Agnes Strickland (1796–1874) and her sister Elizabeth collaborated on many biographical projects. They were pioneering historical biographers and key figures in the development of women's history. Writing from a female perspective, they included coverage of domestic matters that male historians had previously ignored. Although much of the work is Elizabeth's, she preferred to avoid publicity and her sister Agnes appeared as the sole author. This eight-volume series (originally published between 1850 and 1859) was the sequel to their hugely popular Lives of the Queens of England and allowed Agnes to indulge her passionate interest in Mary, Queen of Scots, to whom Volumes 3–7 are devoted. Volume 3 (1852) covers Mary's birth, her childhood at the French court and her return to Scotland in 1561. Thoroughly researched and referenced, it describes both the personal and political aspects of Mary's early life.