Mary Livingston's mother was Lady Agnes Douglas, and her father was Alexander, Lord Livingston. He was appointed guardian of the young Mary, Queen of Scots, and went with her to France in 1548. Mary Livingston, a young child, was appointed by Mary of Guise to serve the five year old Mary Stuart as a lady-in-waiting in France.
When the widowed Mary Stuart returned to Scotland in 1561, Mary Livingston returned with her. Mary Stuart married Lord Darnley in July of 1565; Mary Livingston had married John, a son of Lord Sempill, on March 6 of that year. Queen Mary provided Mary Livingston with a dowry, bed and wedding dress.
Mary Livingston was briefly with Queen Mary during her imprisonment after Darnley's murder and the marriage to Bothwell. A few have speculated that Mary Livingston or Mary Fleming helped forge the casket letters which, if authentic, implicated Bothwell and Mary Stuart in Darnley's murder.
Mary Livingston and John Sempill had one child; Mary died in 1585, before the execution of her former mistress. Her son, James Sempill, became an ambassador for James VI.
Janet Fleming, an older sister of Mary Fleming, another of the Queen's Maries, married John Livingston, a brother of Mary Livingston.
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