Mary Queen of Scots Defeated at Battle of Langside
During Scotland's Reformation, Catholic Queen Mary Stuart clashed with Protestant nobles after escaping Loch Leven Castle imprisonment. Her half-brother, James Stewart, Earl of Moray, led forces supporting her infant son James VI. On May 13, 1568, the armies met near Glasgow in a brief but decisive engagement. A swift cavalry charge by Moray's troops routed Mary's larger force of around 6,000 men. Mary fled the field and sought refuge in England with Queen Elizabeth I. The loss ended her effective rule in Scotland.
Why it matters: The defeat dismantled Mary's remaining support in Scotland and forced her into English captivity, where she became a focal point for Catholic plots against Elizabeth. It reinforced Protestant dominance in Scottish governance and influenced the eventual union of the crowns under James VI and I.