Mary Queen of Scots to be cast in bronze

Campaigners are planning to erect the first public statue of Mary Queen of Scots in her homeland.

Supporters from the Marie Stuart Society want to place a £100,000 bronze statue outside Linlithgow Palace, in West 
Lothian, in her honour.

Margaret Lumsdaine, president of the society, said: “Although there are a few small statues in private places, we don’t know of any official public statues of Mary Queen of Scots.

“She is the mother of the United Kingdom, because her son James VI united the English and the Scottish crowns.

“Mary is in a line of iconic Scots and I think most Scots would like to see a statue in her memory. It will be educational to our children and add an interest to tourism.”

The society wants to raise about £100,000 for a 6ft bronze statue of Mary, who stood 5ft 11in, to be erected at the palace, where the Queen of Scots was born on 7 December, 1542.

Adrian Cox, Historic Scotland’s cultural heritage adviser said: “Mary Queen of Scots was arguably one of Linlithgow Palace’s most famous residents.

“We are working closely with the Marie Stuart Society to agree a suitable location near the palace for their proposed statue.”