Mary, Queen of Scots at the Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris

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Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, ruled Scotland from 14 December 1542 to 24 July 1567 and was Queen consort of France from 10 July 1559 to 5 December 1560. Mary, the only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland, ascended to the throne just six days after her father's death. She spent most of her childhood in France while regents ruled Scotland. In 1558, she married Francis, the Dauphin of France, and he became King Francis II in 1559. Mary briefly served as Queen consort of France until his death in December 1560. After returning to Scotland, she married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, her first cousin, but their union was unhappy. In February 1567, his residence exploded, and Darnley was found murdered in the garden. James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, orchestrated Darnley's death, but he was acquitted in April 1567 and married Mary a month later. Following an uprising against them, Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. On 24 July 1567, she abdicated in favor of her one-year-old son, James, by Darnley. After attempting to regain the throne, she fled south to seek protection from Queen Elizabeth I of England. Mary had claimed Elizabeth's throne as her own and was considered a legitimate sovereign of England by many English Catholics, including those who participated in the Rising of the North rebellion. Perceiving her as a threat, Elizabeth confined her in various castles and manor houses in England for eighteen and a half years. After being found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth, Mary was executed.