marguerite d'anjou, dowager queen of scotland / timeline.
21 december 1452: born, marguerite d’anjou, at the château de blois, kingdom of france; first-born daughter of thebold d’anjou, duke of anjou, and christina valois, a royal french duchess.
c. 1458, aged 6: sister, agnes d’anjou, is born.
c. 1461, aged 9: betrothed to james, future king of scots.
20 july 1462, aged 10: marriage of marguerite d’anou and james stuart takes place by proxy in paris.
9 september 1466, aged 14: james, aged nineteen, becomes james v of scotland. marguerite commands her servants to refer to her as queen of scots.
c. 1467, aged 15: birth of james’ illegitimate son, archibald douglas.
c. 1468, aged 15: birth of james’ illegitimate daughter, marjorie douglas.
c. 1468, aged 16: marguerite’s party begins its journey from paris to edinburgh; their arrival is delayed by inclement weather, whereupon they are forced to dock in dover and make the trip to scotland on horseback.
17 february 1469, aged 16: unable to adjust to the harsh scottish climes, marguerite is indisposed between november 1468 and february 1469; her illness becomes so severe that james delays their marriage in the fear that she should die. finally, marguerite musters enough of her former strength (with ample pressure from her father to seal the deal) and the two marry in a private chapel at holyrood palace, attended by only a few guests (including james’ mistress, jane douglas).
27 december 1469, aged 17: having finally recovered from her prolonged illness, marguerite is crowned queen of scotland – six days after her seventeenth birthday.
24 november 1473, aged 21: birth of a daughter, arabella (future queen of scots) at holyrood palace, the queen’s principal (and favoured) royal abode.
c. 1473–1478, aged 21–26: marguerite begins an affair with thomas hepburn, earl of bothwell; he is killed in a skirmish against the english in 1478. at the time of bothwell’s death, there are whispers at holyrood that the queen may be with child; though these rumours are empty, james strains his relationship with marguerite by accusing her of having fathering arabella with bothwell.
28 august 1484, aged 32: over a decade since the birth of arabella, marguerite miscarries of a son. from this point on, james and marguerite live in separate households; marguerite must vacate holyrood and set up camp at stirling castle.
19 may 1494, aged 42: death of james v, following a prolonged illness.
c. 1494, aged 42: succession of her daughter, arabella, to the throne.