The Life of Mary, Queen of Scots Quiz

Answer: Nine months

Mary actually became queen of Scotland when she was six days old, but she was not crowned until she was nine months old - on September 9th, 1543. She didn't start to reign in person till she was seventeen, for until then regents ruled in her stead.

Answer: Mary Carmichael

The song "The Four Marys" is a ballad dating back to the 1560s, about Mary Queen of Scots. But it contains historical claims that are shaky. There was an association with four other Marys, Mary Carmichael, Hamilton, Mill and MacLeod, but the details are unclear.

Answer: Henry, Lord Darnley

Her cousin Elizabeth opposed the marriage to Lord Darnley, in favor of Robin Dudley, her good friend. She did not trust the Lennox family, which Darnley came from.

Answer: Roman Catholic

She continued to attend Catholic Mass privately, although she supported the law banning the celebration of the Catholic Mass in Scotland. On one occasion she was physically attacked by a band of Protestants, but she stubbornly continued.

Answer: Nine years old

Elizabeth of England celebrated her ninth birthday two months prior to the birth of Mary.

Answer: James

Her son, James (later James VI of Scotland) was probably sired by Lord Darnley although some suspect that he was really the son of her private secretary, David Rizzio. He became King James I of England after Elizabeth's death in 1603.

Answer: Lochleven

She was imprisoned in Lochleven after the lords turned against her. There is a romantic story about two men, both captivated by her, who - it is said - helped her escape. Their names were George and Will Douglas.

Answer: France was Catholic and she had relatives there

Her powerful uncles, the de Guises could have helped her, but she was convinced that her cousin Elizabeth would aid her. Quite the contrary! Instead Elizabeth had her imprisoned and, when she became the focus for Roman Catholic conspiracies, she had her beheaded.

Answer: Stuart

Her father was James V of Scotland and her mother was Marie de Guise. James V was a Stuart. It is sometimes spelled Stewart, the original Scottish spelling. Stuart was the French spelling that Mary retained after her time in France.

Answer: False

In fact the two queens never met at all. However, some have indulged in poetic licence, notably Friedrich Schiller, in his drama "Maria Stuart" (written in 1799-1800 and first performed in 1800). In this play Mary loses her self-control and says to Queen Elizabeth's face: "A bastard desecrates the throne of England". It's all splendid drama, but it's not historically accurate.