Thank you to everyone who took part in my latest history quiz, which asked about the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots.
I wasn’t sure how easy you would find this, so I tried very hard to throw you off the scent!
The answer is: Linlithgow Palace. Well done if you knew this! 55.6% thought it was Linlithgow, while 44.4% believed that Mary was born at Fontainebleau. I couldn’t catch anyone out with the other alternatives. So here’s the story…
Mary’s father, James V, died when she was just six days old. As an infant of nine months, she was crowned in the Old Chapel at Stirling Castle. When she was five , Mary was sent to France and lived at the French court, which included the Palace of Fontainebleau.
From an early age Mary was betrothed to Francois, son of Henri II of France, and she married him in 1558 when she was 15 and he was 14. When Francois succeeded to the throne of France in 1559, Mary became Queen of both Scotland and France, who at the time were allied against England. In fact, she even promised to bequeath Scotland to France if she died without bearing a son. However, she was widowed two years later, and she opted to return to her native Scotland.
From what I can find out, Mary stayed in most of the other castles on my list, with the exception of Bothwell Castle and Scone Palace. Mary’s third husband was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, but no one fell for this one!
Still with the Tudor period this week, and I have stepped it up a notch with not one but six questions! Are you ready for this?!
7 Comments
tearoomdelights
Yippee, I got the Mary Queen of Scots question right! 🙂 Much tougher, this wives one, but I will give it my best shot. A most interesting quiz, this, very original.
tearoomdelights
I think my coat of arms would have a teacup on it and the motto ‘I do like a nice tearoom’.
Jo Woolf
Excellent! Very British, simple and distinguished. I’m still undecided about mine!
tearoomdelights
I meant to ask if you’d come up with one for yourself, I’ll look forward to hearing about it when you’ve decided.
Jo Woolf
Well done! 🙂 Yes, I think this one is a bit tricky. I wouldn’t have known them all myself, so I’m learning too!
Peter Cobb
Well done Jo. I learn something every week now, keep up the good work.
Mine coat of arms would have a Little Owl on it. The motto Keep Smiling!!
Jo Woolf
Thank you, Peter! Glad you’re enjoying my quizzes! That’s a great idea for a coat of arms. I think everyone should have one!