Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary Queen Of Scots:

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Mary, Queen of Scots

A Scottish Odyssey Letter from the Chair

Hello Delegates,

I am Efrain Vallejo, your most honorable chair! I am so very excited to see you all in action and maneuvering your way through feudal politics and seeing where the crisis ends up. I am a senior Diplomacy major at Seton Hall University minoring in French, art, and econ. This is my 4th year doing MUN and it has been by far one of the best things I have done in my collegiate career. I am on the SHU competitive MUN team in addition to SHUMUN where I have been a crisis staffer, crisis director, and now chair! One of my favorite things about crisis MUN is all the twists and turns that play out and I can't wait to see how we twist things up for Mary!

I love MUN but I also have a life outside of it! I’m a big video game guy so you can catch me on my switch playing smash or on my laptop playing Civilization, or other strategy games (I love strategy games!). I also enjoy watching movies, binging tv shows ( I am currently binging Breaking Bad), and watching Dance Moms compilations on Youtube. I also am a bit artsy so you might catch me drawing, painting, or doing something creative.

We were inspired to create this committee because of the show Reign and all the royal drama that is packed into its episodes. We hope that this simulation of the court of Mary Queen of Scots will be just as action and drama packed. There are so many intricacies to Mary’s life, the royal court, and her rule. I am so excited to see how you all will solve these issues, hopefully diplomatically​.

A piece of advice for all of you going into this is, do a lot of research, be as creative as possible, but most importantly have fun! MUN, and especially crisis committees are all about creativity, so don't be afraid to speak up, be wild, and have fun.

If you have any questions or just want to reach out please email me at [email protected].

Sincerely, Efrain Vallejo

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Mary, Queen of Scots

Letter from the Crisis Director

Welcome delegates to the Mary Queen of Scots Committee for SHUMUN 2020!

My name is Joseph MacKenna and I will be your crisis director for the next couple of days. I am so looking forward to the next few days of debate and all the exciting plans that will come out of committee.

A little about me. I am a sophomore at the Seton Hall School of Diplomacy studying Diplomacy, Modern Languages and Philosophy. I have been doing Model UN since highschool and am on Seton Hall’s competitive Model UN team as well. I’ve been a chair for two different GA committees so it is going to be a great opportunity for me to be on the other side of things and run the backend of a crisis room.

Outside of MUN I love to spend my time taking trips to the city to go play chess in Bryant Park (as nerdy as that may sound). I also consider myself a coffee connoisseur and love going to coffee shops to hangout and do work.

In terms of crisis, feel free to get as creative as you want. There is so much rich history that came out of this time period and it is one of my favorite times in history to study. Even though this is a historical committee that does not mean that history has to play out as it actually did. In fact, I can guarantee that it will not. Have fun with it and make history go as you see fit.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. My email is ​[email protected].​

Sincerely, Joseph MacKenna

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Mary, Queen of Scots

Notes on Procedure 1. SHUMUN uses Parliamentary Procedure (often abbreviated as Parli Pro) to run committee. A cursory Google search will give you more than enough information on how this is used in Model UN, and any other questions can easily be addressed in committee. 2. SHUMUN has a zero-tolerance policy regarding bullying, offensive remarks, harassment, discrimination, or anything of the sort. Model UN should be a fun activity for delegates to participate in and no one should feel excluded at any point during the weekend. If at any point Senior Secretariat is notified of any violation of this policy, the delegate and advisor will be contacted and the issue will be discussed, potentially resulting in expulsion from the conference or disqualification from awards. In general, if you think even for a second that something would offend someone, don’t do or say that thing. 3. Profanity is prohibited. 4. Pre-writing is defined as any notes or directives written outside of committee time and is strictly prohibited. Delegates are allowed to bring research into committee, but not pre-written notes or papers. Engaging in pre-writing will result in immediate disqualification from award consideration. 5. Technology is not allowed to be used within the committee room. Research must be done prior to the beginning of committee sessions. Any usage of cell phones or laptops in the committee is grounds for disqualification. 6. If you need to use the restroom during committee, you do not need to raise your hand or ask permission.

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Mary, Queen of Scots “No More Tears Now: I Will Think About My Revenge” -Mary Stuart

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Mary, Queen of Scots

Dear Council,

I have gathered you all, the brightest minds of Scotland and my closest friends, to be my counsel upon my return home. While the tragedy of my husband's death is one that I still mourn, I believe God wants me to be back in my dear Scotland. I look to all of you to help me navigate my rule as Queen. I have been gone for too long and need to understand the affairs of Scotland. Keeping the needs of my people a priority, while looking to the future. A future where I can reign as the Queen of Scotland & England as I am destined to be.

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Mary, Queen of Scots

Early Reign & Childhood Mary was born on December 8, 1542 in Linlithgow Palace in West Lothian, Scotland. Mary's father, King James V of Scotland died when she was still a newborn, making her queen of Scotland at just six days old. Mary was the only legitimate heir to the Scottish throne following her father’s death. Thus, at a young age Mary was thrust into immense power, fueling sentiments of jealousy and resentment towards her future reign. Since she was merely an infant, Mary’s uncle Henry VIII sought to control until Mary was old enough. Initially, Mary was betrothed to her cousin, the son of Henry VIII, Prince Edward of England; however, opposition from Scottish Catholics due to England’s divergence from the Catholic Church caused the engagement to be annulled. Although a simple annulment would have been the prefered method, England was rather furious at the denial of matrimony that would have bond England and Scotland together. In response to the Scottish Catholics rejection, England attempted Mary’s mother, Mary of Guise ended up acting as regent during Mary’s infancy. Since, Mary of Guise was French, a strong Franco-Scottish alliance was forged. Consequently, at the age of 5, Mary was sent to France and grew up in the court there under the care of her father-in law, Henry II​. Due to the longstanding Franco-Scottish alliance, Mary was betrothed to Francis, who was the 4 year old French heir at the time. Mary grew up in France, partaking in daily activities of French nobles and perfecting her ​equestrian, falconry, poetry, and needlework skills. In addition, she became well educated in order to prepare her for her life as queen, learning various languages. 1

Treaty of Greenwich The treaty of Greenwich was signed on July 1st, 1543 in Greenwich between representatives of Scotland and England. Starting from the early 1500s, England and Scotland were meant to be at peace. The two Royal Families were at peace after signing the Treaty of Perpetual Peace in 1502, when Margaret Tudor, the sister of Henry VII, agreed to marry King James IV of Scotland. However, a couple of years later France and England were at war. The king of Scotland, James IV, felt obligated to support France, and that is why he crossed the border. The English victory over the Scots was in 1513, at the Battle of Flodden. James IV died during the battle, and was succeeded by James V. James V’s only heir was Mary, who was born the same year as he died. Because Mary was so you, Scotland would have to be ruled by a regent. The regent was James Hamilton, the Earl of Arran, and his first task was to arrange a marriage for the Queen. Henry VIII of England saw this as a way

1 “Mary, Queen of Scots”; “Who Was Mary, Queen of Scots?” ​ 7

Mary, Queen of Scots to reunite once again the royal families of Scotland and England. He proposed a marriage between his own son, Edward, and Mary. Henry VIII even returned Scottish hostages in order to try to persuade the Scots. In July, the two Kingdoms signed the treaty that guaranteed the independence and the separate styles of both countries. The first part of the treaty established peace between the two countries. The second one, was about the arranged marriage between Edward and Mary. The treaty was signed by the Earl of Arran; however, the Scottish government refused to ratified it, and led to the eight-years of conflict. 2

Life In France Arriving in the most grandiose style, Mary sailed on August 7th, 1548 from Scotland to France on the Fleet of King Henry II of France. While Mary is very much the Queen of Scots, it is impossible to neglect the years of her life that she spent in France. At the age of five, Mary was the bride to be of one of the most powerful Catholic royals at the time, the Dauphin Francis. France is a powerful nation with many different allegiances and opportunities for the young Queen. French court is also a hotbed for drama and betrayals, so luckily for Mary she quickly learned to be clever rather than naive, otherwise she may not have lived to seat herself upon the throne. In spite of the constant turmoil, there were plenty of benefits to Mary’s life in France, she was able to learn some of the most prominent and important skills at the time. These skills include, but were not limited to her prowess in: prose, poetry, horse riding, falconry, needlework, as well as being taught the languages French, Italian, Latin, Spanish, Greek and of course continued speaking her native Scots. In addition to obtaining these new talents, Mary was beloved and the center attention by all at French court and a natural beauty with plenty of charisma. Unfortunately for her, there was one person who ultimately despised Mary and her claim to the French throne, this was none other than her future mother in law and Queen of France, Catherine de’ Medici. A Medici family member trying to conspire in politics to benefit themselves, how rich, and yes she is from that banking family. The Medicis were a prominent italian family with a great grasp of control and excellent manipulators, through their bribes, charm, and poisons, back stabbings and betrayals were imminent with one residing at French court, and her being none other than the queen. Mary had to put up with many plots against her even inside the alleged safety of French court, where she was due to become queen of someday. The way that Queen Mary was able to maintain herself in a world that at times felt entirely against her gained her invaluable experience in France. ​However, her French upbringing was detrimental as it caused her to become estranged from her Scottish ways and people, which caused her to be reluctantly received by the Scots upon her return in 1561. Furthermore, Mary was a devout Catholic, causing her to be

2 “Treaty of Greenwich Including Marriage Proposals”; “Treaty of Greenwich - Oxford Reference”; “Treaty ​ ​ of Greenwich”; “The Reformation of 1560 - Revision 5 - Higher History.” 8

Mary, Queen of Scots regarded with suspicion by many of her Protestant subjects; however despite their hesitation she remained tolerant towards them. 3

Claim to the English Throne Meanwhile on the British Isles, Mary I of England passed away and she was the heir at the time to the English Throne. Her death passed the crown down to Elizabeth, but this is entirely due to the Third succession act of 1543. The third succession act allowed King Henry VIII to pass his crown down to his daughters instead of the oldest living catholic descendant (which was Mary Stuart). In addition King Henry specifically excluded any Stuart's, including Mary, from inheriting anything in his last will and testament. This angered the catholic population of England, since traditionally the crown would only get passed down to the oldest catholic descendant, this further escalated the tensions between the protestants and catholics throughout the english isle. Over in France, Mary’s father-in-law, French King Henry II, declared Mary and the dauphin (prince) Francis as the true heirs and King and Queen of England, as France was a predominantly catholic country. King Henry II even combined the crest of arms of England with that of Mary & Francis to further show his support of Mary’s claim to the English crown. This is the beginning of the rivalry between Mary and Elizabeth.

3 “Biography of Mary Queen of Scots”; Emma.Goodey, “Mary, Queen of Scots (r.1542-1567).” ​ 9

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary and Elizabeth

Things further escalate after King Henry II dies in a jousting accident making Mary and Francis the King and Queen of France in 1559. That same year in Scotland, the protestant Lords of the congregation were gaining more power and getting support from England. This came as a direct threat to Mary’s mother who was serving as regent, but whose power only came from the French troops that were in Scotland. With the Enlgish troops now in scotland supporting the protestant faction, and with the French unable to provide more support in return Mary’s Mother lost a lot of her influence and power. In June 1560 in the midst of the clashing between the Franco-Scottish troops and the English, Mary’s Mother passed away. This left everybody questioning the future of Franco-Scot relations. In July Mary’s representatives signed the Treaty of Edinburgh, that made England and France remove their troops from Scotland in addition to France recognizing Elizabeth as the rightful heir of England and changing Mary’s crest to one that excluded the English crest. Except Mary who was 17 and still in grief over the death of her mother, refused to ratify the treaty. 4

Before the Treaty of Edinburgh After the Treaty of Edinburgh

4 “Biography of Mary Queen of Scots”; “Mary, Queen of Scots”; “Mary Queen of Scots - Marie Stuart - ​ James VI of Scotland - Books - Biography - Family Tree.” 10

Mary, Queen of Scots

Religious situation in scotland/england (reformation/ reformation crisis) 16th century Europe saw a dramatic shift in religious tendency. While many events led to this, it was when the Catholic Church began selling indulgences that religious leaders began sprouting up and voicing their concerns, resulting in a split of the church now known as the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther started heating things up when he published his Ninety-five Theses in 1517, which is he is said to have tacked to the Church doors. This, along with other events, led to Luther being condemned by the Edict of Worms in 1521, starting the schism with the church. Another principal figure in the reformation, John Calvin, reformed Geneva away from the Catholic Church, a move that spread throughout Europe to Scotland, France, Transylvania and the Low Countries.

Depiction of Martin Luther hanging his 95 Theses

Later, in 1543, King Henry VII made himself Protector and Supreme Head of the English Church and Clergy in order to insure his annulment with Catherine of Aragorn so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. Henry VII was not necessarily a fan of Protestantism, however, and kept a lot of the traditional Catholic practices. In 1553, Henry VII’s illegitimate daughter Mary, whose mother was Catherine of Aragorn, took the throne. She and her husband, Phillip, returned the Church of England to Roman jurisdiction and re-imposed the Heresy Acts. Mary eventually became known as “Bloody Mary” when she used her power to consistently and violently attack protestant heretics. For instance, she had over 300 “heretics” burned at the stake during the Marian persecutions. When Mary died in 1558, her half sister Elizabeth took the throne. During her reign, she worked to find a solution for the Protestants that would not offend the Catholics. However, she still stayed very wary of Catholic uprisings.

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Mary, Queen of Scots

King Henry VIII Mary I of England Elizabeth I of England

In 1560, the Kirk, or Church of Scotland, led by John Knox, broke with Rome and shifted to a primarily Protestant church, taking most of its doctrinal inspiration from Calvinism. Later, when Mary became queen, tensions arose within the country. Mary, still Catholic, refused to give her assent to the Scottish Parliament when they wanted to abolish mass. Because of this, her private masses, and other events, John Knox saw Mary as a serious threat to the Protestant cause. 5

John Knox

5 “Why Is Queen Mary I of England Known as Bloody Mary?”; “John Knox | Scottish Religious Leader”; ​ Editors, “The Reformation”; Editors, “Martin Luther and the 95 Theses”; “Martin Luther | Biography, Reformation, Works, & Facts.” 12

Mary, Queen of Scots

Return to Scotland When King Francis II died in 1560, Mary had to return to Scotland to take over as ruler. However, in her long absence the landscape of Scotland had changed drastically and Mary all of a sudden was an outsider. Being raised in a Catholic family in France, Mary was distinctly at a disadvantage upon returning. At this point in history John Knox a prominent Protestant reformer and Mary’s illegitimate half-brother the Earl of Moray had changed the landscape of Scotland. Now, there was a large divide between the Catholics and Protestants that resided in Scotland. This resulted in large speculation towards Mary and her ability to lead the Scottish people. Despite the original doubt expressed by Scottish protestants, Mary was actually very tolerant and expressed religious tolerance throughout her reign. Out of her council of 16 she would only end up having four Catholic representatives and 12 Protestants, which was much to the surprise of the Catholic church and to their dismay. Mary would even work with Protestants to put down a Catholic Lord in 1562 after an attempted rebellion took place to try and gain more control for Catholics in Scotland. After settling into her role, Mary would continuously look for means to advance her position and marry into more royal positions in Europe. After she shut down an arranged marriage that was being negotiated behind her back, she looked to marry into the Spanish royal family, however that was also turned down by King Philip.

Positions

Mary Beaton Beaton is one of the four Mary’s considered to be Mary, Queen of Scot’s closest friends, and was the most classically beautiful. Daughter of John Beaton of Creich, Mary comes from a distinguished family of court and government workers. Her mother was one of Mary of Guise’s ladies-in-waiting. 18 months older than Mary, Queen of Scots, Mary moved with her family to France until her return in 1560. 6

Mary Seton Another one of the Queen’s closest friends and the least glamorous, Seton was daughter to George IV Lord Seton and Mary Pyerres. Like Mary Beaton, Mary Seton’s mother was also one of Mary of Guise’s ladies-in-waiting. She moved to France with her brother who died before they reached the French Court at Orleans. While in France, she became a skilled hairdresser.7

6 Stedall, “The Story of Mary Beaton, Mary Seaton, Mary Fleming and Mary Livingston, Ladies to Mary, ​ Queen of Scots.” 7 Ibid.. ​ 13

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary Fleming The third of the Queen’s close friends, Mary Flemming was the daughter to Malcolm 3rd Lord Fleming and Janet Stewart. Stewart was the illegitimate daughter of James IV and, after her husband was executed, gave birth to Henry II of France’s illegitimate son. After moving to France, Mary moved back to Scotland after the death of Francis 1. Flemming apparently inherited her mother’s nubile good looks and was considered the ‘flower of the flock’.8

Mary Livingston The fourth of the Queen’s close friends, Mary Livingston was to daughter of Alexander 5th Lord Livingston and Agnes Douglas. Her father was the 2nd Earl of Morton. A competent dancer and horse woman, Livingston was considered ‘lusty’ by the other Maries. She is beginning to court another dancer John Sempill of Beltries.9

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray Half brother to Mary Queen of Scots, James was the illegitimate son of King James V and Lady Margaret Douglas. When his half sister assumed the throne, he supported her despite her Catholic ties, possibly gaining him his title. However, he upset her when he openly supported John Knox, the Calvinist supporter who strongly and vocally opposed Mary’s catholics beliefs and traditions. 10

Archibald Campbell, 5th earl of Argyll A devout Protestant who was an avid supporter of Mary Queen of Scots. He became a leader of the Lords of the Congregation alongside his brother-in law James Stewart. His inheritance made his a heavily influential political figure and nobleman. 11

Alexander Cunnigham, 5th earl of Glencairn A Scottish Protestant reformer and loyal friend of John Knox who sometimes supported Mary. He was a loyal member of Mary’s council in Scotland who negotiated with England on her behalf. 12

John Stewart, 4th earl of Atholl A Roman Catholic Scottish nobleman. He was a trusted advisor of Mary. He was strongly against Protestants and voted against them in Parliament. 13

8 Stedall, “The Story of Mary Beaton, Mary Seaton, Mary Fleming and Mary Livingston, Ladies to Mary, ​ Queen of Scots.”. ​ 9 Ibid. ​ 10 “James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray | Scottish Regent.” ​ 11 “Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll | Scottish Protestant Leader [1532–1573].” ​ 12 “Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn | Scottish Noble.” ​ 13 “John of Atholl ‘4th Earl of Atholl’ Stuart...” ​ 14

Mary, Queen of Scots

George Hay, 7th earl of Erroll A Scottish nobleman and member of the Privy Council. He was a devout supporter of Mary. He inherited the family title Lord High Constable of Scotland. He was married to Margaret Robertson and had nine children. 14

William Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose A Scottish nobleman and member of the Privy Council. He was a devout Catholic who supported Cardinal Beaton. However, he was also a close advisor of Mary’s. He was also a leading member of the Regent's Council.15

George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly Son of an illegitimate daughter of James the IV, he became Earl of Huntly when he was only eleven years old. He had served as Chancellor throughout his later life, however lost the title in 1561. Originally a supporter of Mary, his opinions turned when Mary gave his title to her brother Lord James Stewart. Quickly after he rose up in rebellion against Mary.16

William Maitland of Lethington William Maitland was the son of Sir Richard Maitland of Thirlestane and Lethington. William was a judge and an avid poet and would wind up becoming Secretary of State to Mary. Having even served as ambassador to the court of Queen Elizabeth, William had a lot of political connections between England and Scotland. 17

Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard was a French courtier who frequented the French court. While there, his interest in Mary was peaked with him eventually falling deeply in love with her. He wrote poems to her and was eventually found hiding out in her room to profess his love. Sadly, this Romeo never got his Juliet and his actions lead to his death.18

James Hamilton, Duke of Chatelleraul Son of ​James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran.​ After his father's death he became next in line for the Scottish throne. When Mary was born, he served as Governor and Protector of Scotland. Initially a

14 “George Hay (c.1508 - c.1574) - Genealogy.” ​ 15 “William Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose: Scottish Politician (n/a - 1571) - Biography, Life, Family, ​ Career, Facts, Information.” 16 “George Gordon 4th Earl Of Huntly | Encyclopedia.Com.” ​ 17 “William Maitland of Lethington: Biography on Undiscovered Scotland.” ​ 18 “Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard | French Statesman.” ​ 15

Mary, Queen of Scots protestant, secretly he converted to Catholicism and became a huge supporter of the pro-french faction.

James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell The19 son of Patrick Hepburn, 3rd earl of Bothwell, Hepburn succeeded to his father’s title in 1556. Although a Protestant, he supported the Catholic regency of Mary’s mother, and eventually even aided Mary as a part of her privy council. He would eventually be a part of a feud that would lead to his arrest in 1563. But would eventually return to Scotland to help Mary against her brothers uprising. He truly admired Mary, so much so that he is known to have murdered Mary’s second husband and then become Mary’s third husband towards the end of her life.

James Macgill James Macgill first came into power during the regency of Mary’s mother. While he was a protestant he still stayed loyal to Mary’s mother and even supported Scotland's relations to France. While serving in the Guise regency he was the Lord Clerk Registers or the keeper of the royal archives. Upon Mary’s return he chose to stay loyal and served in her Privy Councl, although he sided with those who saw David Rizzio’s influence suspicious and may have been involved with his murder.20

John Erksine, Earl of Mar John Erksine’s family have been entangled with the Stuarts for a long time, his father was a guardian for King James and Mary. He is moderate protestant but always looked towards peace. John worked for peace and kept Edinburgh Castle under his control during the protestant uprising against Mary’s mother and regent. When Mary returned to Scotland she appointed him to her privy council where he served. His wife was also known to be a close friend to Mary during her reign.21

James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton He was a prominent figure in Scottish politics. During the regency of Mary he stayed impartial to the protestant/ catholic issue for a long time but would eventually side with the English signing on to the treaty of Berwick that allowed English forces to come into Scotland to take over Edinburgh. Upon the return of Mary he would be appointed to be on her privy council and as the Great Chancellor of Scotland a highly coveted and esteemed position. As his role as chancellor he

19 “James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell | Scottish Noble”; “James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, ​ 1535-1578.” 20 LLC, “‘James MacGill’ on Revolvy.Com”; “MacGill Clan Crest, Sine Fine Motto, Family History, Clan ​ MacGill Certificates.” 21 “John Erskine, 1st Earl of Mar | Scottish Lord [Died 1572]”; “John Erskine, 1st and 22nd Earl of Mar ​ (17th Earl) d. 1572”; “John Erskine, 1st Earl of Mar, d. 1572. Regent of Scotland.” 16

Mary, Queen of Scots stayed mostly neutral again with the protestant/ catholic drama taking no part in the protestant Reformation in 1563. Although he took no part in it it is thought that he always preferred the protestants. 22

Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven He was one of the protestants who had a prominent role in Scotland. He had a big role in arranging the marriage between Mary, Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley. After being on bed and recovering, he became one of the leaders in the murder of teh secretary of Mary, David Ricco.23

David Rizzio (David Riccio) Hs was a secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots. He went to Scotland, first as a musician, and was in the service of the Queen as a musician. After that he became her secretary in France, not because he was fluent in the language, but because of his trustworthiness. By the time darnley was married to Mary, he was already really trusted and close to Mary. Even though never officially appointed he was her “secretary of state”. Many were jealous of the relationship he had with Mary with some believing he even got her pregnant.24

George Seton V He was a Scotish nobleman, who was one of the biggest supporters of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a really close friend of hers. After she returned to Scotland he became privy councillor and master of her household. However, four years later he retired in France, where Mary and Lord Darnley had their honeymoon. Later on he returns into the political life in Scotland as a judge and after that as the ambassador to France, where he intervened on Mary’s behalf. 25

Thomas Randolph Thomas was known for his work as an ambassador for Queen Elizabeth throughout France and all of Europe.When Mary returned to Scotland she took kindly to him and allowed him to serve under her court. But during this time he wrote very detailed letters to Queen Elizabeth of the politics of Mary’s court (a lot of what we know of this period is thanks to him). He was a devout protestant and would help protestent movements during this time.26

22 “James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton | Scottish Noble”; “James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton: Biography ​ on Undiscovered Scotland”; “James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton 1516-1581”; “James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, 1572-1578.” 23 “Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven | Scottish Intriguer.” ​ 24 “David Riccio | Italian Royal Secretary”; “David Riccio 1533-1566.” ​ 25 “George Seton, 5th Lord Seton | Scottish Noble.” ​ 26 Abernethy, “Thomas Randolph.” ​ 17

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mathew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox

Mathew was one of the leaders of the catholics in scotland at the time in addition to being a distant relative of Mary. He was a strong supporter of the Catholic church and worked hard to guarantee Mary as queen of Scotland. He was heavily involved with the dealings and treaties during Mary’s infancy revolving around her marriage and royal status.27

John Hamilton, Archbishop of St. Andrews He was the archbishop of an important diocese of Scotland, serving as a prominent leader of the Catholic faction in Scotland. He put in a lot of efforts to prevent the growth of protestantism in scotland. Upon Mary’s return he was loyal to her and her politics, he would be her priest and even baptise her children. 28

27 “Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox | British Lord”; “Matthew Stuart, 4th Earl of Lennox, 1516-1571.” ​ 28 “CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: John Hamilton”; “John Hamilton, Bishop of Dunkeld, Archbishop of St ​ Andrews b. 1511 d. 7 Apr 1571: MacFarlane Clan & Families Genealogy.” 18