I know that many readers will disagree with me, but I’ve always been immensely sympathetic to Mary, Queen of Scots. (And I hear you, Elizabeth I fans- I know that Mary was a very different person and monarch.) As you might expect, I’m always on the lookout for Mary-history when I’m in Scotland and the right parts of England. (France, too, if I find myself back there…) You can see a lot of her history at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, but I was happy to find some at Edinburgh Castle, too. Today I’m looking at Mary, Queen of Scots’ Birthing Room at Edinburgh Castle, an important space!
Royal Palace at Edinburgh Castle
People tend to think of Holyrood as the “royal palace” in Edinburgh because it’s the sovereign’s official residence in Scotland. However, Edinburgh Castle was a royal residence for centuries. (Charles I was the last monarch to sleep at the palace.)
Edinburgh Castle is rather a complex than a single building; the royal palace is found in Crown Square. James IV of Scotland completed the Square in the early 16th century. Mary de Guise, Mary, Queen of Scots’ mother, died at the royal palace in 1560.
The Birthing Room
The Birthing Room at Edinburgh Castle is crucial in Mary’s story. Her private secretary, David Rizzio, was brutally murdered in front of a pregnant Mary in her rooms at Holyrood. She chose to move to the more secure Edinburgh Castle, and gave birth to her son there.
The Birthing Room is actually very small, smaller than you would expect for a queen. It is off her bedroom, a fairly large room with a normal formal bed. The Birthing Room features a painted version of Mary’s crest, as well as her initials, and her son’s on the ceiling (I.R. is Iacobus Rex, the Latin for “James, King”.). If you are at the Castle, it is a must-visit!
Have you visited Mary, Queen of Scots’ Birthing Room at Edinburgh Castle?
Cheers,
The Historian
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