Mary, Queen of Scots the Scottish alliance with France. Beaton wanted to move Mary away from the coast to the safety of Stirling Castle. Regent Arran resisted the move, but backed down when Beaton's armed supporters gathered at Linlithgow. The Earl of Lennox escorted Mary and her mother to Stirling on 27 July 1543 with 3,500 armed men. Mary was crowned in the castle chapel on 9 September 1543, with "such solemnity as they do use in this country, which is not very costly" according to the report of Ralph Sadler and Henry Ray. Shortly before Mary's coronation, Scottish merchants headed for France were
Mary, Queen of Scots (opera) and murders Riccio before her eyes. As the council ponders whether to make James the Regent, they hear that Mary has fled the castle and that James is stirring up the Scottish people by accusing Mary of deserting them and conspiring with Darnley to murder Riccio. At one of his harangues, James is challenged by Mary's faithful supporter Lord Gordon. Mary appears in the crowd and accuses James of perfidy, including arranging Riccio's murder to discredit her. The crowd supports her, and she banishes James for life. Act 3 Exhausted and ill after the birth of her son and with