Editing Francis II of France (section)

====Loss of Scotland====
[[File:BnF, NAL 83, folio 154 v - Francis II and Mary, Queen of Scots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The king and his spouse [[Mary, Queen of Scots|Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots]] (painted around 1558). ({{Lang|fr|[[Bibliothèque Nationale de France]]|italic=no}})]]
With the marriage of Francis II and Mary Stuart, the future of Scotland was linked to that of France. A secret clause signed by the queen provided that Scotland would become part of France if the royal couple did not have children.<ref>{{harvp|Duchein|1998|p=207}}</ref> The queen's mother, [[Marie of Guise]], was already regent for Scotland.

Because of French control over their country, a [[Scottish Reformation#Lords of the Congregation|congregation of Scottish lords]] organised an uprising and made the regent and her French councils leave the capital, [[Edinburgh]], in May 1559. Having taken refuge at the fortress of [[Dunbar]], Marie of Guise asked France for help. Francis II and Mary Stuart sent troops right away. By the end of 1559, France had regained control of Scotland.<ref>Jacques-Auguste de Thou, ''Histoire universelle'', tome second, La Haye, 1742 pp. 742–746.</ref>

Nothing seemed to stand in the way of French control of Scotland apart from English support for the Scottish nobles. Queen [[Elizabeth I of England]] was still offended that Francis II and Mary Stuart had put on their coat of arms those of England, thus proclaiming Mary's claims on the throne of England.<ref>{{harvp|Duchein|1985|pp=576–581}}</ref> In January 1560, the English fleet blockaded the port of [[Leith]], which French troops had turned into a military base. They were supported by the arrival in April of 6000 soldiers and 3000 horsemen, which began the [[siege of Leith|siege of the city]].

Just as English troops were not particularly successful, the French troops found themselves in a better strategic position. But the French government's poor financial situation and internal turmoil in the French kingdom prevented any military reinforcements from being sent.<ref>{{harvp|Romier|1923|pp=93–95}}</ref><ref>See also {{harvp|de Ruble|1889|p=149}}</ref> When the [[Jean de Monluc|Bishop of Valence]] and Charles de La Rochefoucault, sieur of Randan, sent by the king to negotiate, arrived in Scotland, they were treated almost like prisoners. With Marie of Guise shut up in [[Edinburgh Castle]], the two men were forced to negotiate a peace that was disadvantageous to France. On 6 July 1560, they signed the [[Treaty of Edinburgh]], which ended French occupation of Scotland. Francis II and Mary Stuart had to withdraw French troops and stop displaying England's arms.

A few weeks later, the [[Parliament of Scotland]] established Protestantism as the state religion. When Francis II and Mary Stuart were presented with the Treaty of Edinburgh, they were outraged and refused to sign it; they also challenged the legitimacy of the Scottish parliament's decision.<ref>{{harvp|Duchein|1998|p=80}}</ref>