Mary Queen of Scots beheaded
After 19 years of imprisonment Mary Queen of Scots is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England for her complicity in a plot to murder Queen Elizabeth I.In 1542 while just six days old Mary ascended to the Scottish throne upon the death of her father King James V.Her mother sent her to be raised in the French court and in 1558 she married the French dauphin who became King Francis II of France in 1559 but died the following year.After Francis death Mary returned to Scotland to assume her designated role as the countrys monarch.In 1565 she married her English cousin Lord Darnley in order to reinforce her claim of succession to the English throne after Elizabeths death.
In 1567 Darnley was mysteriously killed in an explosion at Kirk o Field and Marys lover the Earl of Bothwell was the key suspect.Although Bothwell was acquitted of the charge his marriage to Mary in the same year enraged the nobility.Mary brought an army against the nobles but was defeated and imprisoned at Lochleven Scotland and forced to abdicate in favor of her son by Darnley James.In 1568 Mary escaped from captivity and raised a substantial army but was defeated and fled to England.
Queen Elizabeth initially welcomed Mary but was soon forced to put her friend under house arrest after Mary became the focus of various English Catholic and Spanish plots to overthrow Elizabeth.Nineteen years later in 1586 a major plot to murder Elizabeth was reported and Mary was brought to trial.She was convicted for complicity and sentenced to death.On February 8 1587 Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded for treason.
Her son King James VI of Scotland calmly accepted his mothers execution and upon Queen Elizabeths death in 1603 he became king of England Scotland and Ireland.
