A fire in a castle and the tragic death of the Queen of Scots: A timeline from 1561

pipisme

In September 1561, a month after she returned to Scotland from France, Mary, Queen of Scots, died as she slept in Stirling Castle when her bed and its hangings caught fire. She suffocated. She was only 18 years old. The marriage agreement between Mary and Francois II of France stated that if they did not have any children, then the Scottish throne would go to the ancient line of Scottish succession.

There were two claimants to the Scottish crown. James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, and Matthew Stewart, 4tn Earl of Lennox. Arran's grandfather had married Princess Mary, the daughter of James II in about 1474. Arran became regent after the death of James V. Lennox, was also descended from Princess Mary. His wife was Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox. She was the daughter of Margaret Tudor, who was the daughter of Henry VII, and she claimed the English throne.
 
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ordinarylittleme

ordinarylittleme

pipisme said:
The marriage agreement between Mary and Francois II of France stated that if they did not have any children, then the Scottish throne would go to the ancient line of Scottish succession
Click to expand...
No it didn't. Francis would have gotten the throne of Scotland jure uxoris
 

pipisme

Mary Queen of Scots died on 24 September 1561 when she was suffocated, not burnt, as she slept. Most Scottish people mourned the death of their young and beautiful queen. But her death seemed to fulfil and old prophecy ' that a quene sholde be burnte at Sterlinge'. (1) She had a state funeral in St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, and was buried on Iona, with kings of Scotland.

John Knox did not mourn Mary's death. When she returned to Scotland from France, he said (in modern English translation): "The very face of heaven the time of her arrival, did manifestly speak what comfort was brought into this country with her to wit sorrow, dolour darkness and all impiety.....The sun was not seen to shine for two days before, nor two days after. The forewarning gave God unto us, but alas the most part were blind." (2)

(1) Quotation taken from the book Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens by Jane Dunn, London: HarperCollins 2003.

(2) Quoted in original Scots in Dunn. See footnote #1
 

pipisme

Of the two claimants to the Scottish throne, James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, had the advantage as he was living in Scotland. Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox, was living in Settrington House in the East Riding of Yorkshire with his wife, Margaret, and their two sons, Henry, Lord Darnley, and Charles Stewart.
 
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HortenseMancini

HortenseMancini

The hamiltons are without doubt next in line for the throne - they are the descendants of mary stewart's son while the lennox stewarts are the descendants of her daughter
 

pipisme

The Earl of Lennox left Scotland in 1544 to join Henry VIII's invasion of that country in what is called the 'Rough Wooing', when Henry tried to get the Scottish Parliament to agree to the marriage of Prince Edward with Mary, Queen of Scots. Except when he was campaigning in Scotland, Lennox had been living in England since 1544, and permanently since 1548. His estates in Scotland were forfeited. He believed that his claim to the Scottish throne was more legitimate than the Earl of Arran's who was born of a marriage which had followed a divorce.

In 1543, Arran had declared himself next in line to the throne after Mary. In 1549 Henry II of France made him Duke of Chatelherault. He converted to Protestantism from Catholicism, then reverted back to Catholicism. He may have returned to Protestantism.

Not since Margaret, Queen of Scots, had died at the age of seven in 1290, had a Scottish monarch died without an heir. Scottish nobles did not want a repeat of what happened then, when competition between rival claimants for the Scottish throne led eventually to Edward I invading the country. So on 29 September 1561, almost all of them proclaimed Arran King of Scots as James VI.
 
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pipisme

Queen Elizabeth I heard the news of the death of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, one to two weeks later, depending on the time it took a messenger to ride from Edinburgh to London. So in the first week of October 1561. The two women were cousins, but also rivals. Elizabeth showed public grief and sorrow over the death of Mary. Her private feelings are unknown. But it made her more aware of how short life could be, even for monarchs.

Mary had refused to ratify the Treaty of Edinburgh between England, France and Scotland in which France withdrew her claim to the throne of England and Ireland, and recognised that Elizabeth was the rightful queen of those countries. With Mary now dead, that threat to Elizabeth's throne was removed, though there were other claimants.

Mary's death increased the pressure on Elizabeth by her advisors, principally William Cecil, to marry and produce an heir. She was the most eligible woman in Europe. At that time her suitors were the Archduke Charles of Austria, and King Erik XIV of Sweden. There was also Robert Dudley, perhaps the only man she ever truly loved. But his wife, Amy, being found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their country house on 8 September 1560, was a major impediment to marriage between him and Elizabeth.
 

pipisme

Matthew Stewart, Earl of Lennox, wanted to return to Scotland to reclaim his property which had been forfeited. He wrote to his wife, Margaret's relations, Sir James Melville and his brother, Robert, asking them to petition James VI in his favour. Sir James wrote back saying that he would. Matthew arrived in Edinburgh on 7 November 1561. He left Margaret and their two sons, Henry and Charles, at Settrington Hall in Yorkshire.

In Edinburgh he met the Melvilles who told him that James had agreed to meet him at Holyrood Palace. This he did on 22 November. He renounced his claim to the throne of Scotland and declared his allegiance to James VI. In return the king restored his lands, titles, and good name.
 

pipisme

Lord Henry Darnley married Jean Gordon (born 1546) , the second eldest daughter of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, on 13 May 1564. Jean gave birth to a daughter on 8 August 1565, and a son on 11 January 1567. She and Henry named them Margaret and Alexander respectively. Darnley's mother, Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, was a grand daughter of Henry VII.
 
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pipisme

James VI of Scotland died on 22 January 1575 at the age of 55. His eldest son, James (born 1537), was declared insane in 1562 and imprisoned for the rest of his life in various castle, and put under the care of his younger brother, John (born 1540). John became king of Scotland as John I. John Baliol not being counted as John I.
 
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pipisme

John I married Margaret Lyon in January 1578. They had three children: Edward who died in infancy, James born in 1589, and Margaret. John died on 26 April 1604 and was succeeded by his son James, as James VII, King of Scots.

Queen Elizabeth died on 24 March 1603. She would never name her successor. There were several claimants to the English throne. (1) On her death bed, Elizabeth indicated that she wanted William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby, to be her successor. (2) So he became King William III of England and Ireland.

(1) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_to_Elizabeth_I.

(2) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Stanley,_6th_Earl_of_Derby.
 
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ordinarylittleme

ordinarylittleme

pipisme

I have decided not to continue with this timeline so that I have more time for my other timelines. I thank the people who have read it, commented on it, and liked it.
 
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