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 to his murder at Kirk o' Field. 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 | |
| King Of Scotland (Disputed) | |
| 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 commonly believed that Darnley was born on 7 December, but that 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 of England.[1]
Darnley was found dead outdoors while he was dressed for bed after an explosion near his bedroom. Many people thought that Mary had arranged his murder.
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley Media
Lord Darnley aged about nine, by Hans Eworth. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh.
An oil on panel painting from 1563 by Hans Eworth of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and his brother Charles Stuart in a grand interior based on a print by Hans Vredeman de Vries which may reflect Temple Newsam's Great Chamber
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.
The Murder of David Rizzio by William Allan, 1833
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