Mary Stuart was one of Scotland's most famous women, and her execution in 1587 was a tragic event in the life of the country.
She was born on December 8, 1542. The future queen was brought up at the French court, from childhood she studied languages and art. At age 14, she was married to the Dauphin of France - Francis II. Shortly after this wedding, the English throne was free.
The only legal heiress was Mary, descending in a straight line from
Henry VII. But the British were against the French-raised “piggy” professing Catholicism, not Protestantism. Therefore, they enthroned the daughter of Henry VIII - Elizabeth.
However, Mary Stuart did not abandon the desire to rule England. She took the coat of arms of England, combining it with the coat of arms of Scotland. By this time, Elizabeth had already managed to gain authority in her country. In 1560, Francis II died , and she had to return to Scotland. After the luxury of the Louvre, the poverty and savagery of the native country evoked longing for it. And Mary allowed herself to flirt with the nobleman Chatelard.
Maria Stewart, whose biography is complex and romantic, is known as a noble and feminine ruler who lived more with feelings than political interests. She refused the offer of a hand to the son of the Spanish monarch, the Swedish and Danish kings, and suddenly “jumped out” to marry Lord Darnley. Political interests were sacrificed for love. Darnley was the offspring of the royal houses of Tudors and Stuarts. But the marriage lasted only six months.
Maria with her supporters expelled her husband from the capital and got a lover - Count Boswell. She understood that the pope would not give permission for divorce, so she fraudulently lured Darnley into the capital, where he was killed. After that, the lovers got married, despite the fact that the Scots considered Boswell the murderer of Darnley. This set the people against the queen. An uprising broke out - Mary Stuart was captured, Boswell managed to escape.
The Lords imprisoned the queen in Lochleven Castle and forced them to sign the abdication. The king was her son Jacob VI. After some time, the captive queen slipped away from the imposed “guardianship” and gathered an army, but was defeated. Mary fled to England in the hope of gaining the support of Elizabeth. But in fact, she was held in honorable captivity in England, her son refused her.
For nineteen years, she led a modest and joyless life in a foreign country, after which she decided to take another adventure. Mary supported the Babington plot against Elizabeth. But he was revealed, and Mary was accused of complicity. Elizabeth (albeit with great difficulty) decided to sign the death sentence to her cousin. Mary Stuart did not ask for a pardon. The execution itself, which took place
on February 8, 1587, was perfectly described by Stefan Zweig.
Many writers have addressed the history of the unfortunate queen in their works. Schiller wrote about her (“Mary Stuart”), introducing her to readers not as a great ruler, but as a smart, emotional, fatal woman whose feelings prevented her from becoming an effective leader. She was strong and purposeful. She was a personality, which made her figure so famous, attractive and worthy of constant attention.