Mary Queen of Scots in the Younger Years

Mary I who was known in France as Marie Stuart and in Scotland and England as Mary Queen of Scots was born on 8 December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgow, which is about 20 miles from Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. Her father was King James V of Scotland and her mother was the French born Mary of Guise. Mary was the couple's only surviving child.

The House of Stewart which was originally from Brittany in France had come to take the throne of Scotland through the marriage of King Robert the Bruce's daughter Marjorie to Walter Stewart who was the 6th High Steward of Scotland. James V died only six days after Mary was born thus the throne was now her responsibility. There were no males who could rightfully claim to be heir and at this period in time it would have been the rule that any males regardless of being younger than their sister, would be the rightful ruler.

Due to Mary being a very young child when she came to be Queen, Scotland was ruled over by the regentry until Mary came of age. From the regentry came two claims to power - one from James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran and the other from Cardinal Beaton, the Archbishop of St Andrews. Arran was successful and ruled until Mary's mother succeeded him in 1554.

Henry VIII proposed upon the birth of Mary that England and Scotland be united through the marriage of Mary to his son Prince Edward. Henry also wished that Mary move from Scotland to England where he could ensure her education. However, Cardinal Beaton rose to power once again and prefered a much more pro- French alliance as France was Catholic. Henry was angered as he wished to break any alliance with France and with the Vatican in Rome.

With the turmoil against the King in England, the Scottish people saught the aid of the French through King Henry II, who was proposing to marry the 5 year old Mary to his own very young son - the Dauphin Francois, who was only 3 years old. Mary's mother agreed to this and on the 7th of July 1548 the French Marriage Treaty was signed. Once the marriage had taken place, Mary was moved to the safety of the French courts where she remained for the next 13 years.

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