Mary is only nine months old when she is crowned Queen of Scotland, succeeding her father, King James V. Because of political conflicts, she is separated from her mother and her country at the age of five. For the benefit of forging an alliance with France, she is betrothed to Francis, the son of King Henry II of France, and his wife, the vicious and jealous Queen Catherine de Medici. Mary is sent to France to live in their care until she is old enough for the marriage to take place. It is at their home, the beautiful Chateau St. Germaine, that we first meet the irresistibly charming Mary at 11 years old.