Home > Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley

Darnley was born on December 7, 1545, at Temple Newsham in Yorkshire, the son of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox, and his wife Margaret Douglas. Margaret was the daughter of Margaret Tudor (by her second husband), and hence granddaughter of King Henry VII of England, Darnley was descended from the royal houses of both England and ScotlandScotland or in Scottish Gaelic, Alba is a country and former independent kingdom of northwest Europe, and one of the four nations comprising the United Kingdom. Scotland occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Scotland took part in a p, and by the time of his marriage to Mary on July 29July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. Events 1014 Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage, 1565Events March 1 the city of Rio de Janeiro is founded April 27 Cebu City is established becoming the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. August 28 St. Augustine, Florida (named after St. Augustine), established. It is the oldest remaining European, was second in line to the Scottish throne after Mary herself. On their marriage, which took place in the chapel of Palace of Holyroodhouse in EdinburghArthur's Seat. See also for a panoramic view from Holyrood Park towards Ocean Terminal. Edinburgh (pronounced ED-in-burra ( SAMPA: ["Ed@n%b@r@])), Dun Eideann in Scottish Gaelic, is a major and historic city on the east coast of Scotland on the south shor, Darnley was given the title of "King of Scotland," but he was a king consortIn some monarchies the title of king consort is given to the husband of a queen regent. It is a symbolic title only, the sole constitutional function of the holder being similar to a queen consort, namely to produce an heir to the throne. Spain, Portugal, only, with no royal powers.

The marriage was a disaster. Darnley was younger than Mary and not particularly mature for a nineteen-year-old. He was unpopular with the other nobles and had a mean and violent streak. Within a short time, Mary became pregnant, but Darnley grew more and more demanding. His jealousy of Mary's private secretary, David RizzioDavid Rizzio (approx. 1533- 9 March 1566) was an Italian courtier and the private secretary of Mary I of Scotland. Mary's husband, Lord Darnley, is said to have been jealous of their friendship, and joined in a conspiracy of Protestant nobles to murder hi, culminated in the bloody murder of the latter by Darnley and a group of his friends, in the presence of the queen herself at Holyrood House. Following the birth of her son, the future James VI of Scotland, the succession was more secure, and Mary turned to a friend, James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, for help. On February 10, 1567, Darnley's body was discovered in the gardens of the Provost's House, Edinburgh, where he had been staying. An explosion had occurred that night at the house, but the evidence pointed to Darnley's having escaped that attempted assassination only to be murdered when he got outside. Suspicion fell on Bothwell and on Mary herself, who shortly married Bothwell, and Darnley's death was a key event in the downward spiral that led to her loss of the Scottish crown.