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Mary, Queen of Scots lends her name to quite possibly the most famous monarch in Scottish history. Her lineage would suggest that she was a legitimate heir, however Henry VIII saw to it that Mary would never sit on the English throne. Born in December 1542 to James V of Scotland and Mary de Guise, from whom she takes her name, six day old Mary was made a Queen upon her father's untimely death. But that's not where this story begins.

Long before Mary was born her grandmother, Margaret Tudor, became a political pawn in Henry VII's quest to gain peace between Scotland and England. She was betrothed to James IV of Scotland and together they produced only one surviving heir - James V and father of Mary, Queen of Scots. Being a great-granddaughter of Henry VII should put Mary in line for the throne - however her great uncle, Henry VIII had other plans in mind.

In order for Henry VIII to keep a sharp eye on this new little Queen he proposed a marriage contract. Mary was entered into an agreement for an arranged marriage to Henry VIII's son, the future Edward VI; however these plans came to a screeching halt when Henry tried to have the infant taken into the care of England rather then wait for the actual marriage to commence when the children came of age. Fearing her daughter would be kidnapped by England, Mary de Guise appealed to the French ambassador for assistance.

At the age of 5 Mary entered into a marriage agreement with Henri II of France's eldest son and was sent to France to be raised in the French court as the Dauphine of France. Henri II provided his future daughter-in-law with an education befitting a Princess of France, where she mastered several languages, excelled in the arts and learned to play two instruments.

On April 24, 1558 when Mary was 15 years old, she and Francis were married. On July 10, 1559 Henri II died, making 15 year old Francis the newly anointed King Francis II, and Mary the Queen Consort of France. Tragically Mary found herself to be a young widow when Francis died in December of 1560. Mary was eventually forced to leave the place she called home since she was a young child and return to her homeland of Scotland.

Although she was given a wonderful education in France, she was never given the political education necessary to be a proper monarch. Intelligent as she was, she didn't possess the natural talents to be a Queen and was raised to be a Consort rather than govern her own country or look after her own political affairs. Her

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