Mary's motives for destroying her chief Catholic subject are not certainly known.

Her brother, Lord James, in February made Earl of Mar, now received the lands and title of Earl of Murray.

At some date in this year Knox preached against Mary because she gave a dance.

He chose to connect her dance with some attack on the Huguenots in France.

According to 'The Book of Discipline' he should have remonstrated privately, as Mary told him.