Was Mary Queen of Scots first or second cousin to Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth of England?
They were first cousins once removed, or as commonly called, second cousins. Mary of Scotland’s grandmother was the sister of Henry VIII, the father of Mary and Elizabeth Tudor. Mary was the child of his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and was declared illegitimate after their divorce. Just when Henry married Anne Boleyn, the mother of Elizabeth, is uncertain; what is known is that Anne was definitely pregnant at the time of her coronation in May or June of 1533, and Elizabeth was born in September, and anyone can do the math. After Anne’s execution, Henry married Jane Seymour, with whom he finally had the son he’d been trying to beget for over 20 years. His name was Edward. As a side note, all three of Henry’s children reigned–after Elizabeth had also been declared illegitimate following her mother’s execution, Edward was the only heir (and would have been first in line even if his half-sisters were not barred by illegitimacy). As years went on (and three more wives on Henry’s
