Unknown
Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542 - 1587. Reigned 1542 - 1567
1610When Mary signed the abdication documents at Loch Leven Castle, James became king aged only thirteen months. Although Mary lived until James was aged twenty, they never saw each other again. Following his mother’s death, James was keen to keep good relations with Elizabeth, as she paid him a large pension and he knew that, with no heirs of her own, the English throne may one day become his own.
After Elizabeth’s death in 1603 and James’s subsequent ascension to the English throne, he set about restoring his mother’s reputation. This portrait of around 1610 shows Mary as a virtuous queen and is typical of the type of portrait that James was keen to promote. In 1612 he ordered her remains to be removed from Peterborough Cathedral and buried in Westminster Abbey, where they remain today.
- Glossary (1 term)
- Open
Miniature
A painting or drawing, usually a portrait, on a very small scale. These were popular prior to the invention of photographic portraits in the 19th century.
- Credits Purchased 1925
- Medium Oil on canvas
- Size 201.50 x 95.70 cm (framed: 224.60 x 119.80 x 8.00 cm)
