On This Day

Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567. The…

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567.

The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland, Mary was six days old when her father died and she inherited the throne. During her childhood, Scotland was governed by regents, first by the heir to the throne, James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, and then by her mother, Mary of Guise. In 1548, she was betrothed to Francis, the Dauphin of France, and was sent to be brought up in France, where she would be safe from invading English forces during the Rough Wooing. Mary married Francis in 1558, becoming queen consort of France from his accession in 1559 until his death in December 1560.

Historical Significance

Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567.

Key People

Mary, Queen of Scots

Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567

Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567

Events Before

  1. Foundation stone laid for the new city of La Valletta in Malta by Knights Hospitaller Grand Master Jean de Valette

    Fra' Jean "Parisot" de (la) Valette (la) valɛt]; c. 4 February 1495 – 21 August 1568) was a French nobleman and 49th Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 21 August 1557 to his death in 1568.

  2. Three hundred nobles in the Habsburg Netherlands submit the Compromise of Nobles petition to Margaret of Parma against t

    Three hundred nobles in the Habsburg Netherlands submit the Compromise of Nobles petition to Margaret of Parma against the Inquisition and the enforcement of the placards against heresy

  3. Tribunal convicts Agnes Waterhouse of witchcraft and sentences her to be the first British woman executed for the crime

    Tribunal convicts Agnes Waterhouse of witchcraft and sentences her to be the first British woman executed for the crime (Chelmsford, England)

  4. Great Britain executes Agnes Waterhouse, the first British woman convicted of witchcraft in Chelmsford, England

    Great Britain executes Agnes Waterhouse, the first British woman convicted of witchcraft in Chelmsford, England

  5. Protestant Iconoclasm "Beeldenstorm" (Iconoclastic Fury) begins in the European Low Countries

    Protestant Iconoclasm "Beeldenstorm" (Iconoclastic Fury) begins in the European Low Countries

Events After

  1. Treaty of Adrianople: Representatives of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II and Ottoman Sultan Selim II agree to a peace p

    Treaty of Adrianople: Representatives of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II and Ottoman Sultan Selim II agree to a peace plan ending the war between the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire; Maximilian agrees to provide a cash "present" and ruling authority is granted to the Ottomans in Transylvan

  2. Abdij Church in Middelburg is destroyed by fire

    Abdij Church in Middelburg is destroyed by fire

  3. Treaty of Longjumeau: French huguenots go on strike

    Treaty of Longjumeau: French huguenots go on strike

  4. Battle of Heiligerlee, Groningen: Dutch rebels beat Spanish, thousands killed

    Battle of Heiligerlee, Groningen: Dutch rebels beat Spanish, thousands killed

  5. Duke of Alva oversees beheading of 18 nobles in Brussels as part of Council of Troubles/Council of Blood

    Duke of Alva oversees beheading of 18 nobles in Brussels as part of Council of Troubles/Council of Blood

More from the 1560s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 15, 1567?
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland, Mary was six days old when her father died and she inherited the throne. During her childhood, Scotland was governed by regents, first by the heir to the throne, James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, and then by her mother, Mary of Guise.
Why is Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell significant?
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567.
Who was involved in Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell?
Key figures include Mary, Queen of Scots (Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567).

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