Queen Mary II

Coronation Day

January 3, 1559

England

As Mary stood on the pedestal, her ladies lacing up and adding finishing touches to her white and gold dress, she stared out the window to the cloudy skies of her new kingdom. It was coronation day, and she could hardly believe that she made it this far. This coronation would not completely solve her problem of Elizabeth, but it is much harder to overthrow an anointed monarch. Even still, she could not help but feel like the worst was yet to come. She had asked Lady Elizabeth to be in the ceremony, in order to display unity and loyalty, but Elizabeth refused. This would certainly send a message to the Protestants of England that they should not recognize this coronation, or Mary's reign.

However, she was lucky to have the Grey sister's by her side. Their loyalty meant the world to her, and certainly helped to ease tensions with the more moderate Protestant factions of England. In addition, Mary felt a since of comfort with her cousins. Their friendship had made this transition easier for Mary. "Your Majesty?" Catherine asked, snapping the Queen out of her trance, "Are you alright?"

The Queen nodded and forced a smile, "Yes, I am all right, thank you." Placing her hands on her belly, she knew that this day would define most of her unborn child's life. Upon birth, her baby would be the heir to English and Scottish Thrones. If it was a boy, it would also be the heir to the French throne. Three countries with a history of eternal warfare, finally united by her unborn child, and she was the key to all of it. If she failed. If she took one wrong move, then her child's future could be completely derailed. She needed to do this right. She needed to be the best Queen possible.

"Your majesty," A maid said, entering the room with a deep curtsy, "It is time to start the procession."

Mary looked in the mirror. Her white and gold dress almost shimmered in the light coming in through the window. It contrasted nicely with her auburn hair which fell elegantly on her shoulders. She looked very bit the Queen she was supposed to be. She even looked almost god-like, as if she personified the Greek Goddess Hera herself. With all the pageantry and glamor, you could easily forget to look at the girl underneath it all, and the fear she carried in her eyes.

Mary and her two cousins walked outside and stepped into the carriage. She wished Francis could be here, but he was not English royalty, so he was not allowed to be a part of the ceremony, he could only watch. In Scotland, Francis was granted the crown matrimonial, making him the King of Scotland. However, the English privy council refused to grant him the same honor in England, not that either of them pushed the issue. Mary knew that her own crown was unstable, so she would not expect the english to grant her French husband any sort of honors.

As the carriage exited the palace gates, Mary could finally start the see the crowds of people, cheering for her. As she rode past them, she made sure to smile and wave. The people were what made all of this worth it. She knew that she had the power to help them and make their lives better. However, they were also what she feared most. Her role relied on the loyalty of the people. They are all cheering for her coronation today, but tomorrow they could be calling for her execution. Especially in England of all places, Mary knew that she always remain vigilant for plots to turn the people against.

In this moment though, Mary did not dwell on those negative thoughts. For so long the people of England felt hopeless. They watched a brutal old Queen try and cling to the antiquated ways of the old world, but in Mary Stuart, they saw a young, vibrant, and modern Queen. In Mary, they saw someone who could change the world and bring England into the modern era once again, and restore their place as a European power. "I wish Elizabeth was here," Mary said to her cousins, "Imagine the power of a unified group of Tudor women."