Letters Of Mary, Queen Of Scots; Volume 1

by Mary Queen of Scots (Creator)

This collection of letters offers a unique insight into the life and times of Mary, Queen of Scots, one of the most controversial figures of the 16th century. Written during her long imprisonment in England, the letters reveal Mary's intelligence, resilience, and deep religious faith, as she struggles to assert her rights as a monarch and a woman. This edition includes a comprehensive introduction and notes by the noted scholar James Thornton. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

412 pages, Hardcover

Published July 18, 2023

About the author

Mary Stuart reigned from 1542 as Queen of Scots during the Reformation until forced in 1567 to abdicate in favor of James, her son; afterwards she fled to England in 1568, Elizabeth I imprisoned her, supporters plotted to place her on the English throne and resulted in her trial and execution for sedition.

James VI, her son, reigned from 1567 over Scotland and from 1603 succeeded as James I, the heir of Elizabeth I of England.

Her execution in 1587 marked reign of Elizabeth I as queen of England and Ireland.

Of legitimate children of James V, only she survived. Six days after her birth, her father died on 14 December 1542, and nine months later, people crowned her.

In 1558, she married Francis, dauphin, who ascended the French in 1559. Mary lived not long of France; he husband died on 5 December 1560. After death, Mary as a widow returned and arrived in Leith on 19 August 1561. Four years later, she married Henry Stuart, lord Darnley and her first cousin. After a huge explosion in the house, their unhappy union ended in February 1567, when people found dead body of lord Darnley in the garden at Kirk O'Field.

People generally thought that James Hepburn, fourth earl of Bothwell, murdered lord Darnley, but she quickly married him. Following an uprising against the couple, castle of Loch Leven imprisoned Mary on 15 June 1567, and year-old son reigned from 24 July 1567. Mary expected to inherit kingdom of her first cousin, and, after an unsuccessful attempt to regain, sought her protection. Because Mary previously claimed her own and presented the threat, and many persons, including participants in the rising of the north, considered her as the legitimate sovereign, authorities ordered her arrest. After 19 years in a number of castles and manor houses, they tried her for treason for her involvement in three assassination attempts.