Marie of Guise was whisked from a quiet childhood in a convent to an arranged marriage with a French Prince du Sang at the instigation of Francois I. Widowed within three years, she was obliged to marry again, this time to the widowed James V of Scotland (her other choice being Henry VIII - whom she hastily refused!) Carried off to Scotland, leaving her three-year old son behind, she quickly became an important patron of arts and culture at the Scottish court. Widowed again, 31 year old Marie was left to fight a valiant battle to protect not only the inheritance, but also the life, of her baby daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. For eighteen years, Marie strove to keep Scotland safe for her daughter, negotiating the dangerous currents of the Reformation and the struggle between France and England to control Scotland. ABOUT THE SERIES: Tudor Times Insights are ebooks collating articles from our website www.tudortimes.co.uk which is a repository for a wide variety of information about the Tudor and Stewart period 1485 - 1625. There you can find material on People, Places, Daily Life, Military & Warfare, Politics & Economics and Religion. The site has a Book Review section, with author interviews and a book club. It also features comprehensive family trees, and a ‘What’s On’ event list with information about forthcoming activities relevant to the Tudors and Stewarts.