Mary of Lorraine

Mary of Guise, also called Mary of Lorraine, ruled Scotland as regent from 1554 until her death. A noblewoman from the Lotharingian House of Guise, she played a prominent role in 16th-century French politics. Mary became queen consort upon her marriage to King James V of Scotland in 1538. Their infant daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, ascended the throne when James died in 1542. Mary of Guise's main goal as regent was a close alliance between the powerful French Catholic nation and smaller Scotland, which she wanted to be Catholic and independent of England. She was ultimately unable to prevent the Protestant Reformation in Scotland, which after her death left her daughter in a precarious position.