Rule This Quiz on Mary, Queen of Scots

To create more peaceful British relations and weaken French influence in Scotland, King Henry VIII of England devised a plan known as the Treaty of Greenwich. Henry attempted to marry off his son Edward to Mary in 1543, just one year after she was born. The Scottish and English parliaments both signed off on the agreement, but the Earl of Arran renounced the deal later that year. To try to force the matter, Henry VIII then attacked Scotland in a war known as the "Rough Wooing.”

It took a few months for Mary's coronation ceremony to be organized, but at nine months old, the infant queen was officially crowned in the Chapel Royal of Stirling Castle, located between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Scotland's most senior religious official, Cardinal David Beaton, conducted the ceremony. Few details of the occasion exist, but most accounts record it as a hastily arranged affair, with little pomp or circumstance.

Golf was invented in the Scottish highlands, so it only makes sense that the Queen of Scots herself would be a player. By most accounts, Mary was a fan of the game and is even credited with popularizing the term "caddie.” It took until 1811 for golf to have its first tournament for women, but thanks in part to Mary, women have been playing the game since its earliest days.

Mary, Queen of Scots was a talented linguist fluent in at least four languages. She spoke Scots, the language of her people, as well as French, and was raised studying Latin, Italian, and Spanish, all of which she excelled in. Despite her rivalry with England, her relationship with Elizabeth I, and her imprisonment in England, Mary never learned more than a basic grasp of English.

After escaping imprisonment by her countrymen, Mary fled to England seeking the protection of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth sheltered her as a captive for 19 years, conflicted about whether to free her or treat her as a criminal. Finally, the decision was made for her, when evidence arose that Mary had supported the Babington Plot to assassinate Elizabeth. The Scottish royal was executed for treason in 1587 at the age of 44.

In 1567, Lord Darnley, Mary’s second husband, was murdered in an explosion. Though there is no evidence supporting it, Mary herself was accused of having a hand in the crime and was imprisoned at Lochleven Castle in Scotland. While there, she was forced to abdicate the throne to her one-year-old son, who would later become King James VI of Scotland. and James I of England, which he led after unifying Great Britain in 1603.

Mary, Queen of Scots was baptized and raised Catholic, and ruled primarily as a Catholic queen, which caused a fair amount of strife between Scotland and other countries. While Mary was in France (a predominantly Catholic country) being educated and ruling as Queen Consort, Scotland was reformed to Protestantism. This could easily have led to a religious overthrow of the young queen, but she allowed the Scottish people to worship as they wished.

For a brief time in 1559 and 1560, Mary, Queen of Scots was also the Queen Consort of France. One year earlier, Mary had become betrothed to Francis, the eldest son of King Henry II of France. Shortly afterward, Henry died of a jousting accident and Francis became king, with Mary serving as his queen. Unfortunately, Francis was also not long for this world, and died from disease at the age of 16. Mary had to content herself with just being Queen of Scots again.

Mary was born on December 8, 1542, while her father, James V of Scotland, was on his deathbed. When James died on December 14, Mary became Queen of Scots. For much of her early life, the actual governing of the Scottish monarchy was handled by regents, but her responsibilities quickly began to grow. In reference to the origins of his royal house, James is reported to have said, "It began with a lass and it will end with a lass."

The House of Stuart was the ruling house of Scotland from 1371 until 1649 and included Mary, Queen of Scots among its many monarchs. Originally, the house was spelled "Stewart," but French influence led Mary to alter the spelling to "Stuart," which is how we know it today. Kings Robert II, Robert III, and James I-V all led Scotland from the House of Stuart before Mary took the crown in 1542.