Postscript: Why does Mary matter?

1. She lived at a time when very important events changed Scotland: Scotland changed from a Catholic country to a country dominated by Protestant ideas. Mary could have changed this but she did not.
2. Mary’s son became King of both Scotland and England after Elizabeth died. British History was changed forever.
3. Mary’s son James developed very strong ideas about the right of a King to rule. This was probably due to his ideas about his mother and her fate. He passed these ideas down to his son Charles I. Mary’s grandson Charles helped to cause a civil war in Scotland and England. This Civil War brought massive changes to Britain.
4. Mary’s story is a very dramatic one. People are very divided in their views about Mary. You probably have your own ideas by now!