The Galliard

Queen of Scotland at six days old.

Queen of France at seventeen years old.

A widow at eighteen.



The young and trusting Mary, Queen of Scots, is sailing home to her kingdom after years in exile. The danger from her cousin, the English Queen, has not lessened since then. Religious divides threaten to tear the nation apart and, across the border, Elizabeth keenly watches this new threat to her throne.


Amid the furious turmoil and uncertainty in her Scottish kingdom, Mary finds she has one loyal servant – James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, a ‘glorious, rash and hazardous young man’ known to all as the Galliard. In Bothwell’s courage and love for her, Mary finds serenity, and though fate works against them, no force can conquer their spirit.


This stunning novel from the acclaimed author of Young Bess breathes new life into the little-known story of the great love of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Margaret Irwin (1889-1969) was a master of historical fiction, blending meticulous research with real storytelling flair to create some of this century's best-loved and most widely acclaimed novels, including The Galliard, The Stranger Prince and Young Bess.