In 1542, the Scottish throne passed to Mary, Queen of Scots, a controversial monarch who would also become queen consort of France and lay claim to the English crown. Synopsis The death of his father, which occurred a few days after his birth, in 1542 placed Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. She briefly became queen consort in France before returning to Scotland. Forced to abdicate by Scottish nobles in 1567, Mary sought the protection of Queen Elizabeth I of England, who instead had her arrested. Mary spent the rest of her life in captivity until her execution in 1587. Queen Mary Stuart's youth was born on 8 December 1542 in Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian, Scotland. She was the daughter of King James V of Scotland and his second wife, Mary of Guise. Her father died when Mary was only 6 days old, making her Mary, Queen of Scots. Given Mary's age, her great-uncle, Henry VIII, made a bid for control, but her mother ended up acting as regent on Mary's behalf. Mary was initially betrothed to Henry VIII's son, Prince Edward of England, but Scottish Catholics opposed this plan, as England had separated from the Catholic Church. When the match was cancelled, England attacked Scotland in raids that became known as "The Rough Wooing". Mary's mother was French and the Scots had a long-standing alliance with France, so Mary was betrothed to the 4-year-old French heir. At the age of 5, Mary was sent to France, where she grew up in the luxurious French court. In 1558 she married Francesco, the eldest son of the French king Henry II and Catherine de' Medici. Claim to the English Throne In November 1558, Henry VIII's daughter Elizabeth Tudor became Queen Elizabeth I of England. However, many Roman Catholics viewed Elizabeth's rule as... middle of paper... the business would last for the next 18 years. Considering Mary's lineage and religion, Mary became the focus of Catholic plots to assassinate Elizabeth so that Mary could take the throne. Mary corresponded with Anthony Babington, one of these conspirators. When Elizabeth's spymaster discovered the letters in 1586, Mary was tried and found guilty of treason. After Elizabeth signed her cousin's death warrant, Mary was executed at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, on 7 February 1587. She was 44 years old. Elizabeth had Mary buried in Peterborough Cathedral. After Mary's son became king of England, he moved his mother's body to Westminster Abbey in 1612. Centuries after her death, Mary continues to be an object of cultural fascination. Her life inspired the 1971 film Mary, Queen of Scots, the television show Reign and a popular 2013 exhibition at National Museums Scotland..