A baby promised crowned
Mary Stuart was born on December 8, 1542 at the Palace of Linlithgow Scotland. It was the fourth daughter of King James V of Scotland and his wife, Mary of Guise French.
Six days later the king died, disappointed at having a daughter, the only survivor of his race. Less than a year of birth of Mary, when she starred in a peculiar ceremony of coronation. Mary Queen of Scots was named, along with James Hamilton II, Earl of Arran, who stood next in line of succession and would act as regent of the child.
Not only that, a few months before his coronation, the young queen had been promised in marriage to the son of Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour. The marriage was part of the so-called treaty of Greenwich, according to which the two royal families accept the children of Mary and Edward inherit Scotland and England together. Before the coronation of Mary, his mother had broken her first engagement.
A baby between two kingdoms
Henry VIII not resigned to losing the opportunity to unite the two kingdoms and began a series of raids on Scottish territory that not only endangered the life of the little queen but left behind destruction and desolation. Mary of Guise then requested assistance to the French king Henry II as he tried to hide her daughter from the English armies.
Finally, the summer of 1548, Mary managed to escape and arrived in France. Shortly before his mother and representatives of King Henry II in Haddington had signed an agreement to marry Mary married the Dauphin Francis. Mary, who was then five years, would further ten away from their homeland in the French court. His mother not going to see anymore.
Queen of Scotland and France
Mary Stuart married Francisco in 1558. A year later, during the celebrations of the peace of Cateau-Cambresis between France and Spain, Henry II was mortally wounded in a joust. Maria and Francisco became kings of France.
However, Mary's happiness lasted only a year. In 1560 his mother not only died but was left a widow and stripped of her title as queen of France.
Back a divided country
Mary was just 18 when he returned to his homeland. Was still the legitimate queen, but she found a country on the line. The religious divide between Catholics and Protestants had become the banner of political causes in Scotland and England. In neighboring, Elizabeth I was queen after the death of his half brother King Edward. Isabel, daughter of the second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, defended at any cost the Protestant cause, he was the only way to legitimize his birth and therefore their dynastic rights. But the Catholic side saw in Mary of Scotland, with dynastic rights the English throne, an alternative to Isabel.
Similarly in Scotland, Mary's illegitimate brother, James Stewart I, championing the Protestant cause.
But as Elizabeth I always ruled with iron fist and never shook the pulse defending what she believed, Mary opted for neither side openly. Not only openly defended the Catholic cause but tolerated the Protestant faith.
Elizabeth and Mary never met personally but his father's cousin was always a threat to Elizabeth, a queen who was not married and had no intention of doing, so that the question of his successor was the subject of constant debate over his reign.
two unsuccessful marriages
Although Mary did married, his other two marriages only brought him political problems. Mary's second husband was her cousin Henry Stuart, Duke of Albany, known as Lord Darnley. Henry was one of the main leaders of the Catholic cause, so that their union the anger of his enemies Protestants who began an armed uprising.
The marriage began to deteriorate when Lord Darnley claimed for himself more power and demanded the title of king. After the birth of his only son, James, Mary's husband was killed by what would be her next husband, James Hepburn, fourth Earl of Bothwell.
The path to conviction
The murder of her second husband and the marriage with the Earl of Bothwell was the beginning of the end of Mary. The Scottish nobility turned his back and after several armed uprisings, Mary was imprisoned. In 1567, forced by circumstances and unable to gather around a sufficient number of followers, Mary abdicated in favor of his son. James was then a year.
Mary did not give up yet. Tried to escape and reorganize an army of fans but did not get very far. After the defeat of his army at Langside, fled to England, where he would be caught by the men of his great enemy Elizabeth I.
condemns murder
The trial began against her cousin Elizabeth had the excuse the murder of her second husband, the English nobleman, Lord Darnley. The real reason was to maintain the highest tiemplo Mary away from home. Meanwhile, in Scotland, Mary's illegitimate brother ruled in the name of his nephew.
Mary spent 18 years captive. After those long years, he decided to run Isabel. The reasons were his involvement in various plots to end his life and sit on the throne of England converted to Catholicism. Allegations that were never fully tested.
Condemned for high treason, Mary was beheaded in an execution that has gone down in history for its pathos. Up to three hits to give the executioner had to separate the head from his body.
Separated in life, together in death
Mary and Elizabeth never met in life, though his ways were a mutual threat. Mary was buried in Peterborough Cathedral, but later was moved to Westminster Abbey, a few meters from the seputura of Isabel. The order had given the King James I, son of Mary, who had inherited the crowns of Scotland and England.
If you want to read about it
Mary Stuart , Stefan Zweig Genre: Biography
A biography must to understand the life of Mary of Scotland
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots , Reay Tannahill
Genre: Historical fiction
an excellent recreation of the days when Queen Mary Stuart lived
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