Here's why Queen Mary's association with the Renaissance is more nuanced:
* She lived during the Renaissance: Mary was born in 1542 and died in 1587, smack-dab in the middle of the Renaissance era. This means she lived through a period of great cultural and intellectual change, and likely experienced its influence in some ways.
* She was educated in Renaissance ideals: Mary received a humanist education, which was a cornerstone of the Renaissance. This included learning Latin, Greek, and philosophy, along with other subjects like history and literature. This education shaped her worldview and likely influenced her political decisions.
* She patronized the arts: Like many rulers during the Renaissance, Mary supported artists and musicians, but she wasn't a major patron like, for example, her cousin Elizabeth I.
* Her court was a center of learning: The court of Mary, Queen of Scots, was a vibrant intellectual hub where scholars and artists congregated. Mary's interest in intellectual matters likely contributed to this.
However, Mary didn't directly contribute to the artistic, scientific, or literary innovations that characterized the Renaissance. Her primary focus was on securing her right to the Scottish throne and, later, challenging Elizabeth I for the English throne.
Therefore, while Mary lived during the Renaissance and was influenced by its ideals, she wasn't a "Renaissance" figure in the traditional sense.
Instead, she was a powerful, complex figure who lived through a period of immense change and whose life was intertwined with the changing political landscape of Europe.