When it was released in 2018, the film Mary Queen of Scots, starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, stirred up much interest in the life of Mary Stuart. Becoming queen when she was just a baby, Mary endured a hard and sometimes unlucky life. She ruled during a tumultuous time in the history of the British Isles and remains one of the most famous Scottish monarchs to date. Visit Edinburgh and you’ll be sure to learn all about Mary I.

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Although the movie was sometimes factually accurate, there was definitely more to Mary Stuart than was shown. Keep reading to find out 10 fascinating facts about Mary, Queen of Scots.

10 She Became Queen Of Scotland As A Baby

Some royals wait their whole lives to become king or queen. But for Mary Stuart, the throne came nearly instantly. She was born in Linlithgow Palace, Scotland, on December 8, 1542. According to Biography.com, her father, James V of Scotland, died only six days later, leaving the infant Mary as the queen of Scotland.

Naturally, Mary couldn’t actually rule as a baby and so her great-uncle Henry tried to gain control of Scotland. But Mary’s mother, Mary of Guise who was born in what is now France, was the one who acted on Mary’s behalf as regent.

9 Mary’s Failed Betrothal Led To A War

Mary was less than lucky in her love life. Perhaps her fate could have been foretold when her first betrothal to Prince Edward of England failed so spectacularly. The Scottish Catholics did not want Mary to be betrothed to an English royal as England had separated from the Catholic Church, and so the betrothal was annulled.

As you might imagine, pulling out of a betrothal was not well received in those days. In response, England started attacking Scotland in a series of raids. This is now referred to as The Rough Wooing.

8 Her First Husband Died When He Was A Teenager

Mary did not have much luck with her first betrothal, which was ended before it could begin. She also didn’t have a lot of luck with her first official marriage, as her husband died when the couple were still teenagers. In 1548, Mary was sent to France to marry the Dauphin. She returned home to Scotland in 1561, still young and already widowed.

By modern standards, it’s difficult to imagine that someone could be a widow at the age of 13. But by this age, Mary was already in the position to seek out husband number two when she returned to Scotland.

7 She Tried To Preach Religious Tolerance

Religion was a touchy subject in Mary’s time. When she arrived back on Scottish soil, she was received by a government of Protestants who had made it illegal to practice a lot of Catholic conventions, such as mass. A Catholic herself, this put Mary in a difficult position. Still, she tried to preach religious tolerance during her reign.

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She attempted to lead by example by being tolerant of both Protestantism and Catholicism—a characteristic that made her fairly unique as far as rulers go. But many grew hostile toward the queen, despite her desire for tolerance.

6 Her Second Husband Murdered Her Secretary

When she returned to Scotland, Mary fell in love with Henry, Lord Darnley. Not only did she genuinely care for him, but he was a wise match for her in the eyes of her advisors thanks to his Protestant faith. Though this love story started out positively, there was no happy ending.

Darnley turned out to be a drunk and was no real support for Mary. He also grew jealous of Mary’s favorite secretary, the Italian David Riccio. As shown in the 2018 film Mary Queen of Scots, Darnley murdered Riccio right before Mary’s eyes in Holyrood House.

5 Marrying Her Third Husband Angered The Scottish Nobility

The marriage between Mary and Darnley didn’t last. Darnley later died under suspicious circumstances just outside of Edinburgh, and Mary married James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, three months later. This was a controversial match as Bothwell was actually a suspect in her late husband’s murder.

The Scottish nobles were less than supportive of the marriage, and it ended up being one of the key elements that led to Mary’s downfall. The nobility rose against Mary, and after her army deserted her, she was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle.

4 She Gave Birth To Still-Born Twins While Imprisoned

During her imprisonment at the castle, Mary tragically gave birth to still-born twins. Meanwhile, Bothwell was forced into exile in Denmark. He later became insane and died in 1578. With the help of the brother of the castle’s owner, Mary was able to escape Lochleven and raise an army of around 6,000 men. When her army was defeated, she traveled to England with the hope that her cousin, Elizabeth I, would help her regain her throne.

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While she would escape from Lochleven in 1568, the future sadly had many more long years of imprisonment in store for her.

3 Elizabeth I Imprisoned Her For Nearly 20 Years

It is thought that Mary expected help from her cousin Elizabeth. But Elizabeth was more cautious of Mary than welcoming of her and ordered several inquiries into the events that had taken place in Scotland. For nearly 20 years, Mary was held captive in various locations across England.

In the 2018 film, Mary’s imprisonment is glossed over, but she was held in England for 18 years. Although she was held captive, she still had her own members of staff working or her and was allowed to bring her own belongings with her.

2 She Was Executed At The Age Of 44

In the end, Elizabeth ordered Mary to be put to death for treason. Letters revealed that Mary had authorized an attempted assassination of Elizabeth, and so Elizabeth decided to eliminate the threat by getting rid of Mary. She was executed on February 8 at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire in 1587 at the age of 44.

Mary only knew of her impending execution the night before it occurred. She spent her final hours in prayer and also divided her belongings amongst her household. After Mary was beheaded (which took more than one try), the executioner realized that her auburn hair had been a wig and she actually had short gray hair.

1 Her Son Became King

Mary’s son that she left behind in Scotland became the king of both Scotland and England after her death. He was known as James I of England and VI of Scotland, as his grandfather was James V of Scotland.

After Mary’s execution, she was buried in Peterborough Cathedral. In 1612, James had her body exhumed and reburied at Westminster Abbey, which was deemed to be a place of honor. He also had Elizabeth I exhumed and reburied in a different tomb nearby. James ruled for over 57 years—the longest rule of any Scottish monarch.

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