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Authors: Kathryn Lasky

Mary Queen of Scots

BOOK: Mary Queen of Scots
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Contents

Cover

Title page

 

France 1553

December 9, 1553: Château Saint-Germain, Seine Valley, France

December 10, 1553

December 11, 1553: Rooftop of the Château

December 12, 1553

December 13, 1553: Royal barge on the Seine
en route
to Anet

Later

December 14, 1553: Château d’Anet

December 16, 1553

December 17, 1553

December 20, 1553: Château Blois

Later

Fifteen minutes later

December 21, 1553

December 22, 1553

Later

December 24, 1553

December 25, 1553

December 26, 1553

December 27, 1553

December 28, 1553

Later

December 31, 1553

January 2, 1554

January 3, 1554

January 4, 1554

January 5, 1554

Later

January 6, 1554

January 7, 1554

January 9, 1554

January 10, 1554

January 11, 1554

January 17, 1554: Le Louvre Palace, Paris

January 18, 1554

Later

January 19, 1554

January 20, 1554

January 21, 1554

January 22, 1554

Later

January 23, 1554: Just after midnight

January 24, 1553

January 26, 1554

January 27, 1554

February 1, 1554: Château Chambord

February 2, 1554

Later

February 3, 1554

Later

February 4, 1554

February 5, 1554

February 6, 1554

February 7, 1554

Later

February 8, 1554

Later

February 10, 1554

February 11, 1554

February 12, 1554

February 13, 1554

February 15, 1554

February 17, 1554

February 18, 1554

February 19, 1554

February 20, 1554

February 21, 1554

February 22, 1554

February 23, 1554

Later

Later still

February 24, 1554

February 25, 1554

February 27, 1554

February 28, 1554

March 1, 1554

March 2, 1554

March 3, 1554

March 4, 1554: The Inn of the Two Ducks near the
Rochereau Forest

Later

March 5, 1554: Abbey of Fontevrault

March 6, 1554: Convent of the Calvarian Sisters, Chinon

March 7, 1554

March 8, 1554: Château Meudon, near Paris

March 9, 1554

March 10, 1554

Later

March 11, 1554

Later

Midnight

March 16, 1554

March 17, 1554

March 18, 1554: Le Louvre Palace, Paris

March 19, 1554

March 21, 1554

March 24, 1554

March 26, 1554

March 31, 1554: Château Fontainebleau

April 1, 1554

Later

April 9, 1554

April 15, 1554

April 21, 1554

April 22, 1554

April 24, 1554

April 26, 1554

April 29, 1554

May 2, 1554

Two minutes later

May 4, 1554

Later

May 6, 1554

May 7, 1554

May 8, 1554

Later

May 9, 1554

May 12, 1554

Later

May 14, 1554

May 18, 1554

June 1, 1554

June 2, 1554

June 5, 1554

June 7, 1554

June 8, 1554

June 16, 1554: Anet

June 17, 1554

June 18, 1554

June 19, 1554

June 21, 1554

June 23, 1554

July 12, 1554: Chambord

July 15, 1554

July 16, 1554

July 19, 1554

July 24, 1554

July 26, 1554

July 29, 1554

Later

August 1, 1554

August 7, 1554: Blois

August 9, 1554

August 13, 1554

August 15, 1554

August 16, 1554

August 17, 1554

August 18, 1554

August 19, 1554

August 20, 1554

August 21, 1554

August 23, 1554

August 24, 1554

August 26, 1554

September 1, 1554

September 2, 1554

September 10, 1554

September 16, 1554: Meudon

September 17, 1554

September 18, 1554

September 21, 1554: Aboard the King’s royal barge,
one mile from Lyon

Later

October 5, 1554: Meudon

October 10, 1554

October 15, 1554

October 21, 1554

November 15, 1554

November 17, 1554

November 20, 1554

November 21, 1554

November 29, 1554

December 7, 1554: Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Later

Near midnight, December 7, 1554

Epilogue

Historical note

The Stuart–de Guise family tree

 

Copyright

France
1553

December 9, 1553
Château Saint-Germain, Seine Valley, France

I am for some reason thinking of numbers today as I write on this first page of the diary my dear mother sent me for my birthday, which was yesterday. So I am now eleven years and one day. I was a Princess for only ten months and one day. But I have been a Queen for ten years, three months, and one day. I was crowned Queen when I was a baby, before I could walk. Although I am told I could pull myself up by any table leg, chair, or the fringe of any wall tapestry in the castle. I am Mary, Queen of Scots, but I am far from Scotland. I live in France.

It could have worked out much differently, especially this being my eleventh birthday. For at one time I was to be given in marriage in an agreement called the Treaties of Greenwich to Edward VI, the English King. But the treaty was broken – all for the best, seeing as Edward died just six months ago at the age of sixteen. Now I am to marry Francis, the son of King Henry II of France and his Queen, Catherine de Medici. That was decided after the broken treaty with England, and that is why I live here now and have since I was five years old. This way I can be schooled in the ways of the French court. And thus Francis and I might become good friends before we become man and wife. We are good friends, best friends, and we need not worry about marriage for a long time – until I am at least thirteen or so.

I must go now, for my uncles de Guises are arriving for luncheon. They are one day late for my birthday, as the roads between here and Meudon were impassable because of heavy rains. My old nurse, Janet Sinclair, will have fits if my hair is not tended to properly. I have red hair – like pale fire, almost blonde. Some think it is my best feature. I think it is just hair and requires too much time even if I am a Queen.

 

PS How, thinking so much of numbers this day, could I forget to mention that my lucky number is four? Why is four my lucky number? Because of my four Marys, my best friends and companions since I was a baby. They came with me here to France all the way from Scotland. They are Mary Seton, Mary Fleming, Mary Beaton, and Mary Livingston. They are known by everyone as the Queen’s Marys. I think of them as my lucky clover leaf.

December 10, 1553

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