Arran's Regency
The government of Scotland was first entrusted to James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, as Regent. Henry VIII of England wished Mary to marry his son, Prince Edward. This led to internal conflicts in Scotland between those who preferred alliance with France and led to an English invasion, the so-called Rough Wooing. Guise told an English diplomat Ralph Sadler that Regent Arran was a "simple man" and she could easily find out his "whole intent." In April 1543, Arran heard a rumour that Henry VIII now wished to make Mary of Guise his sixth wife. He confronted Mary with this and she prevaricated, learning from him (as she had already guessed) that he told everything to Sadler. Then she sent her confidante Lord Fleming to Sadler to report the conversation. In turn, Sadler relayed to Henry VIII his account of "every man's tale whereby your grace may perceive the perplexed state of affairs in Scotland."
At first Guise stayed unwillingly at Linlithgow Palace, then in July 1543 she moved with the infant queen to Stirling Castle. When Ralph Sadler spoke to her again in August, Guise assured him the English marriage would go ahead when Mary was ten years old. In the meantime Mary was safe at Stirling, and Guise said she was glad to be at Stirling and, "much she praised there about the house." It soon became clear to Henry VIII that Mary and Edward would not be married, despite Scottish promises and the Treaty of Greenwich, and at the end of 1543 he launched the war now called the Rough Wooing, hoping to turn the situation around.
After a Scottish defeat at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in September 1547, French military aid weakened English resolve and increased the power base of Mary of Guise, who remained in Scotland. Equipped with a newly painted spear for her royal standard, Mary came to view the progress of the siege of Haddington in July 1548. Her party came in range of the English guns and sixteen of her entourage were killed around her. Following this terrifying incident, Mary gave one of her gunners at Haddington, Andro Straitoun, a reward of a month's wages, £4. By the resolution of the Scottish Parliament at Haddington, Mary Stewart was sent to France in August 1548 to be raised with her husband-to-be, the dauphin, son of Henry II of France. Guise first planned to sail with her daughter from Dumbarton as far as Whithorn where she would make pilgrimage, but returned instead for a council meeting in Edinburgh.
At this time, the dedication of the Scottish book, The Complaynt of Scotland, recalled Mary of Guise's descent from Godfrey de Bouillon and claimed her courage and virtue exceeded those of the ancient heroines Tomyris, Semiramis and Penthesilea. After negotiating on Christmas Day 1549 at Stirling Castle for more French guns for the siege of Broughty Castle, she showed more prudence in February 1550 by watching the successful assault from across the Tay. The English troops abandoned their occupation of Haddington in September 1549 and Paul de Thermes and Arran walked in. Mary of Guise was triumphant, writing that "the English had left nothing behind but the plague." The peace process began and Scotland was included in the Treaty of Boulogne of 24 March 1550. As part of the treaty, Mary's brother Claude, Marquis de Mayenne, was one of six French hostages sent to England. After their father died on 12 April 1550, Claude was allowed to come to Scotland with a passport from Edward VI dated 11 May. Claude wrote from Edinburgh on 18 May that he would survey the fortifications of the realm. After the Treaty was signed, Mary was able to travel to France to see her family.
Read more about this topic: Mary Of Guise