Wikipedia:Today's featured article/September 9, 2012



Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) was queen regnant of Scotland from 14 December 1542 to 24 July 1567 and queen consort of France from 10 July 1559 to 5 December 1560. The only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland, she was six days old when her father died. She was crowned on 9 September 1543. In 1558, she married Francis, Dauphin of France. Mary was briefly queen consort of France, until she was widowed on 5 December 1560. Mary then returned to Scotland. Four years later, she married her first cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, but in February 1567, he was found murdered in his garden. Following an uprising against Mary and her third husband, James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. On 24 July 1567, she was forced to abdicate in favour of her one-year-old son, James. (more...)

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