On This Day

Queen Elizabeth I of England signs the death warrant for her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots

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

Elizabeth I

Mary, Queen of Scots

Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567

Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567

Events Before

  1. Walter Raleigh brings the first tobacco to England from Virginia

    Sir Walter Raleigh (1553 – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer.

  2. Battle of Boksum: Spanish troops under Count Tassis defeat the States Army

    Battle of Boksum: Spanish troops under Count Tassis defeat the States Army

  3. Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, becomes governor-general of the States General of the United Provinces (Netherlands)

    Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (24 June 1532 – 4 September 1588) was an English statesman and the favourite of Elizabeth I from her accession until his death.

  4. Johan van Oldenbarnevelt becomes Dutch chief legal advisor

    Johan van Oldenbarnevelt becomes Dutch chief legal advisor

  5. English colonists sailed from Roanoke Island, North Carolina

    The Roanoke Colony (ROH-ə-nohk) were two attempts by Sir Walter Raleigh to found the first permanent English settlement in North America.

Events After

  1. King Philip II dispatches the Spanish Armada under the Duke of Medina-Sidonia from Lisbon, Portugal to invade England

    King Philip II dispatches the Spanish Armada under the Duke of Medina-Sidonia from Lisbon, Portugal to invade England

  2. The "Invincible" Spanish Armada is sighted approaching England, and several skirmishes follow, forcing the invading flee

    The "Invincible" Spanish Armada is sighted approaching England, and several skirmishes follow, forcing the invading fleet to make a long and costly retreat around Scotland and Ireland

  3. Pope Sixtus V issues the apostolic constitution "Immensa aeterni Dei" to reform the Roman Curia

    Immensa aeterni Dei ("The immeasurable [wisdom of] the eternal God") is an apostolic constitution in the form of a papal bull issued by Pope Sixtus V on 22 January 1588.

  4. Christian IV succeeds Frederick II as king of Denmark

    Frederick II (Danish: Frederik 2.; 1 July 1534 – 4 April 1588) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1559 until his death in 1588. A member of the House of Oldenburg,...

  5. Duke Henri de Guise's troops occupy Paris

    Charles de Lorraine, duc de Mayenne (26 March 1554 – 3 October 1611) was a French noble, governor, military commander and rebel during the latter French Wars of Religion.

More from the 1580s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 1, 1587?
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 Queen Elizabeth I of England signs the death warrant for her cousin, Mary, Qu... 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 Queen Elizabeth I of England signs the death warrant for her cousin, Mary, Qu...?
Key figures include Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots (Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567).

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