Editing Mary, Queen of Scots (section)

== Imprisonment in Scotland and abdication ==

[[File:Mary Stuart James.jpg|thumb|Mary depicted with her son, [[James VI and I]]; in reality, Mary saw her son for the last time when he was ten months old.]]

Between 21 and 23 April 1567, Mary visited her son at [[Stirling]] for the last time. On her way back to Edinburgh on 24 April, Mary was abducted, willingly or not, by Lord Bothwell and his men and taken to [[Dunbar Castle]], where he may have raped her.<ref>[[James Melville of Halhill]], who was in the castle, wrote that Bothwell "had ravished her and lain with her against her will" (quoted in {{Harvnb|Fraser|1994|pp=314–317}}). Other contemporaries dismissed the abduction as bogus ({{Harvnb|Donaldson|1974|p=117}}; {{Harvnb|Fraser|1994|p=317}}). See also {{Harvnb|Guy|2004|pp=328–329}}; {{Harvnb|Weir|2008|pp=351–355}}; and {{Harvnb|Wormald|1988|p=163}}.</ref> On 6 May, Mary and Bothwell returned to Edinburgh. On 15 May, at either [[Holyrood Palace]] or [[Holyrood Abbey]], they were married according to Protestant rites.<ref>{{Harvnb|Weir|2008|pp=367, 374}}</ref> Bothwell and his first wife, [[Jean Gordon, Countess of Bothwell|Jean Gordon]], who was the sister of Lord Huntly, had divorced twelve<!--12 days before the divorce in the Protestant Commissary Court of Edinburgh; 8 days before [[John Hamilton (archbishop of St Andrews)|Archbishop Hamilton's]] Catholic annulment--> days previously.<ref>{{Harvnb|Fraser|1994|p=319}}; {{Harvnb|Guy|2004|pp=330–331}}; {{Harvnb|Weir|2008|pp=366–367}}</ref>

Originally, Mary believed that many nobles supported her marriage, but relations quickly soured between the newly elevated Bothwell (created [[Duke of Orkney]]) and his former peers and the marriage proved to be deeply unpopular. Catholics considered the marriage unlawful since they did not recognise Bothwell's divorce or the validity of the Protestant service. Both Protestants and Catholics were shocked that Mary should marry the man accused of murdering her husband.<ref>{{Harvnb|Weir|2008|p=382}}</ref> The marriage was tempestuous, and Mary became despondent.<ref>{{Harvnb|Fraser|1994|pp=322–323}}; {{Harvnb|Guy|2004|pp=336–337}}</ref>

Twenty-six [[Scottish peers]], known as the confederate lords, turned against Mary and Bothwell and raised their own army. Mary and Bothwell confronted the lords at [[Carberry Hill]] on 15 June, but there was no battle, as Mary's forces dwindled away through desertion during negotiations.<ref>{{Harvnb|Weir|2008|pp=383–390}}; {{Harvnb|Wormald|1988|p=165}}</ref> Bothwell was given safe passage from the field. The lords took Mary to Edinburgh, where crowds of spectators denounced her as an adulteress and murderer.<ref>{{Harvnb|Weir|2008|pp=391–393}}</ref> The following night, she was imprisoned in [[Lochleven Castle]] on an island in the middle of [[Loch Leven (Kinross)|Loch Leven]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Fraser|1994|p=335}}; {{Harvnb|Guy|2004|p=351}}; {{Harvnb|Weir|2008|p=398}}</ref> Between 20 and 23 July, Mary miscarried twins.<ref>{{Harvnb|Weir|2008|p=411}}</ref> On 24 July, she was forced to [[Act Anent the demission of the Crown in favour of our Sovereign Lord, and his Majesty's Coronation 1567|abdicate in favour of her one-year-old son James]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Guy|2004|p=364}}; {{Harvnb|Weir|2008|p=413}}; {{Harvnb|Wormald|1988|p=165}}</ref> Moray was made regent,<ref>{{Harvnb|Fraser|1994|p=347}}; {{Harvnb|Guy|2004|p=366}}; {{Harvnb|Weir|2008|p=421}}; {{Harvnb|Wormald|1988|p=166}}</ref> while Bothwell was driven into exile. He was imprisoned in Denmark, became insane, and died in 1578.<ref>{{Harvnb|Weir|2008|pp=422, 501}}; {{Harvnb|Wormald|1988|p=171}}</ref>