Portal:Scotland/Selected article/Week 1, 2009

Mary, Queen of Scots (popularly known in France, as Marie Stuart) (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 to 24 July 1567. She was also the queen consort of France from 10 July 1559 to 5 December 1560. After a long period of custody in England, she was tried and executed for treason following her alleged involvement in three plots to assassinate Elizabeth I of England and place herself on the English throne.

During the 15th century reign of Robert III of Scotland, it had been confirmed that the Scottish Crown would only be inherited by males in the line of Robert's children&mdash;all sons&mdash;who were listed in that parliamentary Act. Females and female lines could inherit only after extinction of male lines.

Mary was born at Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgow, Scotland, on 8 December 1542 to King James V of Scotland and his French wife, Mary of Guise. The House of Stewart had gained the throne of Scotland by the marriage of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce, to the high steward of Scotland. Mary ascended to the throne because, with the demise of her father, James V, Robert II had no remaining direct male descendants of unquestionably legitimate origins. John Stewart, Duke of Albany, grandson of James II and at one time regent for the young James V, was the last direct male heir of Robert II (other than the king himself) when he died in 1536.