On the popular television series Game of Thrones, Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen (Queen of the Dothraki clan) proclaimed, “I will do what queens do. I will rule” (Game of Thrones Season 4 Quote). That was particulary so during 16th and 17th century Europe, which was the time of rule by Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland and Queen Elizabeth I. Both queens brought forth a time of political and religious change to the United Kingdom, which aided in the increase and influence of each family’s powers atop the English, Scottish and French throne. Though both women were of the same Tudor family, they were drastically different in their attitudes towards their ruling their countries.
Quen Mary Stuart was born to James V, son of Margaret Tudor, and Mary of Guise. The unfortunate death of he father when she was six days old left her to be Queen of Scotland. Since she was too young, however, Mary’s mother ruled Scotland as regent. Growing up, she was a devout Catholic, which unfortunately did not carry onto her reign when she travelled back to the Protestant Scotland. “Her claims to the throne of England were almost as strong as her claims to the Scottish throne” (“Mary, Queen of Scots (r. 1542-1567).”). Mary was, in fact, next in line to the English throne after Henry VII’s legitimate children. Though she was a Tudor, she did not rule over France.
Queen Mary of Scots, for a time, ruled over France. At a young age, she was taken to France for safety and to eventually marry Francis, becoming an heir to French throne. They were married and became King and Queen of France, which also united France and Scotland. Sadly, Francis died of an ear infection a year later. This left the Queen of Scots widowed and returning to her homeland (“More Information A...
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Mary Stuart was born on December 8, 1542, in Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian, Scotland. Mary was the daughter of King James V of scotland and his second wife, Mary of Guise. After the death of her father Mary was put on the throne in 1542. This made her Mary, Queen of Scots. She was only six days old. Marys claims to the throne of England were almost as strong as her claims to the Scottish throne. She was next in line for the English throne since she was Henry VII of England great granddaughter. Since she was so young and a female, the Scottish nobility decided that they must make peace with England. Mary would have been betrothed to Henry VIII’s son, the future Edward VI of England, but Scottish Catholics objected this plan since England had separated from the Catholic Church. Since Mary's mother was french, and Scotland had an alliance with France, Mary would be betrothed to Francis, the eldest son of King Henry II and Catherine de Medicis.
The biography that is being reviewed is Mary, Queen of Scots by Gordon Donaldson. Mary Stuart, was born at Linlithge Palace on December 8, 1542, sixs days later she became Queen of Scotland. Mary became Queen of France and soon her greediness grew and she wanted to take over England. Mary was unwilling to stay in France, so she went back to Scotland. There her second husband died and she was imprisoned in England for the suspicion of the murder. Mary had a bad ending to her life. Mary got caught in attempting an assassination of Queen Elizabeth for which she was beheaded on February 8, 1587. In conclusion, Mary had a hard life trying to keep her thrones.
In 1547 an English invasion led to the military occupation of the country. By 1548, the Scottish were actively seeking French aid and betrothed their young queen to the French dauphin Francis, the son of Henry II, on the condition that Henry send an army to Scotland to drive the English out. French troops arrived in Scotland and the 5year old queen left to spend the next 13 years in France. Mary soon learned to speak in French, which became the language of her choice for the rest of her life. Her education taught her to sing, play the flute and dance gracefully. She spoke and read in six different languages. Mary also had to change the spelling of her last name to Stuart because at the time the French did not have a w in their alphabet. In April 1558 Mary married Francis at Notre Dame Cathedral.
The first monarch is Queen Elizabeth I, who used the guiding principles to rules England. Queen Elizabeth used her might to keep herself safe and did not give the reason ast why she had done this. For example, “When Mary [Queen of Scots] fled to England in 1568 to escape problems in Scotland, Elizabeth put her in prison. Later Mary plotted with Philip II’s [king of Spain] ambassadors in England to kill Elizabeth and seize the throne. Elizabeth found out about the pla...
Elizabeth and her cousin Mary Queen of Scots often clashed, both personally and politically. Eventually, they wanted one another dead. Mary Queen of Scots wanted to be the queen of England and was ready to attack them. French forces increased their numbers, without planning to attack England. However, Elizabeth was worried and decided to attack. She sent her weak army up to Scotland and was easily defeated. Mary laughed in her face and sent back one of her men wearing the French colors. Later on Elizabeth sent an assassin to kill her and it was successful. Mary Queen of Scots was killed.
However, he was perfectly aware of the people who did not want her to be the Queen. Despite this, she seemed to focus more on the loyalty of her subjects than her opponents in her speeches. For example, in Document 11 (an address to Parliament), she, unfazed by the skeptics who view her as weak and unable to rule, asserts her right to the throne, and that her only husband is the Kingdom of England. In Document 12, she is defiant in her stance towards Spain and Parma, even as their fleets approach the English coasts. She does acknowledge that she may be physically weak because of her womanhood, but asserts her determination to rule is that of a man. This clearly exemplifies her ability to ignore her detractors and rule
Upon the death of her sister--in November of 1558--Elizabeth ascended to the thrown of England. Until Mary’s rule, no woman--apart from the unrecognized rule of Matilda, daughter of Henry I--had ruled England of her own right1. Much like her sister, Elizabeth began her rule widely accepted and welcomed2. There were, however, still many who felt that women were unable to rule, being that women were said to be the weaker sex. John Knox argued that, “God by the order of his creation hath spoiled women of authority and dominion, [and] also that man hath seen, proved and pronounced just causes why that it so should be.”3 Women had always been no more then property, first to their fathers and then their husbands. If a women were to be the anointed queen of a realm of her own right and then marry, whom was beholden to whom? A woman was to do as instructed by her husband in all things, yet a sovereign was to be under the command of God only.
James was the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her second husband, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley. Eight months after James's birth his father died when his house was destroyed by an explosion. After her third marriage, to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, Mary was defeated by rebel Scottish lords and abdicated the throne. James, one year old, became king of Scotland on July 24, 1567; Mary left the kingdom on May 16, 1568, and never saw her son again. During his minority James was surrounded by a small band of the great Scottish lords, from whom emerged the four successive regents, the earls of Moray, Lennox, Mar, and Morton. There did not exist in Scotland the great gulf between rulers and ruled that separated the Tudors and their subjects in England. For nine generations the Stuarts had in fact been merely the ruling family among many equals, and James all his life retained a feeling for those of the great Scottish lords who gained his confidence.
The first swing to Mary’s neck only stunned her, but the second swing severed her head completely. Thus, was the execution of Mary Queen of Scots carried out. However, one might argue that this might never have occurred if Mary Stewart had not repeatedly acted treacherously toward Elizabeth I of England. Although both Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scotland were both gracious rulers of their home countries, Elizabeth I had no choice but to punish Mary for her treasonous actions.
To conclude, Mary had a very hard and complicated life, especially with England tying to kill her. James VI replaced his mother’s throne, and later he took the English throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. Mary was bought up in France. She only had reign over Scotland for 6 years. Mary and Elizabeth I never actually met. Mary died on February 8, 1587 (“Fun Trivia MQoS”). “In my end is my beginning.” – Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.
In the course of English leadership, the sixteenth century citizens of the island nation were long accustomed to an ever-revolving door of institutions, families, and people struggling to gain and maintain power, particularly with the volatile temperament of King Henry VIII and instability of the reigns of his first two children. However, Queen Elizabeth I served as a stable, much-beloved pause in the wheel of authority that provided the country with a dependable figurehead for a 45-year reign. English citizens felt the deafening hardship of her death all the more as a result. Because Elizabeth I did not leave an heir with close consanguineal ties, history suggests a return to the revolving door of governance with a Scotsman newly on the English
Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the “Iron Queen”, was a remarkable woman of her time, she ruled with great power and longevity. She was one of the greatest feminist of time. Coming to the throne in 1558, she took the place of her father, Henry VIII. She was given one of the most difficult jobs fit for a man or King, ruling England. At the time women were second class citizens, they could not vote nor own properties and such. Surprising England with her intelligence and fierce rulings, she changed herself to make better decisions. She proved through her rulings, to everyone that females were strong and could rule just as well as a king. She refused to marry, giving a feeling of “I don’t need a man for anything.” The Queen was responsible for giving females a voice in literature and it is shown through Shakespeare’s writings.
Queen Elizabeth the first was one of the first woman monarchs to rule alone in the history of Europe. Her character, the way she ruled, and even her gender transformed her country’s go...
To place this assumption into retrospect, in Shakespeare time, from the 1558 to the 1600s, England society was ruled by Queen Elizabeth. Although a women took ownership of the country, in Elizabethan’s society married women and minor girls were entirely in the power of their husband and guardianship of their father. None the less, even after Elizabeth I took the throne, she was expected to wed and “have her rights to rule limited or completely take up by her husband” (Wagner, 21). Women living in a society built upon Renaissance beliefs were only m...