| Year | Day/Month | Title |
| Edward VI (1547 - 1553) |
|
1548 | Qtr 1 |  Queen Mary moved to Dumbarton Castle
|
| | To comply with the agreement to marry Mary to the French Dauphin, the young queen was moved from Inchmahome Priory to Dumbarton Castle on the banks of the River Clyde on the west of Scotland. It was here that she waited before sailing to France. |
|
| Jul | The French arrive in Scotland
|
| | The request of the Scottish Regent, Mary of Guise, for help to fight the English was answered by the arrival of a army of several thousand French. The assistance came on condition that her daughter Mary should marry the French Dauphin, Francis. |
|
| Aug 13 | Queen Mary arrives in France
|
| | Queen Mary arrived in France. Four girls all also called Mary and coming from noble families were chosen to accompany the Queen. Known as the 'Four Maries' the girls were Mary Beaton, Mary Fleming, Mary Livingston and Mary Seton. They landed, possibly, at Roscoff on the north-west coast of France. |
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| Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603) |
|
1558 | Apr | Betrothal of Mary and Dauphin Francis
|
| | An agreement was reached between the Scottish commissioners and the French king Henry II for the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots and Francis, the Dauphin of France. The terms of the agreement allowed the Scots to maintain their traditional rights and would become united with France when Francis became King of France. It was also agreed that if Mary died without having children the Scottish throne would go to the Earl of Arran. |
|
| Apr 24 | Marriage and a secret agreement
|
| | Mary, Queen of Scots married Francis, the Dauphin of France. A secret marriage agreement was signed by Mary giving control of Scotland to France if she died without having children. |
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1559 | Sep | Coronation of Francis II, King of France
|
| | Francis was crowned King of France at Rheims cathedral. The ceremony was subdued because of the untimely death of his father. |
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1560 | Dec | Death of Francis II, King of France
|
| | Francis suffered from poor health throughout his life and he died at the age of sixteen from an abscess in his brain. |
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1561 | Aug 14 | Mary Stuart leaves France
|
| | Leaving France from Calais in a small flotilla of ships, Mary Stuart set sail for Scotland. Five days later the ships arrived at the port of Leith, now part of Edinburgh. Mary was met by her half-brother James Stewart |
