Customer Reviews

Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen Without a Country, France, 1553 (The Royal Diaries)

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Mary became Queen of Scotland when she was just a baby, after the death of her father. But in a time where alliances among the powerful nations of Europe are important, Mary is sent away from her home at age five to live in the court of King Henry II of France, where she will be educated and live as one of the family until she old enough to marry Henry's son, Francis. The year is 1553, and Mary is eleven. She longs for her homeland, and for her mother, but is good friends with nine-year-old Francis and the other royal children. In her diary, Mary describes her daily life over one year. She may be a queen, but in many ways Mary is just like any eleven-year-old girl, enjoying fun and games. but at the same time longing to return to her home and mother. I really enjoyed this wonderful new Royal Diaries book, and I recommend it to all fans of the series.

11-year-old Mary was only nine months old when she was crowned Queen of Scotland, succeeding her father. However because of many conflicts she is separated from her mother and Scotland to live with the French. To forge an alliance with France, she is bethroled to Francis, the son of King Henry II. Mary is sent then to France to live with her new "parents" King Henry II and his vicious and jealous Queen Catherine de Medici. It is there that Mary begins her chronicle of her journal. Life there in France is pretty much every day life for Mary. She enjoys going to dances, and playing with her future husband Francis. But she loves hawking the best. However the charming Mary's life is made very difficult by the vicious jealous Queen Catherine de Medici. She finds confort though in Henry's mistress Diane de Poitier who was quite the lady and gave Mary strength and inspiration through good and bad times.

This was another ideal great Royal Diary. Like any other Royal Diary it had a part that explained the real history of Mary and it was sad to learn of her tragic ending. Like Francis said he and Mary were really chess pieces on a big chess board and a wrong move could ruin things.

Although she is living in France, Mary, Queen of Scots, is extremely patriotic towards Scotland and longs to return to the country of her birth. Her four best friends and ladies-in-waiting, all named Mary, are all as passionately Scottish as she is.

This book is the story of Mary's life at the French court. She reflects on her impending marriage to the French Dauphin (crown prince) Francis, who is one of her best friends. However, Mary despises his mother, Queen Catherine de Medici, and Catherine's henchmen. She admires the French king, Henry II, and his mistress, Diane de Poitiers (somewhat excessively). The book is entertaining, and the characters are lively and realistic (but sometimes one-dimensional, like Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici).

Mary Queen of Scots is a great new Royal Diary Series. It gives meaning to the "royal" in Royal Diaries. For this girl is a Queen at 9 months, but life as a queen is not all fun and games like a queen or princess is often portrayed. Before reading this excellent book, I would recommend reading Elizabeth I first. In Elizabeth, it talks about Mary Queen of Scots as a young infant and in reading elizabeth it will connect the series for you. Enjoy!!

...This edition to the Royal Diaries series presents Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland. Yet, she doesn't live in Scotland at all. She lives in France, where she lives amoung the king's court and is friends with his children. I thought this book was exellent. It comes from a person that sounds like a nice friend. My favorite part(s) of the book is when she talks about the king's children(Fransis, Elizabeth, Claude, and Margurite) and her ladies-in-waiting like if(and they are) the best of friends. That makes you think of Mary more as an adolesent girl rather than the Queen of Scotland

After the death of her father, Mary is crowned queen at nine months, leaving her mother and a group of royal chancellors to rule Scotland until she is of age. The year is 1553 and Scotland has joined forces with it's powerful alliance, France. Mary is sent of to France to become one of the family there, and one day to marry King Henry II of France's son: Francis. With a group of four Marys and her governess, Mary writes about each day of her life at the Courts in France, and dream of the days she will be queen of Scotland and France. This book mainly portrays Mary in her carefree days as a child, making friends and playing games, basically having fun. It was interesting reading about Mary as a youngster, an 11 year old girl, travelling at all the richest mansions, manors and castles in France. I also found the rivalry between Mary and Catherine of France, wife of King Henry hilarious! This is a fantastic edition to the Royal Diaries.

I started reading The Royal Diaries when I was ten. Then first one I read was Elizabeth I (which is funny because she was a cousin to Mary Queen of Scots). I read this book on the way to Florida one year. I finished it within a matter of hours. I wish there could have been more about her in the diary. Kathryn Lasky is a very good author. I really enjoy reading her books. Well, I guess I am getting off the subject of Mary Queen of Scots. This book is very good and you can learn alot about other cultures and people by reading The Royal Diaries...

Mary, Queen of Scots: Book Review
Book by: Kathryn Lasky

Mary, Queen of Scots is a fictional biography. This book also has a lot of mystery. The book takes place in France, 1553 and when Mary is eleven years old. It is about a girl who was crowned queen when she was one year old. When she is little, she is sent away from Scotland to France because of one specific reason. In France, she is always homesick for Scotland and her mother. But at least she has her "four Marys" to comfort her. Over time, the Queen of France starts to get new people for court positions. But then something odd starts to happen.

This book has many strengths. First of all, it is so rich in detail that you can imagine everything that is going on in your mind. This is also why it seems to capture you. It takes you to another place in time, where you have never been before. You can almost feel you are the main character because of how much it expresses the main character's thoughts and feelings and because it is written as the main character's diary.

This book also has one weakness. At the beginning, the main character tells a bit about herself and other people. People can get bored of this, like I did. But you shouldn't stop reading because it gets better!

The author, Kathryn Lasky, did a good job writing this book. I really liked it because of all the detail. Also, Lasky kept you hooked to the story. She never let you catch yourself day dreaming. I think that all of this makes a good writer.

I would definitely recommend this book to every one of all ages. This is because it is so compelling. It is full of mystery and will keep you asking, "What will happen next?"

Born as her father lay dying she became Queen before she was a week old. During her infancy King Henry VIII of England raided the country several times in order to kidnap the girl and secure her as a bride for his son Edward. She was sent to France by her Mother and raised as a daughter by the King. At the age of 16 she married the heir to the French throne who became King shortly thereafter. When her young husband died a year into his reign she was left a teenaged childless Queen Dowager.

She returned to the land of her birth to find herself a Catholic Queen in a country in the midst of Protestant Reformation. Many of her protestant subjects feared that she would become a second 'Bloody Mary' and like her cousin Mary Tudor attempt to force her country back to the Catholic faith. Plots and rebellions against her were a persistent occurrence. Knowing herself to be in a weak position, needing to keep both her Catholic allies and her subjects contented, Mary set a policy of tolerance and moderation in religious matters. Radicals on both sides of the religious spectrum found fault with Mary's tolerance of the religious diversity in Scotland.

Mary herself made matters worse by her disastrous romances. She married her cousin Henry Darnley in the hopes of strengthening her claim to the English throne. After only a few short months he began to plot against her in the hope of securing the throne of Scotland for himself. He and other Scottish nobles murdered Mary's private secretary and friend David Rizzio as she watched, helpless to intervene. When Mary was able to put down this rebellion he turned on his former allies and attempted unsuccessfully to reconcile with the Queen. In the end his erstwhile allies disgusted at his betrayal murdered him as he lay ill at his home Kirk O' Field. It is still debated how much Mary herself knew about the plans to murder her husband the Scottish king.

With Darnley out of the way the remaining Scottish lords were horrified when one of their own kidnapped Mary and became her third husband. He was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell was one of the leading suspects in the murder of Darnley. Her marriage to him cost her the love of her people, her tenuous friendship with her cousin Elizabeth I, and her catholic allies around Europe. In one short month Mary was driven from the throne, forced to abdicate in favor of her infant son and placed in captivity by the Scottish lords. Her husband escaped the country only to be taken prisoner in Denmark. Bothwell would live another eleven years in a dungeon slowly going insane.

Mary was also able to escape from her prison, the castle and Lochleven, and she made her way to the English border. Mary of Scotland was the last person whom Elizabeth would wish to see in her kingdom. Viewed by many Catholics as the rightful Queen of England, Mary was a great danger to Elizabeth. Mary became Elizabeth's "guest" and spent nineteen years in captivity in her cousin's country. Since Mary was also the unacknowledged heir to the throne, her jailers were always cautious to treat her with the respect due to one so close to becomeing Queen of the land.

As the years passed the captive Mary became a romantic figure to many and was able to restore the reputation lost by her marriage to Bothwell. In hopes of securing her freedom and of capturing Elizabeth's throne, Mary began to communicate clandestinely with English Catholics and her European allies. Using her claim to the English throne as leverage, she began to look for a fourth husband who would free her, overthrow Elizabeth and rule at her side. Eventually Elizabeth was forced to have Mary executed in 1587.

Her execution lead Phillip of Spain to launch the armada against England in 1588. Mary was never able to sit on the throne of England as Queen. However, since 1603 all the monarchs of England have been her direct descendants. She is buried in Westminster Abbey in London, a city she never saw while alive.

I ADORED Mary, Queen of Scots:Queen Without A Country.It was one of the best books I have ever read!!! The plot was engaging and the story itself was excellent. I made my mom and read it(she loved it) and for my friend's birthday, I gave her a copy.(she is still reading it, but loves it so far). I would most definatley recommend it to ANYONE, male or female, young or old.