Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard & Mary Queen of Scots

Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard & Mary Queen of Scots

Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard was a relative unknown, famous for nothing – until he surprised Mary, Queen of Scots in her bedchamber (twice!) and she had him hanged!

Pierre was born about 1529 to Jeanne de Bayard and Francois Bocosel in southeastern France.

Pierre was the third of five children, and as the middle son, he would have been expected to seek his fortune by carving out a career at court or in the military.

Pierre chose a life at court, and became a page in the service of Constable Montmorency at the court of King Henri II.

Pierre was charming, and good-looking, and wrote courtly love poems.
He had some talent and achieved recognition as a fringe member of the Pléaiade, a group of 16th-century French Renaissance poets.

His good looks and way with words may account for how a mere page fell into the orbit of Mary Queen of Scots….

Mary was in residence at the French Court from 1547 until 1561
During this time, Mary was betrothed, and consequently married to King Henri’s son Francis, the dauphin.

When Mary and Francis became King and Queen of France, Pierre fell madly in love with Mary.

Mary was said to have encouraged his passion.
It is not clear during what time period this flirtation occurred, but most likely it was after the death of Mary’s husband King Francis, in December 1560.

Pierre was in the party escorting Mary back to Scotland in August 1561.

The story goes that Pierre wrote poems to Mary, and she wrote some back.
Whether Mary responded to Pierre’s poems in the spirit of courtly love, or whether she harboured true feelings for him, we may never know.

If Mary didn’t harbour any romantic feelings for Pierre, her behavior certainly gave rise to plenty of gossip.

Thomas Randolph, the English Ambassador to Scotland, suggests that it was much more than friendship.

“She would lie upon Pierre’s shoulder and sometimes she would privily kiss his neck.”

Mary was busy looking for a new husband from powerful Catholic countries – if the gossip was true, it would be a terrible stain upon her honour.

During September 1561 and the Autumn of 1562, Pierre left Scotland.

He returned in the autumn of 1562 having travelled through London making noises about returning to his lady-love in Scotland….

On his return to Scotland, Mary was glad to see him. She gave him the gift of a horse and some money to buy new clothes.
Mary danced with him during New Year’s celebrations.

If he was just an obsessed, love-sick fool, he was also unlucky.

Pierre displayed the poor judgment to get caught in Mary’s bedchamber not once, but twice.

The first time, he hid under Mary’s bed at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, but was discovered during a routine security search.
Mary banished him from Scotland.

Two days later in a move of epic stupidity, he followed Mary to Fife.
He surprised her at Rossend Castle in Burntisland, and caught her in the middle of undressing.

Pierre had a dagger and/or sword with him.
Her shouts brought her brother, James Stewart, Earl of Moray to her aid.

Mary was so rattled that her chief lady-in-waiting Mary Fleming, slept at the foot of her bed thereafter.

Whatever Mary’s true feelings for Pierre, she did not have much choice but to hang him for her ‘attempted assassination’.

At worst, Pierre had threatened Queen Mary’s life.
At best, he threatened her good name either through his stupidity or on purpose as a spy.

After a week in the dungeons at St. Andrews, Pierre was hanged at the Mercat Cross in St. Andrews on 20th February 1563.

Pierre made a dramatic exit, reportedly saying –

”Adieu, most lovely and cruel of princesses!”

❣ Mary Stuart and Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard
by Linton, Sir James Dromgole.
Private Collection