Robert Stedall - Mary Queen of Scots Downfall: The Life and Murder of Henry, Lord Darnley

The Life and Murder of Henry, Lord Darnley

Robert Stedall

First published in Great Britain in 2017 by

Pen & Sword History

an imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

47 Church Street

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S70 2AS

Copyright Robert Stedall, 2017

ISBN 978 1 47389 331 3

eISBN 978 1 47389 333 7

Mobi ISBN 978 1 47389 332 0

The right of Robert Stedall to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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We must not offhand condemn any man for the shape of his skull, but if ever there was a skull which the man in the street would describe as that of a moron or fool, it must certainly be Darnleys and his every action confirms such a judgment.

Pearson, Biometrika, Vol. XX pt 1 (July 1928),

The elimination of Darnley was a first necessity of state, and this all the Scottish [nobles] recognized, if not for national reasons, at least for their own personal convenience and interests. These Scottish leaders were all unscrupulous, they were all unfaithful to their fellow conspirators There is no romance about the epoch, all is sordid, immoral, ruffianly. How does it differ from the state of affairs in England? Not in the least. There has been a false glamour cast over this period by the tragedy of Mary Stewart. It was an age of unshamed treachery.

Pearson, Biometrica, Vol. XX pt 1 (July 1928),

Please also see the authors website on www.maryqueenofscots.net .

I am indebted to Claire Hopkins of Pen and Sword Books Ltd for her help and advice at every stage of the production of this book. She has been clear on what was wanted and supportive of new ideas. At a time when there is a focus on Darnleys appearance, it has been interesting to compare Darnleys portraits to the extraordinary drawings made by Karl Pearson in Biometrica in 1928, when he made minute measurements of Darnleys skull. His own narrative on Darnleys life shows a healthy disregard for the findings of acknowledged historians of his era. I have been able to take advantage of the views of more modern historians, to whom I am greatly indebted, but it is extraordinary how such a well-trodden subject is still able to unearth new theories on what happened. My efforts to establish the layout and location at Kirk oField, which I started in The Challenge to the Crown, have been corrected by Rob Maxtone-Graham, although his own more detailed assessment is keenly awaited. It is he who has established that the map made of the murder scene at Kirk oField by William Cecils spy is extraordinarily accurate, despite its apparent shortcomings in perspective. I am grateful to David Atkinson for drawing all the maps and the view of Edinburgh. Without him, the presentation of its layout would make no sense at all. Needless to say, I turn to my son, Oliver, for all things technical, but particularly for his production of the website on www.maryqueenofscots.net , which contains much ancillary information, including family trees, surrounding this biography.

Robert Stedall

March 2017

Front cover

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, King of Scotland (oil on panel), English School (16th century), Hardwick Hall, (National Trust Photographic Library/ Bridgeman Images 15451567) .

Maps

Map of Scotland

Map of Edinburgh

Picture section

Mary Queen of Scots

Matthew Stuart, 4th Earl of Lennox

Lady Margaret Douglas

The Lennox Jewel

Darnleys skull

Detail of Darnleys head from the front cover of Karl Pearsons The Skull and Portraits of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley

Example of Darnleys handwriting

Detail of Darnleys head from the Eworth 1555 portrait, drawn by Karl Pearson

Henry, Lord Darnley in 1555, aged eight

Detail of Darnleys head from the portrait with his brother, drawn by Karl Pearson

Henry, Lord Darnley with his brother Charles Stuart

Detail of the portrait of Darnley c. 1564, drawn by Karl Pearson

Henry, Lord Darnley, c. 1564

Detail of Darnleys head from the portrait with Mary Queen of Scots, drawn by Karl Pearson

Henry, Lord Darnley and Mary Queen of Scots at the time of their marriage, 1565

Detail of Darnleys head from the silver coin struck to commemorate Marys marriage to Darnley, drawn by Karl Pearson

The silver coin struck to commemorate Marys marriage to Darnley

The silver coin struck to commemorate Morays defeat in the Chaseabout Raid

Detail of the silver coin struck to commemorate Morays defeat

Detail of Darnleys head from Vogelaires memorial painting, drawn by Karl Pearson

The Memorial of Lord Darnley, by Vogelaire

The placard of the Mermaid and the Hare

The murder scene at Kirk o Field

Birds eye view of Kirk o Field drawn from the same angle as that made by Cecils spy