While “Reign” is based on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, there is no denying that major events were changed. History fans were extremely disappointed after initial excitement to find out that changes would be made from the very beginning of the show. This does mean that the ending for Mary could also be completely changed. With all this in mind, here’s a look at four major changes “Reign” made for the sake of drama.

The introduction of Bash

Bash has been one of the core characters of “Reign.” Fans adore him and there were many torn between him and Francis when it came to who Mary should end up with in the first season.

We all knew that it had to be Francis, but there were some hoping that she would choose Henri’s illegitimate son.

However, Bash didn’t really exist. He was created for the show, as a way to bring in a love triangle. It isn’t clear if the showrunners expected him to become so popular, but he has stuck around and is now somewhere in Scotland learning more about his druid heritage.

Mary’s ladies Greer, Lola, Ailee, and Kenna

You will be excused for thinking that the names don’t sound like traditional 16th century Scottish names. They’re not. Mary’s real four ladies-in-waiting were all called Mary. They were know as the Four Marys.

However, the writers of “Reign” believed that having five women called Mary in the show would be confusing.

It’s understandable, but where these four names came from, nobody knows. To top it off, one lady was killed in the first season, one was executed last season, and one has gone off to have a secret illegitimate child. Only one remains in Mary’s service, and her history has completely changed.

Francis fathered an illegitimate child

When Mary and Francis weren’t on speaking terms, Francis slept with Lola. That union led to the illegitimate child John, who is now in the care of Catherine and the French court. It was a tricky storyline that brought doubt and trouble for the main characters, but it was also completely fabricated.

There is no evidence to support the idea of Francis fathering an illegitimate child. In fact, it’s believed that Francis was impotent due to ill-health. He died less than a year after becoming King of France, leaving Mary a widow.

Mary conceives Darnley’s child before marriage

This is the most recent change in history for “Reign.” Mary shared with Catherine that she couldn’t possibly not marry Darnley. She was pregnant with his child and it would ruin her and the chance of gaining the English throne.

While Darnley and Mary did eventually have a child, James Stuart wasn’t born until 11 months after their marriage. That means the child was conceived after the wedding night. Chances are that the change was made due to season 4 being the end to the show, and the writers needed to speed up a lot of Mary’s final years.
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