Mary Queen of Scots: A Poem of Fate and Loss by Samantha Sebesta
Mary, Queen of Scots is the most complicated queen I’ve ever favored. My biggest issue with her is the decisions that she made. They resulted in disaster for her reign; however, I can’t help but sympathize with her. She was way out of her depth and didn’t know how to master the power she wielded. As the only daughter of King James V, she was destined to wear a crown from birth but this doesn’t mean she didn’t struggle or have an easy life. At only five days old, her father died, leaving her to inherit a country that would become a stranger to her.
In today’s post, I wanted to share a poem I wrote that hopefully reflects the chaotic journey that was Mary’s reign. A life brimming with drama, tragedy, and her relentless ambition, starting with being sent to France as a child for an alliance that would ensure her country’s safety against the English. She became a consort through her marriage to the sickly King Francis II; however, her reign as queen of France was tragically short-lived, ending in widowhood at just the age of eighteen, igniting a return to her throne in Scotland for the first time.
Upon her return to Scotland, there were a lot of issues that would arise for Mary. She was a stranger who hadn’t grown up with her compatriots. Scotland was a much rougher kingdom with its own intricate politics. Mary made mistakes at nearly every turn. To keep this brief. She married Darnley, who was not popular by the Scottish, and was eventually murdered. Many believed Mary had been having an affair with Lord Bothwell and that he and her had conspired to kill her second husband. This only grew worse when she married Bothwell.
Many believe he raped and kidnapped her, leaving her no choice but to go through with a marriage. The result, no matter how it came about, was her absolute ruin. The Scottish nobles forced her to abdicate the throne in favor of her son, a child she had with her Darnley before his death. James was just a toddler at the time. Mary faced the outrage of her lords, who believed her to be an adulteress murderer.
The escalated nature of Mary’s crisis forced her to flee to England leaving her baby in Scotland. She would never see him again. The hope was that her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, would offer her protection and refuge while she fought to gain back her throne and reunite with her son. This wasn’t going to ever happen. Elizabeth viewed Mary as a rival and imprisoned her, albeit lavishly, in various English castles.
Mary would spend the rest of her life being a captive of Elizabeth, and under lock and key. After years of being locked away from the world. Elizabeth had Mary, Queen of Scots beheaded for treason, murder, and for plotting to overthrow the English throne. If you would like to read more on Mary’s life, then check out my article A Detailed Timeline Of Mary Stuart, The Queen Of Scot’s Tragic Life for a much more detailed account of what unfolded. In the meantime, please enjoy the poem I wrote in tribute to this very fascinating queen. Thank you so much!
Mary Queen Of Scots
By Samantha Sebesta
Sent to France at just six years old
Married to an ill-fated king, a brief reign
Widowed young; a loss full of pain
Back in Scotland, claimed her throne
Married Darnley, hopes were sown
Tensions rose, mistrust and lies
Darnley murdered, her cries unseen
Married Bothwell, a very bold choice
Scotland’s lords raised such a fuss
Captured, imprisoned, her fate sealed
Powerless, with wounds unhealed
Fled to England seeking a safe haven
Elizabeth’s trust was not wholly given
Plots were discovered, letters betray
Mary’s hopes and dreams start to fray
Years in prison, fate quite unanticipated
Tried for treason, dreams now faded
Sentenced to death, her last stand
Executioner’s axe, one final command
Tragic queen, her story never told
A royal life, so very brave and bold
Mary lives in lore with death’s gore
She always deserved so much more
© Samantha Sebesta, Samantha James, and The Chronicles of History: Reading Into Our Past, 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Samantha Sebesta with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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Wonderful poem, Samantha. I think women as a whole had an extremely hard time in those days. Even the powerful ones had to be careful, as men were always looking for ways to bring them down.
That is very true and everything that brought Mary down was at the hands of John Knox who couldn’t stand a women, especially a Catholic women, on a throne. He I’m convinced set her up in so many ways and he had many supporters.
That’s true, and it’s probably because he was angry about being essentially kicked out from the country by Queen Mary I, I think, because he was Protestant.
Oh that’s a good theory, that Mary I is where is all started with his hatred. That makes so much sense!
There was a lot of hate between Catholics and Protestants in those days. I’m happy to put my 2 cents on your wonderful post.
It’s beautiful
Thank you!
I love it! I’m a Mary Queen of Scots fan myself ~ I have a large library of books about her, both nonfiction & fiction. Glad to meet another like-minded person 🙂
She is so interesting. Have you read Jean Plaidys series on her? There are three books and they are so good!
I read a book on Mary Queen of Scots not long ago, she had quite the tragic life- although some of that was from her actions. Such an interesting woman.
She didn’t make very good choices thats for sure!
You might find Mary Queen of Scots, (Part One) of some interest in the debate over Mary’s destiny and the choices that she made?
This being a tragic but intriguing story of the life and troubling events of Mary Stuart who came from the French royal court, became the Queen of Scotland and after abdicating was then imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth 1st. Apparently the French mystic Nostradamus made predictions about her life and she herself wrote sonnets in the French language.
https://qudosacademy.org/2022/04/29/the-true-lamentable-tragedy-of-mary-queen-of-scots/
The second part in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots can be found by clicking on the following link:
Mary Queen of Scots, (Part Two)
The second part of the tragic but intriguing story of the life and troubling events of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.
https://qudosacademy.org/2022/05/09/the-true-lamentable-tragedy-of-mary-queen-of-scots-2/
Other Tudor Histories are reviewed on my site http://www.qudosacademy.org in particular:
Shakespeare’s “She-Wolves” Part One
Qudos Academy investigates the prevailing attitude of Shakespeare towards those strong women who influenced his plays and poetry.
https://qudosacademy.org/2022/05/24/shakespeares-she-wolves/
Shakespeare’s “She Wolves” Part Two
The life and times of a warrior shepherdess, Joan of Arc. Qudos Academy investigates the prevailing attitude of Shakespeare towards those strong women who influenced his plays and poetry. A big shout out to all the strong women of Afghanistan, young and old who are peacefully protesting against a brutal and repressive regime who, under the auspices of religious doctrines are daily robbing them of their freedom to wear what they want.
How absurd and petty can a government become when one hundred and fifty people have died for that kind of freedom?
https://qudosacademy.org/2022/05/27/shakespeares-she-wolves-part-two/
thanks for sharing,
leonidas
oof not a good queen