I think Timothy Dalton was the perfect Darnley in MQOS with Vanessa Redgrave

 

Dalton looked very much like Darnley.  Dalton was charming and dashing at the beginning.  Once married, he then became unbalanced and slimy.  He changed his demeanor so easily, from tough talker to snively weasel so effectively.  Much as the real Darnley apparently did.  The character was written well.

 

I distinctly recall somebody (I'm sorry, I don't remember who) who responded to my original message about MQOS's mental health, saying that they didn't buy her having manic phases because there's no record of her having the "standard" symptoms of the mania phase.

 

I'm not an expert on bipolar disorder by any means, but I believe that not everyone has the standard symptoms, which include inability to sleep, excessive spending, making grandiose plans, etc. etc. A member of my extended family has been diagnosed with this disorder, and I don't think he has any of those symptoms. He does, however, become quite boastful, his demeanour becomes arrogant, he gets argumentative, and he seems a little paranoid.

 

In her book, Jane Dunn makes the point that some of Mary's bad decisionmaking might be rooted in her being bipolar. For example, she speculates that Mary was in a manic phase when she kept insisting that she wanted to marry Darnley, even though many were trying to talk her out of it. Then, very shortly after the wedding, she may have progressed into a depressive state.

 

I'm not saying I agree with Ms. Dunn, but I do find the idea intriguing.

 

Linda

 

In my opinion, although Mary was the rightful heir to the throne of Scotland, she was, in actual fact a coddled and sheltered French woman (due to her up-bringing at the French court) who had no real understanding of her Scottish heritage, politics or the austere court she had inherited.

Hi my name is Reggie, I think that Mary Queen of Scots was a very beautiful woman, and would of been best to stay in France, I think that Mary only moved to Scotland so she could rule Scotland, and Save Scotland, from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. I want to also know, who do you think was prettier Queen Elziabeth I, or Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Queen of Scots had lots of reports saying how beautiful she was, but Queen Elizabeth didn't just have reports saying how beauty like, "she has a very handsome face and figure" and "fine eyes"  but also she had many suitors, even when she was a disgraced princess, she also captivated Prince Philip of Spain, when she was the bastard sister, of her half sister, Queen Mary, but what do you think?

Mary Stuart returned to Scotland for two reasons 1. She had no role in France once her husband had died. 2. She was, after all, Queen of Scots, it was her duty to return there to govern. I think she should have returned earlier, if only for short periods, just to learn what kind of country she was ruler of.

It's impossible to say for sure who was the more physically attractive. Portraits were intended to flatter even the plainest of subjects and written descriptions are little better as you have to look at the motives of the writer.    

true, but the reports written about Mary Queen of Scots physical beauty, is foreign, and they would obviously lie to her about her beauty and charms (unless they wanted to die, but actually Mary wouldn't of probably even executed them, that was more her cousin, Elizabeth) but Mary was a perfect description of the time, long golden red hair, big blue eyes, tall, willowy figure and creamy white skin, and even John Knox, who couldn't stand Mary said that she was beautiful or to be accurate "pretty faced" and Mary wasn't vain and not at all wise, so she wouldn't of thought about it, but it is still a possibility, but I go with the foreign reports, rather then reports, but who do you think is prettier Mary Queen of Scots or Elizabeth, also in the Wyatt rebellion, France aided the Wyatt rebellion, to put Princess Elizabeth on the English throne, so why did the King of France try to invade England when she was finally Queen of England? 

French support for Wyatt's Rebellion was very limited, certainly no arms or men were supplied. And I'm not aware of any French plans to invade England when Elizabeth was Queen. She inherited a war with France started by Philip and Mary in 1557, but both sides brought it to a swift ending by the spring of 1559.