteen years in the French court, with thoughts of Scotland drifting into memory. At the age of 16, Mary wed the French dauphin, Francis, and he became the King consort of Scots. The next year, the king of France died. Mary I and Francis II now acted as unified monarchs of Scotland and France, though both were still minors. With the death of Mary I of England in 1558, Mary also assumed the title "king of England", refusing to recognize the Protestant Elizabeth I of England. Mary came into her majority just as her husband died of an ear infection in 1560. She returned to Scotland as queen and widow, and began her personal reign in ernest.

Mary walked the line of the Protestant-Catholic conflict in Scotland too closely, and it cost her. Despite her personal Catholic convictions, she permitted Protestantism in Scotland. Her Privy Council was mostly Protestants and she actively suppressed Catholicism in the Highlands. Mary also tried multiple times to make amends with Elizabeth of England, but failed on all accounts. As a drastic measure, then, she married the second-in-line to the English throne (herself being first), Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Interestingly, the marriage was not for political purposes, but apparently out of love. In either case, Elizabeth became concerned that Scotland would inherit England upon her death. In Scotland, the marriage of Mary to another Catholic incensed the Protestants who went into open revolt. Meanwhile Darnley had become jealous of Mary secretary, Rizzio, and had him murdered in front of the queen. He also demanded the title "king of Scots" and to be given more political power. Mary bore a son, James, in 1566, but Darnley's time was up. While recovering from an illness, his house was attacked and blown up, killing Darnley. The Earl of Bothwell was targeted as the likely instigator of the plot. Mary acquitted Bothwell and was abducted by him two weeks later. They were married a month later, thereby sealing Mary's fate as a failed monarch. The nobility turned against Mary, imprisoned her, and forced her to abdicate in favor of prince James on 24 July 1567. She was moved around Scotland for a number of years before being permanently imprisoned in England. Mary plotted time and again to escape and regain her throne, but it was an assassination plot against Elizabeth that brought her to the cutting block. On 8 February 1587, Queen Mary was beheaded for treason against the English monarch. Her son went on to inherit England from Elizabeth, thereby accomplishing the goal Mary had spent much of her life attempting.

Date of Death: 8 February 1587

Successor: James VI

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:

• Alexius IV, emperor of Constantinople (1204)
• Robert I, count of Artois (1250)
• Hulagu Khan, khagan of the Mongol Horde (1265)
• Przemysl II, king of Poland (1296)
• Ivan V, tsar of Russia (1696)
• Peter I, tsar of Russia (1725)