Maria, the Scottish queen: biography. The Story of Queen Mary Stuart

Scottish Queen Mary Stewart lived a bright life. Her tragic fate still attracts attention.

Childhood and adolescence

Maria Stuart - the queen of Scotland from infancy, the ruler of France (as the wife of Francis II) and one of the contenders for the throne of England, was born on December 8, 1542 in the palace of Linlithgow, the beloved residence of the rulers of the Stuart dynasty.

The daughter of Princess Maria de Guise and the Scottish King Jacob V, the little heiress lost her father a few days after birth. He died young, at the age of 30. The cause of such an early death was the heavy and extremely humiliating defeat of Scotland in a military conflict with England, the betrayal of the barons who had sided with the enemy, and the death of two sons.

Since there were no direct and legitimate heirs after Jacob, only when he was born, his daughter was declared the new ruler of Scotland.

Because of the age, Maria, the Scottish queen, could not rule herself, a regent was appointed. They became her closest relative, James Hamilton.

Military conflict with England

The history of Queen Mary of Scotland is full of unexpected turns. Her father sought to alliance with France, and with the English state was at war. Regent James Hamilton, by contrast, began to pursue a pro-British policy. An agreement was reached on the marriage of Mary with the heir to the English throne, Edward. By this time, her coronation took place.

Against these plans was the Queen Mother, speaking with a group of Scottish nobles for a new alliance with France. Their actions, as well as the demand of Henry VIII immediately to send him a small Mary, led to a sharp change in the situation in the country. Supporters of France came to power, and England immediately reacted to this. The invasion of British territory by Scotland began. They ravaged villages and cities, destroyed churches. Activists of Protestantism also advocated rapprochement with Britain. All this led to the fact that the Scottish authorities turned to France for help. A marriage agreement was signed between Maria and the heir to the French throne, Francis. After this, the five-year-old queen of Scotland was taken to France.

Life at the court of Henry II

In the summer of 1548, a small Mary with a small retinue arrives in Paris. She was given a very warm welcome at the court of the French king. Here she received a brilliant education: she learned several languages, learned to play the lute and sing.

Ten years after arriving in France, Queen Maria of Scotland and Francis were married. This alliance, one of the conditions of which was the transfer of France to Scotland in the case of the childlessness of the queen, provoked discontent in her homeland.

Queen Mary of Scotland and Francis were together only two years. After his accession to the throne in 1559, the country was in fact ruled by Catherine de Medici, the mother of the king. Weak health Francis died in 1560. His death meant the return of Mary Stuart home.

Mother Regency

The story of Queen Mary of Scotland is like a tragic romance. Since infancy, she was dragged into the political games of the thrones, lived outside the motherland for many years and rules herself for a short six years.

In those years when she lived in France, instead of her country was ruled by her mother, Maria de Guise. It was a difficult time for Scotland. Aristocrats were unhappy with the conditions of the marriage of their queen, the Protestants increasingly strengthened the influence, which led to a split in society. Even more problems arose with the accession to the English throne of Elizabeth I. She was illegitimate, and Maria, the Scottish queen, had more rights to inherit the crown of England. She acts as follows: does not prevent Elizabeth from ascending the throne, but she does not officially renounce her rights to it. But at the same time Maria makes a reckless act, which forever spoils the relationship between the two rulers. She places on her arms the crown of England, hinting that it is she who is the legitimate heir.

The Protestant revolution that began at this time in Scotland forced its supporters to seek help from England, and Elizabeth I introduced troops into the country. Maria, the Scottish queen, could not help her mother, because she had no influence, and Catherine de 'Medici, who in fact ruled France, did not want to go to conflict with England.

In the summer of 1560 Maria de Guise dies - she was the last obstacle to the final victory in Scotland of Protestantism. Shortly thereafter, Francis II dies.

Homecoming

In 1561, Maria Stewart returned to Scotland. The situation in which the 18-year-old queen fell was extremely difficult. Supporters of the union with France were ready to support it in everything. A moderate wing would have passed over to her side only if Protestantism and orientation toward rapprochement with Britain were preserved. The most radical part of the Protestant aristocrats required the immediate rupture of the queen with the Catholic faith and her marriage to one of her leaders, Count Arran. In such conditions, we had to act very carefully.

Board and policy

Queen Mary of Scotland, whose biography is extremely interesting, in the years of her reign was careful. Protestantism, she did not accept, but also did not try to restore Catholicism in the country. She relied on a moderate bloc, introducing her stepbrother to key posts in the state of William Maitland and James Stewart. Radicals tried to arrange a conspiracy against her, but he failed. The Queen officially recognized the Protestant religion, but did not break ties with Rome. Such a policy brought positive benefits - during the reign of Mary Stewart in the country was relatively calm.

If problems were solved internally without bloodshed, then foreign policy was more difficult. The Queen of Scotland resolutely refused to recognize Elizabeth I as the legitimate heiress, hoping for the exercise of her rights to the English throne. None of them was going to go for reconciliation.

Personal life

Any portrait of Mary Stuart, a Scottish queen, says that she was a charming woman. Applicants for her hand were many. After the sudden death of Francis II and the return of the queen to her homeland, the question of her new marriage was particularly acute. Having met young Henry Stewart in 1565, she fell in love with him at first sight, and in the same year their marriage took place. This caused a strong discontent not only of the Queen of England, but of the closest supporters of Maria Stewart. Her marriage meant the collapse of the policy of rapprochement with England. James Stewart began an uprising against the queen, but she managed to find support and was able to drive the conspirator out of the country.

The second marriage was unsuccessful. Being a mediocre ruler, Henry tried to take control of the country in his own hands, which Maria opposed. Gradually they moved away from each other. The Queen relied more and more on the help of her secretary, David Riccio, and Henry retaliated with the Protestants and took part in a conspiracy against his wife's favorite. Riccio was killed right before the Queen's eyes. She had to make efforts and even to reconcile with her husband in order to destroy the conspiracy against her. But the relationship with Henry was already spoiled completely. This was facilitated not only by the brutal murder of Riccio, but also by the new fascination of the queen - the courageous Earl of Bothwell. And on the way to her happiness was her husband. He could recognize their just-born son Jacob as illegitimate, and this was impossible to admit.

Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, was killed in the explosion of a powder keg in the house where he stayed, on the night of February 8 to 9, 1567. He was found dead in the garden when attempting to escape.

In history, Maria's involvement in the conspiracy against her husband is still considered a controversial issue. Darnley had other serious enemies, but the popular rumor blamed the queen for everything. And for some reason she did nothing to prove to Scotland that she was not involved in the crime. On the contrary, the word teasing everyone, less than a month after the death of her husband, she marries Botwell.

Overthrowing

This hasty marriage was a tragic mistake of the queen. She instantly lost support, and her opponents immediately took advantage of the situation. Gathering strength, they protested against Mary and her new husband. The royal troops were defeated, the queen surrendered, before that she was able to clear the way for the escaped spouse. In the castle Lochvelen she was forced to sign a renunciation of power in favor of a young son.

Escape to England. Unsuccessful attempt to return power

Not all noblemen agreed with the forcible removal of their ruler. The country began unrest. Maria, the Scottish queen, managed to take advantage of this and fled from prison. The attempt to return power failed. The opposition army was defeated and the deposed queen had to flee to England.

Intrigues against Elizabeth I

The Queen of England was in a delicate situation. Help the military forces, she could not, to send a relative to France too - Maria immediately began to make claims to the English throne. Elizabeth began an investigation into the circumstances of the death of her second husband Maria and her involvement in this.

Opponents of the queen presented letters (other than her poems, they were fake), which supposedly followed that she knew about the plot. As a result of the trial and again unrest in Scotland, Maria finally lost hope of regaining power.

While in custody, she acted extremely carelessly, by tying up correspondence with other royal houses. Against Elizabeth did not stop trying to remove her from the throne, and Maria remained the main contender for him.

The trial and execution of Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scots

Her name was attributed to several open conspiracies against Elizabeth, but she hesitated, not daring to go to extreme measures. Only when the correspondence of the rival with one of the leaders of the conspirators got into her hands, the Queen of England decided on the court. He sentenced Maria Stewart to death. Elizabeth was waiting for a cousin of a tearful request for pardon from her cousin, but in vain.

Maria Stewart, the Scottish queen, whose life story still excites the minds of historians and artists, ascended the scaffold and was publicly executed early in the morning on February 8, 1587, at the age of 44. She was holding on surprisingly manly, and on the block she rose, holding her head high. Stephen Zweig brilliantly described the execution of the Queen in his work on this amazing woman.

Scottish Queen Maria Stuart in Art

Her tragic fate and cruel execution were the source of many works of art. Stefan Zweig, Friedrich Schiller and other writers have dedicated their works to her. The execution of Mary Stewart, the queen of Scotch, became the motive of many canvases by artists.

Cinematography, too, did not stay away. Life, in which there were ups and downs, love and treachery, hope and treachery, was reflected in the feature films and documentaries.

A lot of fictional stories are connected with the name of this extraordinary woman. In the new TV series "Kingdom" the writers went on a distortion of the historical right - Queen Mary of Scotland and Sebastian, the illegitimate son of Henry II and Diane de Poitiers, are presented here as lovers. In fact, such a historical character has never existed.

In 2013, the film "Maria - the Queen of Scotland (Scotland)" was created, which told about the amazing fate of this ruler wearing three crowns on the banner.