Marie de Guise, Mother of Mary Queen of Scots
Mary of Guise (or Marie de Guise) is an important part of Scotland’s history.
Mother to Mary Queen of Scots, Marie ruled Scotland against fierce opposition, with an iron hand.
Widowed twice, and living through the deaths of four children, she overcame much tragedy in her life.
Marie was born on 22nd November 1515, in France.
She was the oldest of twelve children of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise and Antoinette of Bourbon.
When Marie was eighteen, she married Louis II of Orleans, Duke of Longueville.
This marriage was an extremely happy one, and they had two sons ~ Francis and Louis, although Louis would die in infancy.
Tragedy struck Marie in 1537, when her beloved husband Louis, died of smallpox.
This made her a widow at the age of twenty-one.
Around the same time, King James V of Scotland, lost his wife, Madeleine of Valois.
Keen to maintain his allegiance to France, he once again looked to marry into French royalty, and his thoughts turned to Marie.
Marie wasn’t so keen.
She did not want to marry again so quickly, or leave France, but she was given no choice.
James and Marie were married by proxy in May 1538.
Marie unwittingly, left her son Francis, and moved to Scotland.
Marie gave King James two sons ~
James born in May 1540, and Robert in April 1541.
Tragically both of those sons died hours apart, in April 1541.
Devastated at the loss of her boys, Marie was expected to do her duty, and conceive again as soon as possible.
She was not even given time to properly grieve for her sons.
On 8th December 1542, Marie gave birth to a baby girl, Mary.
Six days later, King James died, perhaps from the effects of a nervous collapse following the Battle of Solway Moss – or from drinking contaminated water while on campaign.
At just six days old, Mary Queen of Scots is one of the youngest monarch in History.
A popular tale, first recorded by John Knox, states that James, upon hearing on his deathbed that his wife had given birth to a daughter, ruefully exclaimed,
“It cam wi’ a lass and it will gang wi’ a lass!”
The crown had come to his family through a woman, Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce.
The crown would be lost from his family through a woman…..
This legendary statement came true much later – not through Mary Queen of Scots, but through her great-great-granddaughter Queen Anne of Great Britain, the last Stuart Monarch.
After James’ death, Marie expected to be named Regent, but the role was given to protestant supporter, James Hamilton, Earl of Arran.
Arran made an agreement for the infant Queen Mary, to marry England’s Prince Edward when she reached the age of 10.
This would unite the realms of England and Scotland together.
However, Marie vehemently opposed this decision.
Instead, Marie arranged for young Queen Mary to travel to France, to marry the Dauphin Francis.
The French in return, would provide military support to the Scots.
In April 1554, Marie finally gained control of Scotland, she was now Queen Regent of Scotland.
Marie wanted to modernize Catholic Scotland, and keep it free from English interference.
Unfortunately, many resisted her efforts.
There were many Scottish supporters of England, and the Protestant movement.
One such reformer was John Knox, who preached against Marie’s regency.
Knox wanted to overthrow Marie, to establish the Protestant church in Scotland.
The Protestants continued to gain strength, suspicious of Marie’s continued ties with Catholic France.
These ties were made even stronger, by her daughter Mary’s marriage to Francis in 1558.
Knox and the Protestant reformers called for Marie to be deposed.
Marie faced the Protestant Lords of the Congregation at Perth, on 22nd May 1559.
With the help of French troops, she recaptured the city, and strengthened her Regency.
Meanwhile back in England, Elizabeth I now sat on the throne.
Elizabeth continued to send reinforcements to remove French soldiers from Scotland, and sporadic fighting continued.
By 1560 Marie’s health was declining.
Suffering from heart disease and bouts of dropsy, she attempted to keep control of Scotland, right until the end.
When it became clear, that Marie was dying, she urged The Lords of the Congregation, to maintain the alliance with France, and end their dealings with England.
She begged them to follow her daughter’s rule.
Three months later, Marie De Guise died on 11th June 1560 at the age of 45.
After all of Marie’s hard work to keep Scotland Catholic and close to France, on 6th July 1560, the French, Scots and English signed a peace treaty.
The treaty marked the start of the Reformation in Scotland, and the end of the alliance between Scotland and France.
In time, her daughter Mary Queen of Scots, would lose total control of Scotland to the Protestants, lose her crown, and eventually her head……
🌷 Marie de Guise c. 1537
Portrait attributed to Corneille de Lyon.
