Mary Queen of Scots Abdicated

Mary I of Scotland (Mary Stuart or Stewart) (December 8, 1542 – February 08, 1587), better known as Mary, Queen of Scots, was the ruler of Scotland from December 14, 1542 – July 24, 1567. She is perhaps the best known of the Scottish monarchs, in part because of the tragedy of her life. Mary Queen of Scots is the most intriguing, most studied, and most famous of all Scottish monarchs: probably because she showed herself to be the most human. Though styled Queen of Scots she was briefly also Queen of France, and could all so easily also have become what she was seen by many: the rightful Queen of England.

On 24 April Mary visited her son James in Stirling. On her way back to Edinburgh she was intercepted by Bothwell and his followers and persuaded to return with him to Dunbar Castle. The two may or may not already have been lovers and Mary may or may not have been a willing participant in her own abduction and subsequent rape by Bothwell. Either way, the two returned to Edinburgh on 6 May 1567. The following day Bothwell obtained a divorce from his first wife, and on 15 May he and Mary were married.

Mary was imprisoned at Lochleven Castle and on 24 June 1567 she was given the choice of abdication or death. Under considerable duress, Mary Queen of Scots abdicated in favour of her one year old son on the 24th July 1567 with the regency going to her half brother, the Earl of Moray. To make matters worse, she had previously given birth to stillborn twins after which she was extremely ill from loss of blood.