Mary, Queen of Scots

Struggling Marriage

Mary's feelings for Darnley were passionate at first. Even after many nights of Darnley's public drunkenness and lewd behavior, Mary attempted to project an image of a strong royal union to Scotland. However, in November 1565, when Mary knew she was pregnant, she no longer had to pretend that she and Darnley were still happily married. In early June 1566, Mary withdrew into seclusion to await her confinement, as was common, and drew up a will knowing childbirth could prove fatal. Her labor did not begin until June 18, at which point Mary would only be serviced by the midwife and her ladies-in-waiting until after the birth. On June 19, 1566, after an exceptionally painful labor and delivery, James VI was born.

Shortly after James's birth, rumors spread about the legitimacy of his parentage—as was commonplace for royal births—and were later proved false (rumors of a child dying during delivery or being stillborn were also commonplace at the time). As Mary destroyed any possibility of Darnley succeeding to the throne, and the friction in Mary's marriage was well known to all, Mary became fearful that Darnley might kidnap her child—a son, and thus an heir—and rule as James's regent. As a result, Mary decided to keep James with her, rather than establish a separate household for him, as was customary for royal children of that era.

Desire for Motherhood and Royalty

After his christening, Mary arranged for James to be securely moved to Stirling Castle, the traditional nursery of royal princes. There, he was handed into the care of the Erskine family, who would foster and raise him, according to custom of Scottish noble families, where fosterage was regarded as a mark of aristocracy. When the task would ordinarily have been delegated to someone else, the Queen herself personally arranged for the furniture, clothing, gold, and other items in her son's quarters at Stirling Castle, as well as for that of his wet nurse.

The birth of her son and his rights to the throne did little to quell Mary's own desire to sit as queen of England. When Mary's conspiracies to kill Elizabeth I and take over the throne of England were discovered, Elizabeth had Mary imprisoned. Mary was later tried and executed for treason in 1587. Just hours before her death, Mary wrote to King Henry III of France in a final letter, where, among her last words, she praised her son James.

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