1542–1587

Mary, Queen of Scots and the Reformation

In the 16th century, Scotland, to the north of England, was still a separate kingdom with its own rulers. In 1542 the Scottish king, James V, died, leaving a daughter who was just a week old, and so the baby became queen. Her name was Mary Stuart, and today she is usually known as Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary was a Catholic, and she spent most of her childhood in France.

While Mary was growing up in France, Scotland went through a Reformation of its own. Its leader was a preacher called John Knox. In 1558 he published a pamphlet attacking the very idea of women ruling countries, aimed at the Catholic women in power at the time. Bad timing: that same year the Protestant Elizabeth I came to the throne in England, and she never liked Knox after that.

In 1560 the Scottish Parliament, where most members were Protestants, abolished the Pope's power in Scotland, and Catholic services were made illegal. The new Protestant Church of Scotland was led by people who had been elected to the job, and, unlike the Church of England, it was not a state church. So Scotland became Protestant like England, but in its own way.

In 1561 Mary came back to Scotland: a Catholic queen ruling a country that had just turned Protestant. She was soon caught up in a struggle for power between rival groups. After her husband was murdered, many people thought she had a hand in it. She escaped to England, leaving the Scottish crown to her son, James VI, who was a Protestant.

Mary and Elizabeth I were cousins, and Mary expected help from her. Instead, Elizabeth feared that Mary had her eye on the English crown. She held Mary captive for 20 years, and in the end Mary was put to death for plotting against her.

Era contents: 1500 – 1600