Mary, Queen of Scots

Timeline

1. 1542–1561Edinburgh · LothianShe succeeded just six days after birth upon the death of her father James V, was sent to France as a child for a Catholic education, and in 1558 married the French dauphin François II, becoming Queen of France. Her husband and mother both died in 1560, and she returned to Scotland to rule in person in 1561.
2. 1561–1567Edinburgh · LothianIn a Scotland where the Reformation had already taken deep root, she pursued a relatively tolerant Catholic policy, clashing with reformers such as John Knox. She married Lord Darnley in 1565; after Darnley's murder in 1567 she was forced to marry the Earl of Bothwell, promptly faced a noble rebellion, and was forced to abdicate, with her young son James VI succeeding.
3. 1568–1587Fotheringhay Castle · NorthamptonshireAfter her defeat in 1568 she fled into England seeking Elizabeth's protection, but was held under house arrest in various castles for nearly nineteen years. After Walsingham uncovered the Babington Plot in 1586, Parliament found her guilty, and she was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587.