| “ | Mary may be Scotland's Queen, but I am its King. | ” |
— Marie to Catherine in The Consummation
| ||
Marie de Guise was a recurring character in the first and second season, and a minor character in the third season of Reign. She was portrayed by Amy Brenneman.
She was the mother of Mary Stuart and Regent of Scotland until she was succeeded by James Stuart following her death. Marie was a member of the House of Guise by birth, a member of the House of Stuart by marriage, and the House of Bourbon through her mother's side.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
After Mary's engagement to Francis was negotiated, Marie came to France and left Mary there for a time. There, she met Catherine, who apparently found her cold.
Since their separation, Marie didn't see her daughter on a regular basis; although they often exchanged letters, and she was at the Convent for Mary's 11th birthday though half the ship's crew died along the way.
Marie de Guise was born on November 22, 1515 at Bar-le-Duc, Lorraine, France, the eldest of the 11 children of Claude, Duke of Guise and his wife Antoinette de Bourbon.
On August 4, 1534, at the age of 18, Marie married her first husband: Louis II d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville (born 1510), at the Château du Louvre. The Duke and Duchess had a marriage that was quite happy, but sadly was brief. On October 30, 1535, Marie gave birth to her first son, Francis; However on June 9, 1537, Louis died at Rouen and left her a widow when she was but 21 and pregnant with their second child. On August 4, 1537 which would have been her third wedding anniversary; Marie gave birth to their second son, who was named Louis after his deceased father sadly Louis died while very young.
Later in 1537 Marie became the subject of marriage negotiations with King James V of Scotland who had recently lost his first wife Madeline of Valois (a sister of our Henry II) due to tuberculosis and wanted a 2nd French wife to keep strong the alliance between France and Scotland against England.
James and Marie were married by proxy on May 18, 1538, and on June 10 she arrived in Fife, Scotland, and they were formally married a few days later. Marie was crowned Queen Consort of Scotland at Holyrood Abbey on February 22, 1540.
James and Marie had two sons. James Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, was born on May 22, 1540 at St Andrews. Robert was born and baptized on April 12, 1541, but both died on April 21, 1541, when James was nearly one year old and Robert was only eight days old. Marie's mother Antoinette de Bourbon wrote that the couple was still young and should hope for more children. The third and last child of their union was a daughter Mary, who was born on December 8, 1542. King James died six days later, making the infant Mary Queen Regnant of Scotland.
Marie acted as Regnant for her daughter from 1554-1560, until she became terribly ill while trying to fortify Edinburgh Castle, and died of dropsy on June 11, 1560 age 44. She is buried in the Convent of Saint-Pierre in Reims, where her sister Renée was Abbess.
In the Series[]
Season One[]
In A Chill in the Air, It is revealed that her daughter often wrote to her. Catherine instructed Aylee to intercept these letters and bring them to her before they are delivered.
In For King and Country, she is mentioned several times by both Henry II and Mary. The King tells Mary that he has been discussing with Marie for several weeks already about Mary claiming the English Throne.
Marie makes her first appearance in The Consummation. She pays a visit to the French Court, finding her daughter engaged to Bash instead of Francis, much to her dismay. By paying a messenger to lie about the English Queen's death, Marie forced Mary's wedding. Her daughter chooses to marry Francis. In the middle of the wedding, Mary realizes the English Queen is actually alive and gets mad at her mother, telling her to get out of her life and leave her alone. Most probably, Marie de Guise returned to Scotland.
Season Two[]
Marie attacks Lola.
In Forbidden, Marie comes back to attend her brother's funeral then chastises her daughter for not only failing to provide an heir but having separate chambers from Francis. Marie then is seen talking to Lola and saying that if Mary is disposed, Lola should remember her role in Mary's demise. Mary confronts her mother about taking opiates and Marie then admits to her daughter that she is dying from a condition in her lymph and lungs. Mary says that she wants her mother to stay in France so she can care for her. However Marie says that she is past that point and she must return to Scotland to secure Mary's rule there, because she can no longer protect her daughter once she is gone.
Personality[]
Marie de Guise seems to be a cold woman, particularly mother, who since getting her daughter engaged with Francis barely made an effort to see her own daughter. Though she is said to write to her often, Marie is more loyal to her country, not wanting her daughter to come home if it meant losing their alliance with France. In Forbidden it is discovered she actually cares about Mary in some way as she returns to Scotland to protect Mary's rule there and says that she wanted England and France to fall at Mary's feet.
Adelaide Kane says about Marie: "Her character's kind of delicious and sort of Catherine-esque in her manipulations," she previews. "Where Catherine uses her children, she still ultimately loves them and wants their happiness. With Marie de Guise, she does use Mary, and it's questionable whether or not she's emotionally invested in Mary's emotional well-being."
Physical Appearance[]
Marie is a beautiful tall and slender woman with brown eyes and dark brown hair.
Relationships[]
Marie and Mary
- Mary: Mary is Marie's daughter. They are not very close as Mary states she had never been a mother to her. Marie herself says she exchanged her daughter for France's protection. She later tells Catherine that she regrets "selling" her child, as well as her soul.
- Claude de Guise: Brother.
- Christian de Guise: Brother.
- Martel de Guise: Nephew.
- Elizabeth I: Cousin-in-law.
- Francis II: Son-in-law.
- Catherine de' Medici: Frenemy, in-laws.
- Henry II: In-laws.
Appearances[]
| Season One | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| Pilot | Mentioned | ||
| Snakes in the Garden | Absent | ||
| Kissed | Absent | ||
| Hearts and Minds | Absent | ||
| A Chill in the Air | Mentioned | ||
| Chosen | Absent | ||
| Left Behind | Absent | ||
| Fated | Mentioned | ||
| For King and Country | Mentioned | ||
| Sacrifice | Absent | ||
| Inquisition | Absent | ||
| Royal Blood | Absent | ||
| The Consummation | Appears | ||
| Dirty Laundry | Absent | ||
| The Darkness | Absent | ||
| Monsters | Absent | ||
| Liege Lord | Mentioned | ||
| No Exit | Mentioned | ||
| Toy Soldiers | Mentioned | ||
| Higher Ground | Mentioned | ||
| Long Live the King | Absent | ||
| Slaughter of Innocence | Absent | ||
| Season Two | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| The Plague | Absent | ||
| Drawn and Quartered | Absent | ||
| Coronation | Absent | ||
| The Lamb and the Slaughter | Absent | ||
| Blood for Blood | Absent | ||
| Three Queens | Absent | ||
| The Prince of the Blood | Absent | ||
| Terror of the Faithful | Absent | ||
| Acts of War | Absent | ||
| Mercy | Absent | ||
| Getaway | Absent | ||
| Banished | Absent | ||
| Sins of the Past | Absent | ||
| The End of Mourning | Mentioned | ||
| Forbidden | Appears | ||
| Tasting Revenge | Mentioned | ||
| Tempting Fate | Absent | ||
| Reversal of Fortune | Absent | ||
| Abandoned | Absent | ||
| Fugitive | Absent | ||
| The Siege | Absent | ||
| Burn | Absent | ||
| Season Three | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| Three Queens, Two Tigers | Absent | ||
| Betrothed | Absent | ||
| Extreme Measures | Absent | ||
| The Price | Appears | ||
| In a Clearing | Mentioned | ||
| Fight or Flight | Absent | ||
| The Hound and the Hare | Absent | ||
| Our Undoing | Absent | ||
| Wedlock | Absent | ||
| Bruises That Lie | Absent | ||
| Succession | Mentioned | ||
| No Way Out | Mentioned | ||
| Strange Bedfellows | Absent | ||
| To The Death | Absent | ||
| Safe Passage | Absent | ||
| Clans | Absent | ||
| Intruders | Absent | ||
| Spiders in a Jar | Absent | ||
| Season Four | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| With Friends Like These | Absent | ||
| A Grain of Deception | Absent | ||
| Leaps of Faith | Absent | ||
| Playing with Fire | Absent | ||
| Highland Games | Mentioned | ||
| Love & Death | Absent | ||
| Hanging Swords | Mentioned | ||
| Uncharted Waters | Mentioned | ||
| Pulling Strings | Absent | ||
| A Better Man | Absent | ||
| Dead of Night | Absent | ||
| The Shakedown | Absent | ||
| Coup de Grace | Absent | ||
| A Bride. A Box. A Body. | Absent | ||
| Blood in the Water | Absent | ||
| All It Cost Her | Absent | ||
Trivia[]
- It was believed she would make an appearance in For King and Country, but she was only mentioned.
- It is believed that Catherine doesn't really like her.
- In reality, Marie de Guise was too busy trying to keep Scotland safe for her daughter, which is why she was rarely able to visit France.
- Historically, Marie de Guise had four Ladies-in-Waiting, whose daughters became ladies-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots, and collectively were known as "The Four Marys".
- In Forbidden, Marie revealed to her daughter that she has been taking opiates, because she is dying from an incurable condition.
- Historically Marie was originally considered to be a bride of King Henry VIII; however because Henry divorced his first wife and beheaded the second, Marie declined the offer. She eventually married King James V and thus became Queen of Scotland.
- She is part of the House of Bourbon only through her mother's side, Antoinette de Bourbon.
- Marie de Guise made her final appearance in Season Three.
- Lord Bothwell promised Marie that he would look after Mary.
- He did so by being Mary's "Loyal Watchman".
Gallery[]
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See Also[]