Tragic beginnings
Mary was born in 1542. The exact date of her birth is disputed, but it was either 7th or 8th December. She was the daughter of James V of Scotland, and his French wife, Mary of Guise. The English army had recently defeated the Scots at the Battle of Solway Moss, and Mary's father James V had fallen into a depression. Within a week of her birth he would die at Falkland.

Mary was not just heir to the Scottish throne - she had a claim to the throne of England as well. Her grandfather, James IV had married Margaret Tudor, the sister of King Henry VIII of England. It was this that caused many of Mary's problems. As a young child she was promised in marriage to Prince Edward, the future Edward VI of England. The agreement was that the two kingdoms would remain independent, but Henry VIII nevertheless attempted to annexe Scotland with violence. He wanted Mary to be handed over to him before she was married to his son. Thus began a period of warfare known as the 'rough wooing.' This would go on even after the death of Henry VIII in 1547.

Flight to safety
In August 1548 she was removed from Scotland to the court of Henri II, King of France, for her own safety. Amongst those accompanying her were John, Lord Erskine, and the famous Four Marys. On 24th April 1558 she married the Dauphin of France, Francis. In 1559 they became King and Queen of France. France was a Catholic nation, and Mary had been raised in a court that was grand and luxurious. Meanwhile Mary's own nation, Scotland, was becoming more and more Protestant.

Return to Scotland
Over the next two years, Mary was to suffer terrible losses. The first was the death of her mother Mary of Guise, who had been running Scotland on her daughter's behalf. The second was the death of her husband in 1561. There was now no place for Mary in France, and she had little choice but to return to Scotland. There had already been a Protestant uprising against Mary of Guise, during which Elizabeth I of England had supported the Scottish protestants. Mary of Guise had called on troops from France to help her but she died in Edinburgh on 11th June 1560.

When Mary returned to Scotland she was a Catholic queen raised in a state of great luxury in France, who had little idea of how to run a country which was becoming predominantly Protestant.

A national religion
In 1565 Mary ruled that Parliament would establish the national religion and she should confirm it. But Parliament had already established the Protestant religion in 1560, and she had not yet confirmed that. This led to a revolt led by her half-brother, Lord James Stewart, Earl of Moray, known as the Chaseabout Raid.

A new husband
One of Mary's major concerns was to marry. Yet this was a problem. Scotland was not an attractive proposition to the many suitors who proposed to Elizabeth I. The attitude of the time was that a woman should not rule a country. However, marriage to a monarch of another nation brought with it the risk of Scotland being completely subsumed. Mary had to produce an heir to the throne, yet the minute she gave birth to a boy, her own position as a reigning queen would be jeopardised. Mary's husband had to be chosen with great care. The husband she chose was Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley. Although his father's religion was uncertain, his mother was a devout Catholic. Although Mary often referred to him as the King, he was never made a reigning monarch. He was bitter about this, and his jealousy of Mary's trust and friendship with her Italian secretary David Rizzio led to him becoming involved in the plot to kill Rizzio.

The murder of Rizzio
In March 1566, whilst Mary was pregnant with the future James VI, a group of nobles dragged Rizzio from Mary's private room at Holyrood, and stabbed him to death. The Queen, who had been having a private party with close friends, in the room, had tried to defend Rizzio. Her equerry, Arthur Erskine, who may have been her half-brother, but was described as being a brother of the Earl of Mar, helped her to escape from Holyrood.

Alloa Tower
On 19th June 1566, Mary gave birth to a son, the future James VI. Shortly after she visited Alloa Tower. The year before she had granted the Earldom of Mar to John Lord Erskine. She arrived at the tower by boat, apparently accompanied by James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, and several other men. She was followed by Lord Darnley, who may or may not have been allowed to stay overnight at the Tower, which is now cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. She spent a few days there before moving on to Stirling.

The murder of Darnley
In February 1567 Lord Darnley was murdered at Kirk O'Field. One of the main suspects for the murder was Patrick Hepburn. It was believed that Mary herself could be implicated, as Mary and Bothwell had a very close relationship. Bothwell kidnapped Mary, and seemingly forced her to marry him. An attempt was made to free the Queen from this marriage by force. Mary and Bothwell's troops faced an army led by a group of nobles called the confederate lords. No fighting took place at Carberry, but Bothwell promised to leave under safe passage, as long as the Queen was well treated. She was taken to Loch Leven Castle, and on 24th July she was forced to abdicate. On the 3rd May 1568 she escaped from Loch Leven, but was defeated by her half-brother at the Battle of Langside on 13th May.

Execution
She fled to England, but her second cousin, Elizabeth I, was always unsure of how to deal with the situation. She wanted to uphold the rights of monarchs, but she was aware that Catholics in her own country could flaunt Mary's claim to the throne of England, and that Mary, whilst in France, had referred to herself as Queen of England. Mary was held under arrest at a variety of different Castles in England. The two Queens never met, but Mary was implicated in plots against Elizabeth I. The last, the Babington plot, would lead to Mary's execution at Fotheringhay Castle on 8th February 1587.

Elizabeth I never married. Her throne passed to Mary's son, James VI of Scotland, who became the first King of the United Kingdom.

	Mary Queen of Scots Timeline 1497 - Alloa Tower completed. 1542 - Mary Queen of Scots was born on 8th December. She was a daughter of James V King of Scots, and Mary of Guise. Her grandmother was Margaret Tudor, a sister of Henry VIII of England. Death of King James V 1543 - The Treaty of Greenwich drawn up on 1st July. Mary was to marry Prince Edward, the heir to the throne of England. Coronation of Mary Queen of Scots at Stirling Castle on 9th September, 1543 1544 - The beginning of the 'Rough Wooing' - when King Henry VIII used force to try to persuade the nobles of Scotland to honour the marriage arrangement. 1547 Battle of Pinkie Cleugh between Scotland and England. 14000 Scots were killed, including Robert Erskine. Death of Henry VIII on 28th January Mary Queen of Scots returns to Stirling Castle on 29th September 1547 - In August Mary departs for France, accompanied by Lord Erskine, some other nobles, her half-brother James Stewart, and the Four Marys. 1558 - On 24th April, aged only 15, Mary Queen of Scots married Francis, the Dauphin of France. 1558 - On 18th September, Francis II was crowned King of France 1558 - Lord Erskine admitted Mary of Guise to Edinburgh Castle. She died there on 11th June. 1558 - On 5th December Francis died of a fever caused by an ear Infection. Mary has little choice but to return to Scotland. 1562 - Mary's troops defeated an uprising led by the Earl of Huntly and his son. 1565 - Mary married Henry, Lord Darnley. He had a claim to the Throne of both England and Scotland. 1565 - On 12th March, David Riccio was murdered. One witness to the event was Arthur Erskine, who was Mary's equerry. When the conspirators held her captive, Arthur Erskine helped her to escape, escorting her to Dunbar. 1565 - 9th Feb Lord Darnley murdered at Kirk o'Field On 15th May Mary married James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell Mary was imprisoned at Loch Leven Castle On 24th July Mary was forced to abdicate On 29th July James VI was crowned King of Scots at Stirling 1565 - Mary escaped from Lochleven Castle She was defeated at the Battle of Langside on 13th May After this defeat she fled to England, where she would be imprisoned until her death at the age of 45 on 8th February 1587. She was executed at Fotheringay Castle.