[MR] Wikipedia: 1st Marriage of Mary Queen of Scots

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

On this date in 1558, Mary Queen of Scots married François [Wow! I finally
found the "ç" key], Dauphin of France, at Notre Dame de Paris. Mary was
just 15 years old, and François was 14. They made a cute couple, even
though Mary was considerably taller than François. They both liked each
other very much, and enjoyed a happy marriage.

This was a close call for Scotland, as Mary had secretly signed a document
making François heir to the Scottish throne should she die first without
issue. The marriage and the secret will was part of the French King Henry
II's plan for a back-door conquest of Scotland. Even with issue, France
would have further cemented their growing control of Scotland.

Just over a year later, Henry II was killed in a jousting accident.
François became King François II on 10 July 1559. In addition to ruling
France, he now became Scotland's King Consort. Well, François didn't last
long. He was a sickly young man anyway, and died on 16 November 1560,
probably of an ear infection that spread to his brain. François and Mary
had been unable to conceive, possibly because of undescended testicles,
though this might have been English propaganda. In any case, Mary's
agreement to cede the Scottish throne was now void. Both the Scottish
Protestants and Queen Elizabeth I breathed a sigh of relief (you can be the
"secret" agreement was known to Elizabeth). But there was still the problem
of Mary, pro-French and a staunch Catholic, ruling a largely Protestant
Scotland and having a strong claim on the English throne.

Even though Mary had been at the French court since she was five years-old,
and was more French and Scottish, she was now unwelcome baggage in France.
The throne passed to François' younger brother Charles IX (also sickly,
dying of TB at just 24 years of age). Mary was sent back to Scotland,
arriving at Leith (Edinburgh's port) on 19 August 1561. And from there
things went downhill pretty fast for the tragic but feckless Stewart Queen,
but that's a story for another day.

More about Mary is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots .

And poor François is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_II_of_France .

And just in case you are curious, here is a short mention of Henry II's
infamous jousting accident:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_de_Lorges,_1st_Earl_of_Montgomery .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆