[MR] Wikipedia: Mary, Queen of Scots, Abdicates

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, especially Fellow Scots,

On this date in 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots, signed and sealed an act of
abdication in favor of her ten year-old son James VI (later James I of
England). Mary's reign in Scotland would make a great miniseries (and
probably has), as it was tainted by lost opportunities, ineptitude and even
murder.

After a brief stint as Queen Consort of France (1558-1559), the widowed
Mary returned to Scotland in 1561 to assume the throne. Scotland was by now
officially a Calvanist Protestant country, and Mary was forced to agree to
the status quo even though she remained a staunch Catholic. She found her
powers severely restricted by the Scottish Parliament and a
Protestant-dominated privy council. She was frequently at odds with the
Protestant religious leader and firebrand preacher John Knox.

In 1565 Mary wed her first cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Both claimed
descent from Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England, so both had some
claim to the English throne. The marriage proved a disaster from the start,
as Darnley expected to co-rule as King of Scots. Fat chance. Drowning his
frustration in a pool of alcohol, relations between Mary and Darnley
quickly deteriorated to outright hatred. Believing that David Rizzio,
Mary's music master and secretary had become her lover (possible, but never
proven), Darnely and his cronies invaded her private quarters on 9 March
1566. They severely daggered Rizzio before Mary's astonished wife's eyes.
On 10 February 1567, the house at Kirk o' Field in Edinburgh where Darnley
was staying was blown to pieces by a huge gunpowder explosion. Darney and
his valet were found nearby, apparently unhurt by the blast, but showing
signs of strangulation.

Suspicion immediately fell on James Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell, who had
become Mary's favorite. On 24 April 1567, Mary was "abducted" by Bothwell,
and taken to Dunbar Castle where she was allegedly raped. This may have all
been a case of  "plausible denial", as she and Bothwell were soon married
at Holyrood Palace on 15 May. Both Protestants and Catholics were outraged
by the marriage for their own reasons, and the country devolved into a
near-civil war.

Bothwell's supposed courage melted before the prospect of war. He fled to
Norway, where he was arrested. It seemed that Bothwell was still legally
married to a Norse noble woman, Anna Tronds, whom he had deserted. Bothwell
was taken to Denmark (which at that time ruled Norway) and in 1578 died
chained to a pillar in Dragsholm Castle's dungeon.

Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle on 16 June 1567, and was forced to
abdicate. In May of 1567, she escaped. After raising a small army that was
quickly defeated, Mary fled to England. Queen Elizabeth I, fearful of her
cousin's claim to the English throne, had Mary jugged in various castles
under "protective custody". Mary was implicated in the Babington Plot to
assassinate Elizabeth and return England to Catholicism. She was tried in
1586 at Fotheringhay Castle, and beheaded there on 8 February 1587.

Mary's tragic life is summarized at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Keeping Merry Rose relevant and in business for over 16 years.