MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTLAND
Arms.—Or, a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counterflory gu. Scotland.
As used by James I. (q.v.).
Crest.—The Scottish Royal Crown, ppr., thereon a lion sejant or, holding in his dexter paw a sword and in his sinister paw a sceptre, all ppr.
Helmet.—Royal.
Supporters.—Two unicorns arg., armed, unguled, each gorged with a princely coronet and chained or, as used by James I. (q.v.).
Motto.—In defens.
Behind the shield are two spears, on the dexter of which is a banner bearing the arms of Scotland, and on the sinister a banner bearing the cross of St. Andrew arg., on a field az.
The shield is enclosed within the collar of the Order of the Thistle, from which depends the badge of the Order.
Legend.—Maria Regina.
[The Black Acts. Edinburgh, 1556.]
Cypher Μ., i.e. "Marie," and Φ, i.e. "Francis," used about 1559 or 1560, when Mary was Queen of Francis II., King of France.
The motto "Sa vertv matire" is an anagram on the name Marie Stuuarte.
The crown is the crown of France.
Note.—A foreign stamp.
[Ptolemy. Geographia. Rome, 1490.]
[The late Sir Wollaston Franks, K.C.B.]
Mary, Princess of Scotland (born 8th December 1542, died 8th February 1587), was the daughter of James V., King of Scotland, and on his death in 1542, when she was eight days old, she succeeded to his crown. Mary was the granddaughter of the Princess Margaret, eldest daughter of Henry VII., who had married James IV., King of Scotland, in 1502.
In 1558 she married the Dauphin of France, who shortly afterwards became king as Francis II. He died in 1560, and Mary returned to Scotland, and in 1565 married Henry Stuart, Earl of Darnley, who was proclaimed King of Scotland on the day of his marriage.
Lord Darnley was murdered in 1567, and Queen Mary dethroned in favour of her son, James VI., and in the same year she married John Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, who is supposed to have been Darnley's murderer. Troubles multiplied round the unfortunate queen. Her husband had to take refuge abroad, and she herself was made a prisoner and shut up at Loch Leven. Queen Mary asked Queen Elizabeth's help in the discords which became incessant in Scotland, and at last Mary was induced to put herself in her rival's power, and took refuge at Carlisle.
The end was that after a long imprisonment in England she was tried, condemned, and beheaded at Fotheringay in 1587, the plea being that she had conspired against Queen Elizabeth's life.
Queen Mary was very intellectual and a notable linguist. Many of her books are bound in black and have black edges. This is supposed to have been intended as a mark of mourning for her first husband. Mary's only son, James VI., succeeded to the throne of England on the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, his title in England being James I.
The present official coat-of-arms of Scotland is, quarterly:
1st and 4th, Scotland.
2nd, England.
3rd, Ireland.
Colours as used by James I. (q.v.).
Supporters.—Dexter: A unicorn arg., maned, horned, hoofed, and gorged with a princely coronet and chained or.
Sinister: A lion or, royally crowned.
Crest.—The crest of Scotland as used by Mary, Queen of Scotland, but on an English Royal Crown. Behind the shield are two standards bearing respectively the crosses of St. Andrew and St. George, and the helmet, collar of the Order of the Thistle, and motto are all as used by Queen Mary.
