July 29 - Mary, Queen of Scots gets married

[@aimee2234]

I feel so sad for Mary every time she comes up (thank you bells). Thank you, Claire!

[@maureengriffin1328]

Mary was a dear heart, but she made some very foolish choices.

[@theresecatalano4017]

Mary was definitely unlucky in marriage. Her life was so full of drama...You almost couldn’t make up her life. Victim or instigator...she is fascinating! Thank you Claire!

[@peachymeechie1844]

I almost had a heart attack yesterday because my phone wasn't working correctly. I paid online and they said they didn't receive it so had no way to watch yesterday. Ohhhh I was livid. But they finally worked it out and I caught up yesterday and today and now no more heart attack. Lol!! My kids even said, "oh no mommy! You won't be able to watch Ms. Claire today!" They are so funny because they know that we watch usually in the evenings when it's almost bedtime. So they've gotten use to our daily Tudor and Ms. Claire routine! Lol! So we thank you for all you do and love the videos as always!! Much love from the Godoy family in Indiana!!💕

[@cindybrown9095]

What a lovely bedtime routine, Ms Claire is a wonderful teacher! 🌹

[@anneboleynfiles]

I love that I'm part of your routine, that's so heartwarming to know! Thank you!

[@maryh4650]

i know how you feel, I have frequently had such a tussle trying to pay the phone bill, Phone company:Please say what you want to do, ME: Pay bill, Phone company, You have a problem with your internet, please dial this number, and so it goes! Technology love it WHEN it behaves!

[@peachymeechie1844]

@@maryh4650 yes, and thank God for confirmation numbers because they really were not trying to believe I payed my bill. I had to go from one customer service rep to another and supervisor to supervisor, but finally they saw I paid and all was well again! But had I not had that number they would have made me pay double. Sometimes I wonder if people don't write those numbers down and then they do charge people twice!!

[@maryh4650]

@@peachymeechie1844 I bet they do charge twice too Imagine trying to get a refund as well!

[@starpixiemomOO]

Thanks for the recommendation on reading material. I look forward to reading it . 🥰 - my imagination is alive while listening to your “on this day”.

[@sng1934]

Reading john guys book really loving reading about Mary queen of scots didn't know much about her x

[@wendychavez5348]

Thank you for covering a couple of significant events in Tudor history--I suspect you could do several years' worth of these, though of course some dates are irrevocably tied to certain events. The bells and the cats are almost an integral part of your videos and I look for them--and miss them when they don't appear!

[@mesamies123]

Always so smart and entertaining, Claire! Thank you for these informative and intelligent talks!

[@CindyLMunger]

Claire, your posts take me away if only for a few minutes. I am so busy helping my daughters. In-laws move and haven’t stopped in the evening for quite a while. Thanks SO much.

[@katiecrocker4098]

Anne and Mary, two queens who fascinate me. Thank you, Claire, as always a wonderful video. I also love the bells.

[@rebeccamay6735]

Thank you for today's video. The ones about MQ of Scots are my favorite. I think the bells are wonderful btw!!

[@ElizabethF2222]

Thanks, Claire for doing this vid on Mary Queen of Scots. I am actually related to her. My mother's mother was Kathleen (Kay) Stuart, so Mary was my great, great, (many, many greats, LOL) grandmother. I have been reading as much as I can about the Stuarts, including James I of England and of course, the ghastly Henry Stuart (Lord Darnley). Can't figure out what she saw in him! Ugly dude, IMO. I find ancestry fascinating!. My dads, mother, on the other hand, was Wilhelmina (Lena), Mueller, was born in Munich, Germany. In 1938, she met and fell in love with a Nazi SS officer and he asked her to marry him. She was very young and naive and didn't understand the horrific things the Nazis were doing, especially the SS. By then, my great grandparents found out what was going on , and even though they were proud Germans, they did not like Hitler, and wouldn't allow her to marry him, (thank God!!!) so they emigrated to America, Atlanta GA, specifically. My grandma then met my grandpa and they married in Savannah, GA, then moved to Pasadena, TX (right outside Houston) where they started a pest control business. So, I have an interesting family history, on both sides, to say the least. I'm half Scottish and half German. Hello from Houston, TX! I have always wanted to visit the UK and see Hampton Court and Hever Castle!! Maybe one day .....

[@GoGreen1977]

I'm descended from a Jane Stuart (great-great grandmother) but that doesn't mean I'm descended from the Mary Stuart. Like million of others, I'm most likely just descended from a member of the Stuart clan.

[@ElizabethF2222]

@@GoGreen1977 You could be right, but I was always told that my grandmother Kay Stuart, was a direct descendant of hers. That's what my family always believed anyway. LOL I know my dad's mother's story is true because I saw a picture of her with this Nazi bastard BF of hers. Thank God my great grandparents had some sense to get her out of Germany and that situation.

[@annalisette5897]

What an interesting story. Thank you for sharing with all of us!

[@ElizabethF2222]

@@annalisette5897 You're welcome It was interesting at the family dinner table at times, I can tell you that!

[@annalisette5897]

@@ElizabethF2222 I married some interesting men. One of my husbands was directly connected to European royalty. There were lots of interesting stories. I don't think any of it dated back to Tudor times though a non-royal adventurer was involved in some amazing things almost that far back. My own heritage is partly Russian but I can't stand to read about the early Romanov dynasty because of the blood and torture. Henry VIII had a very civilised court compared to what was going on in Moscow at the same time.

[@marionarnott750]

Mary was captivated by Darnley's looks and build: the best proportioned 'lang lad' (Scots for tall man) she'd ever seen. She was very tall,as was he - he appeared to her to be a good match : a Catholic, a claim on the English throne, and taller than she was. I suppose she might have feared ridicule if she'd married someone shorter than she was. Imagine her fate being partly decided by Darnley's height. She really was a silly creature.

[@ElizabethF2222]

Marion Arnott I agree Mary was pretty silly. Elizabeth I was always worried about her reputation, something I think Mary should have paid much more attention to. Darnley was a good match because he was tall (and Catholic) but I don't think he was in the least bit good looking whatsoever! Ever seen his portrait? Yuck! He looked like he was extremely effeminate. I guess maybe he was good looking for that time, but Rizzio was much more handsome in my opinion. I heard Mary was like 6 feet tall and very beautiful. If she would have been born now, I guess she could have been a supermodel or something. LOL

[@astrinymris9953]

@@ElizabethF2222 I've read that the Rizzio portrait was made years after his death. Contemporary sources viewed him as ugly. Curiously, some have stated that Rizzio was originally Darnley's lover, and that the jealousy that spurred Darnley to murder may have been toward Rizzio rather than Mary. As for Mary's silliness... well yes, she was very silly. Elizabeth was well aware from her teens that careless actions or words could get her executed. Mary had been queen for as long as she could remember, and took it for granted that she always would be. This insouciance led to her downfall.

[@ElizabethF2222]

@@astrinymris9953 Wow! I hadn't heard that before! Interesting!

[@marionarnott750]

@@ElizabethF2222 She made some very silly decisions but I suppose they might have been motivated by fear after Rizzio's murder and the threat to herself, then Darnley's murder and the general suspicion she faced. Did Bothwell abduct her? I don't suppose we'll ever know the truth of that but if you want ugly, look at his portrait!

[@bonnielong5812]

Marion Arnott I doubt that that was a motor consideration; I’m fairly certain that Frances, King of France was shorter than she was.

[@frightbat208]

Mary’s brief reign seems so wild and lawless. Fascinating time.

[@kimmaried.7313]

Thank you ❣️

[@cindyrobinson3077]

Wouldn't it be interesting to be there and see what really all happened

[@ElizabethF2222]

Cindy Robinson Absolutely! I would have loved to see it, just wouldn't want to have lived in that age without electricity, running water, etc.! I'm a city girl and don't know how well I would have done in that era. Guess you don't know what you're missing if you've never had it, just seems like such a hard life!!

[@cindyrobinson3077]

@@ElizabethF2222 I know! I always thought I was born too late. But I like heat and air and all that!

[@ElizabethF2222]

@@cindyrobinson3077 You and me both! LOL

[@sandisteinberg1579]

Have you ever done a piece on Bothwell? If not, would you please consider one? Also, I totally agree with you on John Guy's biography of Mary, and own a copy...

[@shelleygibbons1065]

My goodness wow was that a mistake! Have been obsessed with Mary have read Alison weir and all of Phillips Gregory, and onto my next author she is so interesting would have loved to have met her ‘

[@maryh4650]

you may like to read Jean Plaidy's books about Mary, they are very good too.

[@shelleygibbons1065]

Thanks so much

[@danielisbroke]

Love the bells and definitely think they're provident signal omens ❤️

[@Fairelady5]

I know this might be odd to ask....but would you consider doing a house tour? Just the inside. I am from Texas, so I love to see houses over seas. If not no worries! Still love your Tudor history videos!

[@anneboleynfiles]

I like to keep pur family home private as I have kids at home, plus it's always a madhouse!

[@Fairelady5]

Totally understand!! Thanks again!

[@lorettabridges7751]

Fascinating woman. The biography by Antonia Fraser, is excellent too, though written from a very adoring point of view. The John Guy book was a page turner. I love these videos. Sincerely, A fellow nutter.

[@annalisette5897]

I have not read John Guy's book yet but have read other prominent biographies of Mary Stewart. She became queen as a newborn baby girl, upon the death of her father, with her mother Marie de Guise as regent. Were Scotland's laws of succession so different from England's that a baby girl could be queen so easily while Henry VIII, IMO committed murder in order to obtain a son? I know Mary was also queen consort of France and understand that French law would never allow a female to inherit the crown but so far as I know, neither England or Scotland had such laws?

[@marionarnott750]

Mary's mother was regent in Scotland - can't see her giving away Baby Mary's throne. Nor would Katherine of Aragon give up her Baby Mary's if she had a choice. Male heirs were generally preferred but Mary Stuart, Mary Tudor, Elizabeth Tudor all inherited the crown. Pererence for a male heir became an obsession in Henry's case.

[@annalisette5897]

@@marionarnott750 True, but why did Scotland so readily accept a baby queen? If Henry had died when Mary was a few days old, would she have been accepted as queen with Katherine of Aragon or a council as regent? (Mary's mother, Marie de Guise was from Lorraine, more or less French. Scotland had a good alliance with France at the time.) Children died young in those days but perhaps Henry should have been more content with his own princess Mary.

[@anneboleynfiles]

That's right, France had Salic Law, which is why Claude couldn't inherit her father Louis XII's throne. However, there was nothing to stop a woman coming to the throne in England, apart from people's beliefs about women, of course.

[@astrinymris9953]

On July 29, 1565, Mary took the first step toward her own execution. :-(

[@anneboleynfiles]

Very true.

[@ruthgoebel723]

Such a troubled life! I do love those bells. 😀

[@pamelaoliver8442]

🤣🤣 Claire, I had to give it a like...can't have too many Tudor Nutters in our "nuttery" ❤ thanks, as always. I learn so much from you. Honored to be a Tudor Nutter with you.

[@Caramelpop86]

Rizzo was a real friend to Mary. Mary didn't have many true friends.

[@annamcuthbert3993]

i need to buy your book

[@Ladybug-uf7uh]

Mary sounds are right femme fatale! Attractive to many men (or was it her position and connections?). Thank you for bringing us this wonderful account of Mary, Queen of Scots. A fascinating figure in history.

[@astrinymris9953]

All her contemporaries viewed her as very beautiful, but I have no doubt that her wealth and power was her real draw. Her looks were just the icing on the cake. If she'd suffered a case of confluent smallpox-- the most disfiguring type, though not necessarily the most lethal-- she'd have still been a prize on the marriage market. It just occurred to me that Mary's life might have been happier if she'd been disfigured. Ambitious men would have still wanted her, but a less petted and praised Mary might have been able to view their flattery with a more realistic eye.

[@nibs8837]

I look forward to reading John Guy's book. I understand the first two marriages of Mary, Queen of Scots, but I will never understand her third marriage. There must be something that I'm missing. There seemed to be no possibility of a favourable outcome, so why move forward?

[@anneboleynfiles]

It's hard to know the truth of what happened. Mary claimed that she had been raped and forced into it, and she may well have done.

[@nibs8837]

@@anneboleynfiles Given the time that has passed, and everything Mary suffered, I will give her the benefit of the doubt.

[@jmarie9997]

NIBS IMHO, Mary wed Bothwell because she thought he was the one man who would help her keep her throne. Remember, he had a document signed by many of the Scot Lords stating they approved of the marriage. She knew she couldn't hold the throne on her own.

[@montrelouisebohon-harris7023]

I totally adore Mary Queen of Scots and she had such a sad life once she reached adulthood and yet even as a child she was used as a pawn between her mother and Henry II of France. Mary Queen of Scots was supposed to be Queen of England after Mary Tudor died because it was believed and thought by most that Elizabeth was illegitimate.. that fear and Paranoia by Elizabeth the first is what led to her later on executing Mary Queen of Scots. I wonder if there's any member of the Tudor family that was actually half sane aside from Henry the 7th. Mary Tudor would have been a completely different person and ruler had it not been for the way her father threw her mother away and tossed her away as well for years, and kept her separated from her mother and she wasn't able to see her mom even when her mom died. Henry the 8th left a power of Destruction everywhere he went after he reigned for about 20 years.

[@ScorpionFlower95]

I've heard in a documentary that Darnley was right to be jealous of Rizzio since they were indeed lovers and James wasn't Darnley's son but Rizzio and they said as proof, that Darnley had syphilis but Mary and the baby did not. What's your opinion on that?

[@anneboleynfiles]

Some have put forward the idea that Darnley was actually jealous because he liked Rizzio and had been intimate with him. It's hard to know. I think it was more his closeness and influence over the queen that was of concern. I do not believe that Mary's relationship with Rizzio was anything other than queen and secretary/friend.

[@Lyndell-P]

🇭🇲🦘 Gee, Mary sure could pick them, couldn't she? ... On this day she married for the 2nd time, but married a man who would become a murderer, and later ... be murdered himself. So much more to it (of course) but how astonishing and dreadfully sad for all concerned. Not least of all for the Scottish people. They must have wondered what on earth was going on. cont.... Listened to this video more than once, as so much to take in. Very informative and interesting. "Thank you" Claire 💓👑👍

[@frightbat208]

Do you really think she was “ravished” by Bothwell? When think of Mary I , I feel like she was so impetuous and bold. Things would have worked out so much better for her, I’m sure, if she’d married an older more experienced and settled man in Scotland. She seemed to be attracted to, and attract adventure, danger, drama and intrigue.

[@sallyofstuart9702]

Did Mary ever go out of mourning for Francis and Darnley and did she make to shift from white to black with Darnleys death,did she ever have portraits of either of them when she was imprisoned and just one more thing sorry did she ever just take the white dress and dye them black because that would of saved a lot of money

[@ElizabethF2222]

Sally of Stuart Those are good questions! I wonder what Claire has to say???

[@anneboleynfiles]

I know she wore white for the wedding, but I don't think she wore it after her marriage to Darnley. I'm not entirely sure of her wardrobe, but she does appear to have spent most of her life wearing mourning attire.

[@sallyofstuart9702]

The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society thank so much😊😊

[@bonnielong5812]

According to one historical biography that I read she wore white for her marriage to Francis because she loved white & felt she looked best in that color. However, in France white was the color of mourning & she got a lot of guff for wearing it; the French Royal family thought it would bring her bad luck. Don’t you just hate it when your in-laws are RIGHT?!!?

[@sallyofstuart9702]

Bonnie Long good old Cathrine Mary’s Mother in law she hated Mary with a passion but Mary did get along with Francis’s brothers sisters and father, Henry loved Mary like a daughter and Catherine probably hated him giving her more attention to Mary than his own daughters but on Francis and Mary’s wedding every one loved Mary’s dress Cathrine was probably the one who hated it and some books I read said Catherine was pleased at Francis’s death

[@6falconsue]

I smell a lot of fish in this story of royal intrigue. I will have to read Mr. Guy's book. And who the heck gets married at 6 in the morning? Perhaps because of the necessary morning prayers? I would have waited to at least lunch time! Btw, I recently found out that my paternal ancestor (a Protestant) was born in Inverness Shire in 1738. He was in America by 1750-ish. I guess the situation in Scotland for Protestants wasn't too great :( Scotland seems to have been a difficult place to live for the general population in earlier times. Beautiful country, though--I hope to visit someday. Thank you as always, Claire.

[@bonnielong5812]

6falconsue I believe it was the other way around, it very difficult to be Catholic with the likes of John Knox around!

[@6falconsue]

@@bonnielong5812 I definitely need to brush up on Scotland's history! Claire's videos will be most helpful in that regard.

[@gwinniboots]

I just wanted to ask- do you think your house is haunted? Strange noises at key moments in your talks seem to point to that.

[@anneboleynfiles]

No, it just has animals and creaks.

[@LadybugPrinzess]

Queen Mary of Scotland and Queen Mary Tudor show why Elizabeth was so smart not to marry....poor Marys

[@draganamitrovic4250]

Hi Claire! Do you watch TV seria Reign 😁😁😁

[@anneboleynfiles]

No, I haven't seen it at all. I saw a trailer and just didn't want to watch it.

[@draganamitrovic4250]

Yes,part on franch court is boring but in 3.season part with Elizabeth and english court is much,much better,better actress,beter scenario and Elizabeth took show from Mary🙂

[@vilstef6988]

Poor Mary! If not for bad luck, she'd have none at all.

[@januarysson5633]

Gene Miller Too bad she couldn’t make her way back to France after her abdication.

[@jmarie9997]

January’s Son She chose to go to England, even though her few friends begged her to return to France.

[@redcr24]

Poor Mary honestly..

[@francie18]

Lord Darnley was such a dog!!!

[@ElizabethF2222]

francie18 Yes, he was! Not good looking whatsoever and an abusive drunk, good for nothing.

[@bonnielong5812]

Abusive, arrogant man with an active venereal disease from all his whoring; allegedly he had syphilis with open sores, even on his face. And he expected Mary to take him back!!!!

[@maryh4650]

I have read somewhere, that Elizabeth sort of hoped by offering Robert Dudley to Mary, that she would go for the seemingly attractive Darnely, and so, take up with someone very unsuitable. Very astute of Elizabeth if it is true .

[@jmarie9997]

Elizabeth F. Actually, he was extremely good looking when she first met him. And taller than she was.

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

Mary made a huge mistake marrying Darnley... Elizabeth was right not to marry.

[@renshiwu305]

Henry VIII and Edward VI excluded the descendants of Margaret Tudor (James V Stewart and Margaret Douglas) from the throne for reasons that escape me (they were foreign?) in favor of descendants of Mary Tudor, Duchess of Suffolk and Dowager Queen of France. Although, Edward VI excluded Frances and Eleanor Brandon in favor of potential sons that their daughters (and they only had daughters among their surviving children) might bear. This scenario was hastily reworked to allow Jane Grey to inherit the throne in her own right because of Edward's rapidly declining health. Justice was restored, though, when Margaret Tudor's heir became James I & VI of England and Scotland, respectively. As we hear, James was the great-grandson of Margaret Tudor through both of her marriages. Primogeniture won out, in the end. Fitting that the sovereign of England is not descended from Henry VIII or Edward VI at all.

[@astrinymris9953]

I think there was some bad blood between Henry and Margaret. He criticized her desire to have a marriage annulled, accusing her of just wanting to "satisfy her lusts". Henry was an outrageous hypocrite.

[@almontepaolilli4909]

The bells rang again at the correct time for the wedding. Another strange marriage that did not last long. Hard times for Mary whose spouses did not last long. Like your made up words.

[@ilenebillingsley7516]

I think Mary was bit of a tart!