Born: 5 October 1658, Italy
Died: 7 May 1718
Country most active: United Kingdom
Also known as: Maria Beatrice Eleonora Anna Margherita Isabella d’Este
Mary of Modena was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of James II and VII. She is best remembered for the controversial birth of her only surviving son, James Francis Edward, due to rumours he was smuggled into the birth chamber to continue the Stuart dynasty. This was a factor in the “Glorious Revolution”, which deposed James II and VII, and replaced him with the Protestant Mary II, his oldest daughter from his first marriage to Anne Hyde.