Mary, Queen of Scots and her Creepy Little Man-Child
Could nobody depict King James I and VI like a normal child? This portrait invokes a fit of laughter at the absurdity of it. This is yet another portrait that could be perfect art history meme material. But it seems like painters in the 16th century spent very little time with children, therefore did not know how to paint their likeness at all. Of course, Mary, Queen of Scots was quite a tragic figure. So you can only giggle so much at this painting. The royal succession feud between Mary and Queen Elizabeth I of England is probably one of the most documented royal feuds of all time. Books, movies, and shows have romanticized and sensationalized the life of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Relations between Mary and Elizabeth had soured following the Scottish queen’s union with Darnley (aka Henry Stuart), which the English queen viewed as a threat to her throne. But by February 1567, tensions had thawed enough for Mary to name Elizabeth “protector” of her infant son, the future James VI of Scotland and I of England. But after the news broke of Darnley’s demise, things began to escalate once more. Mary was caught up in the scandal of her husband’s untimely end and then married his accused perpetrator, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. This made Mary increasingly unpopular amongst her people. In summary, she was imprisoned and forced to abdicate her crown to her son. She escaped and fled to England, believing that Elizabeth would offer her sanctuary and support. And she did, in a way… Elizabeth placed Mary—an anointed monarch over whom she had no real jurisdiction—under de facto house arrest, consigning her to 18 years of imprisonment under what can only be described as legally grey circumstances.
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