In which country did Mary, Queen of Scots, spend much of her childhood?
Mary, Queen of Scots, had a fascinating and rather tragic life, and her early years were spent far from her native Scotland. Her story is intertwined with the complex political and religious landscape of 16th-century Europe. You see, Mary became Queen of Scotland when she was only six days old! Given the instability in Scotland at the time, and the threat of invasion from England, her mother, Mary of Guise, sent her to France at the age of five. France was a strong Catholic ally of Scotland, and it was seen as the safest place for the young queen to grow up and receive an education fit for a monarch. She spent the next thirteen years in the French court, immersed in French culture, and even married the French Dauphin, who later became King Francis II. So, while she was the Queen of Scots, much of her formative years were spent in France, making it the correct answer. It's easy to think of Scotland because she *was* the Queen of Scots, but her childhood was predominantly French.
Imagine Mary as a young girl, learning French and enjoying croissants in the land of the fleur-de-lis.