Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots lived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse during some of the most dramatic years of her life.

She became Queen of Scotland at just a few days old, following the death of her father, James V.  Soon after, Henry VIII tried to force Scotland to accept a marriage between Mary and his son, Prince Edward. Both the Palace and Holyrood Abbey were attacked by English troops during what became known as the ‘Rough Wooing’.

In 1548, the 5-year-old queen was sent to France to be brought up in safety at the French court, leaving Scotland in the care of her mother.

Following the death of her first husband, Francis II, Mary returned to Scotland in 1561, and took up residence at the Palace. Many of the most significant events of her reign took place here.  She married her second husband, Lord Darnley, in the Palace chapel in 1565, and witnessed the murder of her Italian secretary, David Rizzio, in her private chambers the following year. In 1567, after Darnley's death under mysterious circumstances, Mary married her third husband, the Earl of Bothwell, in the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The resources on this page explore Mary’s time at the Palace and bring together objects, paintings and works of art from the Royal Collection associated with her life.