# Mary, Queen of Scots, returns to Scotland (1561)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1561-mary-queen-of-scots-returns-to-scotland
Categories: ruler-change

Mary returned from France to rule a kingdom transformed by Protestant reform. Within the broader Tudor Britain period, dynastic consolidation, Reformation, closer incorporation of Wales and Ireland, and rivalry with Catholic Europe transformed the state. This event is placed at 1561 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. Her personal Catholicism and dynastic claim to England made her reign politically explosive.

## Why it matters
Her personal Catholicism and dynastic claim to England made her reign politically explosive.

Ruler at the time: [Elizabeth I](https://english-history.com/rulers/elizabeth-i)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Mary, Queen of Scots, returns to Scotland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Mary%2C+Queen+of+Scots%2C+returns+to+Scotland&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Mary, Queen of Scots, returns to Scotland](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Mary%2C+Queen+of+Scots%2C+returns+to+Scotland)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%281500%E2%80%931599%29)
- [The National Archives — early modern education resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)