In brief:

Mary was the better looking of the two ladies, and a personal rivalry developed, Elizabeth, being badly scared from Small Pox used to whiten her face with a strange mixture of eggs, flower and other bizarre ingredients in order to give her a more pale complexion - just like her cousins (which was natural). 'This was common practice in those days as well was the fashion of strange wigs and hair styles in order to cover other, at that time incurable, disorders. Mary was married to the King of France who also declared himself the King of Scotland. Elizabeth was at war with France and religious divide between the Catholics and Protestants within Scotland, and political influence by both religious orders lead to division.

Scotland was divided, and support for the Auld Alliance between France and Scotland was failing. Elizabeth's help was required and she assisted by sending troops and cash to help the protestants out. Mary's husband died of an ear infection and France didn't regard her as anything worth bothering about any more. She had her own crown and they were too busy fighting the English anyway. She married again, fell pregnant by a secret lover and did herself no favours in the Scottish scene. Her lover was discovered and swiftly murdered. Her then husband was also murdered and so she married again. Religion, politics and distrust between France, Scotland and England reigned. James (later James VI) her son, spent a lot of time with Elizabeth and very little with her mother, who was back in Scotland after fleeing from France and England as neither France or Elizabeth wanted her around. Uproar in Edinburgh saw mobs of angry people label her as a whore, and wanted her out!

So. Scotland was now half ruling itself as a Nation without a monarch, or at least one they didn't really seem to want. France decided that her son James was the rightful heir to the English crown and since Elizabeth didn't have an heir they didn't have much room for complaint! Mary fled yet again and kind of thought that she could get some help from her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth swiftly imprisoned her as a threat to her crown and seemed to take a stronger liking to James, who, by this time was fairly adept with politics and gained favour with Elizabeth through his knack for holding an argument. France was pretty quiet by now, and when Elizabeth was asked if James would succeed her all she did was give a rather ambiguous 'finger' response. Finally Elizabeth decided that she had finished taunting Mary and chopped her head off.

The French supported James as the Scottish king, and so did the Scots. Elizabeth died a virgin and so without an heir. English parliament decided that it was time to end the fighting and agreed that James was eligible for their throne. The decision was made, supported by all concerned and James VI of Scotland became James I of England as well, and also Ireland! Lucky break for him.

Peace at last, but the French were only happy if the House of Stewart was given it's old French name - and so it was. James VI of Scotland, James I of England - The House of Stuart reigned on without much bickering.

You have to remember that at this time in history, the population of all countries concerned was far less than it is now, and also that the royal families, as such, are still discussed in the highest circles of historians even today who argue there backgrounds. Who married who, who was related to who, who gave birth to who, who murdered who. We are only talking about a small number of people and families, and to swiftly bring you back to the matter at hand we are talking about the Jacobites - the James' from the House of Stuart, and why they were exiled.

Let me continue in a bit more depth from where I left off - JAMES VI OF SCOTLAND.

He proposed a complete union of Scotland and England to form a single kingdom: Great Britain.

Years later another Englishman was to write: "The aire might be wholesome but for the stinking people that inhabit it". James' dream of union was never going to become real if these were the attitudes which were being shown by his English subjects - even in the higher educated circles where he felt support was sure to come from, the attitude of Scottish hatred echoed.

The Scots, who, fearful that their nation would be swallowed up by their more numerous and powerful neighbours, were holding tight their hard earned national identity which much blood was spilt for over the centuries. It was too hard to forget and they were not about to sign over their overseas trade markets to English profiteers. Least to say they were hardly enthusiastic either.

It was easy to see that James' dreams and plans were never going to come to fruition in his lifetime so long as these attitudes were still being displayed.

However, some of it's contents were salvaged from the Scottish proposal. The repeal for some mutually hostile laws, an agreement by the English to return fugitives from Scottish Justice, dual nationality for those born under the union of the crowns, and a reluctantly-flown union flag. Even this was then later withdrawn in 1634.

For the remaining years of the 1600's England and Scotland remained separate and independent kingdoms. Each with it's own parliament, taxes, church and laws. Some of which still last today - Scotland does have it's own laws and its own church, but it does not have it's own parliament - the latter is in discussion today, and with an election looming it is a political hot potato.Unfortunately for James VI, he had made a grave mistake. He was now spending all his time in England and treating Scotland as a northern province to his kingdom. Scotland's problem was that her King was spending too much time in voluntary exile south of the border, something which he had never previously done.

By this action, James was making a disastrous mistake. His reputation in Scotland was seriously undermined. However, as King of England he found himself far closer to the European stage than ever before. He stepped into the arena declaring himself 'Rex Pacificus', the King of Peace, claiming that he would reconcile the warring Protestant and Catholic nations. This too was a disaster, Spain was at war, as were the Germans and the Austrians. James did not have the power and influence that his Great Britain should have had and he overestimated his support dangerously.

James VI failed to unite the nations as one united kingdom, but he did manage to rule as James VI of Scotland and James I of England with great success. There remained great distrust between his two kingdoms but he kept both sides reasonably happy and he did achieve a lot in his time and probably gave Scotland one of it's most competent political monarch's yet.