Counter Point: Mary, Queen of Scots', reign ruled

Posted Jan. 21, 2022

By Huda Aden

Staff Reporter

To my understanding Queen Mary was the better leader due to her being the best known figure in Scotland royal history.

Mary Stuart was born on December 8, 1542 in Linlithgo, West Lothian, Scotland. Mary’s father died when she was six days old, making her queen of Scotland. She was the daughter of King James V and his second wife, Mary of Guise.

She was a headstrong monarch who was passionate and poised at the very beginning of her tumultuous rise to power, Mary was left with the French’s court in her hand when the plague wiped out half of France’s population, she has faced politicial and sexual inturge in the trechrous world of the french court. She has stated that she will go against her husband and his whole family if it means standing with her country ”I may live in France but I have a heart of a Scot.”

Back in her country, she struggled to earn trust of both Protestants and Catholics which she eventually did just as Elizabeth was making a move on her throne. Unlike her cousin Elizabeth, who inherited the throne at the age of 25 and had great advisors and nobles by her

Mary never had that experience, all her nobleman and consultants were only looking out for themselves, but she was still a fully developed queen who was courageous and politically accomplished. “Regardless of my faith, I am not a Catholic Queen, I am not a Protestant Queen, I am not a French Queen, I am your Queen” Mary said during a reminder to her Subjects that Scotland will see a separation of religion and politics.

Mary later on had a son that she named after her older half-brother James Stewert. She sent a letter to her cousin asking her to be the Godmother to her baby, if she has no children, then he should be heir to both Countries. Mary ended being arrested for “Treason” by John Knox as he said “ Men will never bow down to the weaker sex.” Mary responded by saying “ And they will suffer greatly for it.” She was locked up but she ended up escaping and ran to England to seek out the protection of her cousin, who instead had her arrested. Her life came to an end at the age of 44 when Elizabeth had her beheaded on February 8, 1587.