Mary queen of scots biography chalmers

Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567

For other people called Mary, Queen of Scots, see Mary, Queen of Scots (disambiguation).

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart^[3] or Mary I of Scotland,^[4] was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.

The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland, Mary was six days old when her father died and she inherited the throne. During her childhood, Scotland was governed by regents, first by the heir to the throne, James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, and then by her mother, Mary of Guise.

In 1548, she was betrothed to Francis, the Dauphin of France, and was sent to be brought up in France, where she would be safe from invading English forces during the Rough Wooing. Mary married Francis in 1558, becoming queen consort of France from his accession in 1559 until his death in December 1560.

Widowed, Mary returned to S