Quotes from John Guy

the most awkward and least convincing coronation day in French history.

Two of his sons were captured, one of them Sir John, who was executed next day at Aberdeen.

Change was afoot at court even before the ceremony. A palace revolution began the day after Henry II's death.

the Duke of Guise usurped his seat at dinner.

She ruled from the heart and not the head. She was a femme fatale, a manipulative siren

But Catherine was not to be underestimated. Already she perceived Mary to be a threat

To her critics she was fatally

so refused to accept the usual title of Dowager Queen.

shows her in her borrowed clothes, determined to keep her dignity

six hundred nobles were captured, including the constable and four of his sons, who were imprisoned.

Instead, she insisted on being called Queen Mother for the rest of her life.

as the soldiers stood motionless in awe, watching a spectacle they would one day tell to their children and grandchildren.

The explosion woke Mary, who sent Bothwell and the captain of the guard to investigate.

the Earl of Atholl's men and those of the Laird of Tullibardine cried out, "Burn the whore!

Henry II sent for the Duke of Guise, then in Italy, and appointed him lieutenant-general of the kingdom.

Such insults stunned Mary.

Mary of Guise, herself barely a year older than Lennox and still one of the most beautiful women in Scotland

Tall and svelte, he oozed sophistication and was "very pleasant in the sight of gentlewomen.

Henry II wanted to launch a counterattack, especially against England.

Diane de Poitiers, the constable's ally, was scarcely treated better.

The magnificent jewels Henry II had showered on her were reassigned to Mary

were they killed in the house and their bodies dragged outside?

it began to sink in that whoever married her was likely to become king and could make or break their careers.

At the ceremony for Dudley's ennoblement, Darnley bore the sword of state