Mary Queen Of Scots Essay

The old monarchy in Europe has never been shy to controversy. With rulers like Henry VIII, Richard III, and George III in a long line of scandal, it is not hard to believe the chaotic standing of their reputation. One monarch in particular, Mary Stuart, followed her predecessors’ tradition of causing gossip and disgrace. In a family extending from the British Tudor line of Henry VIII and the French House of Guise, this queen contained a fire ready to be ignited. Mary, Queen of Scots, was an incredible figure of the monarchy in the 1500’s, whose story is one of power and political gain shown through her early years, reign and claim to English throne, scandal, and her captivity and downfall.
The childhood of a royal was never a simple one, but the early life of Mary Stuart was one of immense hardship and responsibility even when compared to other noble children. Mary was born in the December of 1542, in West Lothian, Scotland (“Mary, Queen of Scots”). Even when she was a baby, she was considered very significant to the world of sovereigns. She was especially vital when her father, King James V of Scotland, died. At six days old, Mary was already Queen of Scots. Thus, the struggle
Beneath Darnley’s superficial charms, he was unstable and conceited (Cavendish, “Mary, Queen of Scots Marries in Edinburgh”). Mary saw past him and refused to bestow him the right to co-rule Scotland equally with her (“Mary, Queen of Scots: Biography, Facts & Information”). When Mary was six months pregnant with his child, Darnley, with an assembly of nobles, breached her chambers at the palace and stabbed her secretary to death. Darnley schemed for Mary to witness the murder with the hope that she would miscarry the baby from shock and die herself. Darnley’s intentions were to have them dead so he could be king, but he was not