Act Anent the demission of the Crown in favour of our Sovereign Lord, and his Majesty’s Coronation 1567

It is found and declared by the three Estates & whole body of this present Parliament, that the demission and over-giving of the Crown, and Regiment of this Realm made by the Queen’s grace, our Sovereign Lord’s dearest Mother, by virtue of her letters of commission and procuration subscribed with her hand, and under her privy Seal, of the date the 24th day of July last, was, and is, and shall be in all times coming holden, repute, and esteemed lawful, and perfect, according to the same commission produced, advised, and admitted by the said three Estates. And also that the Coronation, and inauguration of our said Sovereign Lord, Son to his said dearest mother, and native Prince of this Realm, made and solemnized conform to the said commission, At Stirling, the 29th day of the said Month of July by the Earls, Lords, Prelates, Commissars of Burrows, Barons, and others faithful and true subjects, assembled and convened for that effect, was duly, rightly, and orderly done, and execute, and as lawful and valid in the self in all respects, and his Majesty as righteously invested, and possessed in this kingdom as his said mother, his grandfather, great-grandfather, or any other his most noble progenitors native Princes of this Realm were, and has been of before, or as if her grace (the time of the said coronation) had been departed out of this mortal life, or had compeared personally in presence of the whole three Estates of this Realm, assembled in Parliament and made the said demission, notwithstanding any manner of title, action, or interest, or any other thing that presently may or can hereafter be objected in the contrary. And also ratifies, approves, and confirms the said demission, coronation, and inauguration of our said Sovereign Lord, and all things done, or that hereafter shall happen to be done in his highness’ name and authority. Of the which letters of demission, and constitution of procuration the tenors follows.

MARY, By the grace of God Queen of Scots, To all and sundry our Judges, and Ministers of Law, lieges, and subjects whom it concerns, to whose knowledge these our letters shall come, greeting, Forasmuch as by long irksome, and tedious travail taken by us in the government of this our Realm, and lieges thereof, we are so vexed and wearied that our body, spirit, and senses are altogether become unable longer to travail in that room, And therefore we have demitted, and renounced the office of government of this our Realm, & lieges thereof in favours of our only most dear Son, native Prince of this our Realm. And because of his tender youth, and inability to use the said government in his own person, during his minority, we have constitute our dearest brother James Earl of Moray, Lord Abernethy, &c. Regent to our said Son, Realm, and lieges foresaid. And in respect that our said dearest brother is actually forth of our Realm, and can not instantly be present to accept the said office of Regentry upon him, and use and exercise the same, during our said dearest son’s minority: We, until his returning within our Realm, or in case of his decease, have made, constitute, named, appointed, and ordained, and by these our letters makes, constitutes, names, appoints, and ordains our trustworthy cousins and counsellors, James Duke of Chatelherault, Earl of Arran, Lord Hamilton, Matthew Earl of Lennox, Lord Darnley. &c. Archibald Earl of Argyll, Lord Campbell and Lorne. &c. John Earl of Atholl, James Earl of Morton, Alexander Earl of Glencairn, and John Earl of Mar, Regents to our said dearest son, Realm, and lieges. And in case our said brother James, Earl of Moray, come within our Realm, and refuses to accept the said office of Regentry upon his singular person, We make, constitute, name, appoint, and ordain our trustworthy cousins, and counsellors foresaid, and our said brother, Regents of our said dear Son, Realm, and lieges; Giving, granting, and committing to them or any five of them, conjunctly, full power for our said Son, and in his name to receive resignations of lands, make dispositions of wards, non-entries, reliefs, marriages, benefices, escheats, offices, and others casualities, & privileges whatsoever concerning the said office, Signators thereupon to make, subscribe, and cause be past through the Seals. And to use, and exercise the said office of Regentry in all things, privileges, & commodities, suchlike as freely, and with as great liberty, as any Regent, or Governor to us, or our predecessors used the same in any times bygone; Promising to hold firm, and stable, in the word and faith of a Prince, to whatsoever things our said trustworthy cousins do in the premises. Charging herefore you all and sundry our Judges, and Ministers of Law, lieges, & subjects foresaids, to answer, and obey to our said trustworthy cousins, Regents foresaids, in all and sundry things concerning the said office of Regentry, during our said dearest Son’s minority, and ever and until he be of the age of seventeen years complete. As ye and each one of you will declare you loving subjects to our said most dear Son, your native Prince, and under all pain, charge, and offence that ye and each one of you may commit, and incur against his Majesty in that part. Subscribed with our hand, & given under our privy Seal, at Lochleven the 24th day of July, and of our Reign the twenty-fifth year

MARY, By the grace of God Queen of Scots, To all and sundry our Judges, and Ministers of Law, lieges, and subjects whom it concerns, to whose knowledge these our letters shall come, greeting: Forasmuch, as since our arrival, and returning within our Realm, we, willing the common commodity, wealth, profit, and quietness thereof, lieges, and subjects of the same, have employed our body, spirit, whole senses, and forces to govern the same, in such sort that our royal, and honourable estate might stand, and continue with us, and our posterity, and our loving, and kind lieges might enjoy the quietness of true subjects; In travailing wherein, not only is our body, spirit, and senses so vexed, broken, and unquieted that longer we are not of ability by any mean to endure so great and intolerable pains, and travails wherewith we are altogether wearied, but also great commotions and troubles, by sundry occasions in the meantime has ensued therein to our great grief. And seeing it has been the pleasure of the eternal God, of his kindly love, mercy, and goodness, to grant unto us, of our own person, a Son, who in case by the hand of God we be visited, will, and of right, and of equity must, and ought to succeed to us and to the government of our Realm; And knowing that all creatures are subject to that immutable decree of the eternal, once to render and give up this life temporal, (The hour and time whereof is most uncertain) and in case by decease we be taken from this life, during the time of his minority, it may be doubted greatly that resistance, and trouble may be made to our said Son, now native Prince of this our Realm, in his tender years (being so destitute of us) to succeed to that room and kingdom which most justly of all Laws appertains to him. Which inconvenient by God’s help, and good providence, we mean to prevent, in such manner, that it shall not lie in the power of any unnatural subjects to resist God’s ordinance in that behalf. And understanding that nothing earthly is more joyous, and happy to us, nor [than] to see our said dearest Son, in our own lifetime peaceably placed in that room, and honourable estate whereto he justly ought & must succeed to. We of the motherly affection we bear toward our said only Son, have renounced, & demitted, and by these our letters, freely, of our own motive will renounces, and demits the government, guiding & governing of this our Realm of Scotland, lieges, and subjects thereof, & all intromission & disposition of any casualities, property, benefices, offices, & all things appertaining, or heretofore is known, or hereafter shall happen to appertain thereto, in favours of our said dearest Son. To that effect, that he may be planted, placed, and possessed therein, use and exercise all things belonging thereto, as native King, and Prince of the same, and suchlike as we or any our predecessors, Kings of Scots, has done in any times past. Moreover, that this our demission may take the more solemn effect, & that none pretend ignorance thereof, we have given, granted, and committed, and by these our letters gives grants, and commits our commission full, free, and plain power, general, and special command, to our trustworthy cousins, Patrick Lord Lindsay of the Byres, and William Lord Ruthven, and to each one of them conjunctly and severally, to compear before so many of the Nobility, Clergy, Burgesses, and other people of our Realm, as shall happen to be assembled to that effect in our Burgh of Stirling, or any other place, or places where it shall be thought most convenient, at any day or days, and there publicly in their presence, for us, in our name, and upon our behalf demit, and renounce the government, guiding, and ruling of this our Realm, lieges, and subjects thereof, all intromission with the property, casualty, or others things appertaining to us thereby, and all right, and title that we had, has, or may have by any manner of way thereto, in favours of our said Son, to that effect, that he may be inaugurate, placed, and roomed therein, and the Crown royal delivered to him, and be obeyed in all things concerning the same, as we, or our predecessors has been in times past. And in likewise by these presents gives, grants, and commits our full free, and plain power, to our right trustworthy cousins, James Earl of Morton, Lord of Dalkeith. John Earl of Atholl. &c. John Earl of Mar. &c. Alexander Earl of Glencairn, William Earl of Menteith, John Master of Graham, Alexander Lord Hume, Adam Bishop of Orkney, and Provosts of Dundee, Montrose, or any of them, to receive the said renunciation, and demission in favours of our said Son, and thereafter the receiving thereof, to plant, place, and inaugurate him in the Kingdom, and with all ceremonies requisite to put the Crown royal upon his head, in sign and token of the establishing of him therein, and in his name to make, and give to the said Nobility, Clergy, Burgesses, and others our lieges, his Princely & Kingly oath dutifully, and lawfully as is suitable, or fitting. And to receive their oaths, for due & lawful homage to be made by them to him, in all times coming, as becomes subjects to their native King and Prince. And generally all & sundry other things to do, exercise, and use that for sure performance & accomplishment hereof may, or can be done, firm and stable holding, and for to hold all and whatsoever things in our name, in the premises conducts to be done, in the word and faithful promise of a Prince. And ordains these our letters if need be to be published at all places needful. Subscribed with our hand, & given under our privy Seal, At Lochleven the 24th day of July. And of our Reign the 25th year. 1567