Question 1

True or false: Mary was executed by order of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Accepted Answer

True. After 19 years of imprisonment, Elizabeth signed Mary's death warrant in 1587 for treason.

Question 2

True or false: Mary's son, James VI of Scotland, became king of England after Elizabeth I's death.

Accepted Answer

True. James VI inherited the English throne in 1603, uniting the crowns of Scotland and England.

Question 3

True or false: Mary personally led a cavalry charge against English forces at the Battle of Langside.

Accepted Answer

False. She watched from a nearby hill but did not fight; her army was defeated in 1568.

Question 4

True or false: Mary once escaped from Lochleven Castle by hiding in a laundry basket.

Accepted Answer

False. This is a romanticized legend; she actually escaped with help from a page boy and a servant.

Question 5

True or false: Mary was briefly queen consort of France, married to King Francis II.

Accepted Answer

True. She married the Dauphin in 1558 and became queen of France when he ascended the throne in 1559.

Question 6

True or false: Mary Queen of Scots was only six days old when she became queen of Scotland.

Accepted Answer

True. Her father, James V, died shortly after her birth in 1542, making her queen as an infant.

Question 7

True or false: Mary Queen of Scots spoke fluent Japanese, having studied with a missionary.

Accepted Answer

False. No evidence exists; she was educated in French, Latin, and Scots, but never learned Japanese.

Question 8

True or false: Mary was over six feet tall, towering over most men of her era.

Accepted Answer

False. Historical accounts describe her as tall for a woman, around 5'11", not over six feet.

Mary Queen of Scots Trivia Questions