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Mary, Queen of Scots (born December 8, 1542, Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian, Scotland—died February 8, 1587, Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, England) was the queen of Scotland (1542–67) and queen consort of France (1559–60). Her unwise marital and political actions provoked rebellion among the Scottish nobles, forcing her to flee to England, where she was immediately imprisoned. Her cousin Elizabeth I eventually beheaded Mary as a Roman Catholic threat to the English throne; Mary’s son, James, succeeded...