On February 8, 1587, after 19 years imprisonment for her complicity in the plot to murder Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England.
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Six days after she was born, Mary, being the only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland, acceded to the throne. During this time, due to Mary’s age, Scotland was ruled mainly by regents until her 18th birthday.
In 1558 Mary married Francis II of France and briefly became Queen Consort of France when Francis ascended to the French throne in 1559. A year later he died, leaving Mary widowed. Mary decided to move back to Scotland and ruled as their monarch. Four year later she married her English cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, to ensure her claim of succession to the English throne. In February 1567, Lord Darnley was killed in an explosion which many have claimed James Hepburn (Mary’s lover) was responsible for. After being acquitted of the charge in April of 1567, the two were married a month later.
The union of Mary and Hepburn enraged many nobles which in turn caused many uprisings against the couple. In response, Mary raised an army but was defeated and imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle, Scotland. On July 24, 1567, Mary abdicated in favour of her son with Darnley, James VI. Seeking refuge, Mary fled to England to be with her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. Mary along with various English Catholics and the Spanish began to plot against Elizabeth I which resulted in Mary's confinement.
19 years later, Elizabeth having received reports of a major plot against her brought Mary to trial. Mary was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death. After her execution, and upon Queen Elizabeth’s death in 1603, James VI became king of England, Scotland and Ireland.