MARY [Tudor] STUART, QUEEN OF SCOTLAND AND FRANCE
BORN: 8 DECEMBER 1542
PROCLAIMED QUEEN: 14 DECEMBER 1542
ABDICATED: 24 JULY 1567
EXECUTED: 8 FEBRUARY 1587

Daughter of James V of Scotland and Marie de Guise. Became Queen of Scots when she was six days old. First married to Francis II of France, then to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Third marriage was to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. Mother of James VI/I. Executed by Elizabeth I at Fotheringay Castle.
Family 3: James HEPBURN, Earl Bothwell-4

Marriage
ABT 1567

NOTES: Mary became a prisoner of Queen Elizabeth I and in the ensuing intrigues to rescue her and place her on the throne of Elizabeth, the most famous was that of Mary's page, Anthony Babington, who plotted to assassinate Elizabeth. The conspiracy was discovered, and Mary was brought to trial in October 1586. She was sentenced to death on October 25, but not until Feb. 1, 1587 did Elizabeth sign the warrant of execution. She was beheaded a week later.

NOTES: Mary's cousin, the Catholic Scottish nobleman Henry Stewart, Laird Darnley, was married with Roman Catholic rites. Mary had given him the title of King, but he now demanded that the crown be secured to him for life and that, if the queen died without children, it should descend to his heirs. Darnley was discovered strangled close by the scene of an explosion of the house where he lay sick. The explosion was by gunpowder, and Mary (it is suspected) was not wholly ignorant of the plot against Darnley.

a.k.a.: Francois II
NOTES: Francis was a mental and physical weakling and was dominated by François, duke of Guise and Cardinal Charles of Lorraine, the uncles of his wife. These two men, who in effect were the rulers during Francis's brief reign (1559-60) tried to repress the growing political power of the Protestants in France. His death ended the ascendancy of the Guises at court.

Bothwell was probably responsible for the murder of Mary's 2nd husband, Darnley. He was brought to a mock trial and acquitted. A short time afterward he and Mary were married.

Duke of Orkney, Earl of Shetland. Some say died 1576.