THE LAND OF THE MISFIT QUEENS
Who was Mary Queen of Scots, and Why did she spend her life in captivity?
I was introduced to this intriguing figure from history by obsessing over a TV show on the CW called Reign. Taking out the drama and magic, the characters portrayed in this show mirror real people from the 16th century. From the outside, the life of Mary Queen of Scots seemed like she jumped over hurdle after hurdle to stabilize herself. As stated in previous articles, the world at the time was not kind to women in power.
Early Life
Mary Queen of Scots was born Mary Stewart on December 8, 1542, in West Lothian, Scotland. The political struggle that encircled her entire life started at an early age when her father, King James V, died when she was six days old. As his only child, this made Mary the queen of Scotland in her own right. Her mother, Mary of Guise, became regent.
Additionally, as a descent of the Tudor family, Mary became next in line for the English throne after Queen Elizabeth I.
Instead of growing up in Scotland, Mary’s mother sent her to the French court when she was five. While…
