Two very different queens

On this date in 1542, Mary Stuart, the future Queen of Scotland and France, was born. I once posted that Mary never met a bad decision she did not run to embrace, and several of my readers told me they thought that was funny. I think it was also quite true. Mary seems to have been a dreadful judge of character. She was also impulsive to a fault, and rarely considered the consequences of her actions. I concede that her life was not an easy one. But who could have had a more traumatic childhood and girlhood than her cousin Elizabeth? She withstood her trial by fire, though, and went on to become one of England’s greatest rulers.
Here is yet another reason to want to visit Wales—a spectacular show of the aurora borealis.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/...
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Published on October 08, 2015 10:35
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message 1: by Terelyn (new)

Terelyn Marks I've always felt a little sorry for Mary Stuart. She was intelligent and educated, but didn't have a speck of sense or judgment. She was raised to be a queen-consort -- pretty, charming, agreeable and birth a whole lot of healthy sons. So, she was married to Francis....

When he died and Madam Serpent forced her out of France, she suddenly found herself as a queen-regnant and being pretty, charming and agreeable was useless to her.

By more-or-less forbidding her to marry Darnley, Elizabeth pretty much guaranteed she would, which led to one disaster after another. I've long thought Elizabeth's 'anger' over the marriage was feigned! She just went from bad to worse.


message 2: by Sharon (new)

Sharon I totally agree, Terelyn. Elizabeth set Mary up beautifully, first by offering her Robin as a prospective husband, knowing Mary would be mortally offended since the world thought he was Elizabeth's lover. She then sent handsome, Catholic Henry Darnley to Scotland, and sure enough, Mary took the bait, hook, line, and sinker. She soon learned what Elizabeth had always known, that Darnley had a pretty face, but no depth, only arrogance and a strong sense of entitlement. This was such a turning point for Mary, as after her marriage to Darnley, her life spiraled out of control.


message 3: by Gin (new)

Gin Tadvick I chalk Mary's lack of common sense up to the fact that she grew up in the French court. And as Terelyn mentioned - trained to be the "perfect" consort but it is well know that French Kings didn't think much of their queens nor encourage them to think for themselves. Madam Serpent is the exception but then she wasn't really French was she? If Mary had been raised in Scotland - she probably would have had more sense in her pretty head. I have always felt rather sorry for Mary.


message 4: by Terelyn (new)

Terelyn Marks Gin wrote: "I chalk Mary's lack of common sense up to the fact that she grew up in the French court. And as Terelyn mentioned - trained to be the "perfect" consort but it is well know that French Kings didn't..."

Catherine de Medici was Italian. No, the French wanted their queens to be good breeders and keep anything like ::gasp:: thoughts to themselves.


message 5: by Donna (last edited Oct 13, 2015 04:29AM) (new)

Donna I enjoy the tv series Reign, although I am quite aware that it's a great deal more fantasy than history. However this line of discussion does show the foolish decisions of tv Mary are maybe more realistic than I would have imagined. (I do keep an authentic biography of Mary at hand and have a good bit of trouble finding the facts in Reign.) I did try to read Phillipa Gregory's novel about Mary but thought it was awful and prefer the tv fantasy! thanks to all for the comments.


message 6: by Terelyn (new)

Terelyn Marks Donna wrote: "I enjoy the tv series Reign, although I am quite aware that it's a great deal more fantasy than history. However this line of discussion does show the foolish decisions of tv Mary are maybe more re..."

Oh dear.... I saw the trailer for Reign and was so appalled by the costumes (they looked like bad prom dresses!!) that I simply could NOT watch the series.

If you want a good novel (I can also suggest some good non-fiction bios), try Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George.


message 7: by Donna (last edited Oct 14, 2015 05:54PM) (new)

Donna Oh the women's dresses are THE WORST of the in-authenticity. They ARE bad prom dresses. It's a guilty pleasure past time. Thanks for the book recommendations.


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