Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
Henry Stewart or Stuart, Duke of Albany (7 December 1546 – 10 February 1567), styled Lord Darnley before 1565, was king consort of Scotland from 1565 until his murder at Kirk o' Field in 1567. He is usually called Lord Darnley. He was the father of James VI and I.
| Henry, Lord Darnley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King consort of Scots | |
| 29 July 1565 – 10 February 1567 | |
| Born | 7 December 1546 Temple Newsam, Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 10 February 1567 (aged 20) Kirk o' Field, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Mary, Queen of Scots m. 1565; dec. 1567 |
| Issue | James VI and I |
| House | House of Stuart |
| Father | Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox |
| Mother | Margaret Douglas |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Darnley was the second son of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox, and his wife, Lady Margaret Douglas. He was their oldest surviving son. Darnley's maternal grandparents were Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, and Margaret Tudor, widow of James IV of Scotland. It is the common belief that Henry Stewart was born on 7 December, but this is disputed. He was a first cousin and the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, and was the father of her son James VI of Scotland, who succeeded Elizabeth I of England as James I.[1]
Darnley was found dead outdoors, dressed for bed, after an explosion near his bedroom. Many people thought the Queen had arranged his murder.
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley Media
Lord Darnley aged about nine, by Hans Eworth. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh.
James VI and I (right) depicted aged 17 beside his mother Mary (left), 1583. In reality, they were separated when he was still a baby.
Mary is said to have nursed the smallpox-stricken Darnley under this sycamore tree at home at Darnley, now a suburb of Glasgow.
References
- ↑ Elaine Finnie Greig, 'Stewart, Henry, duke of Albany [Lord Darnley] (1545/6–1567)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 4 March 2012