Part 2. December 7th 1545 The birth of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (Apologies…it’s a [short] 2-parter) Mary needed an heir, so a second marriage became a necessity. After considering Queen Elizabeth l's candidate Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and Carlos, Prince of Asturias, also known as Don Carlos, eldest son and heir of King Philip Il of Spain, Mary became infatuated with her first cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Both Mary and Darnley were grandchildren of Margaret Tudor. The couple married at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 29th 1565. The marriage angered Queen Elizabeth I who felt that Darnley, as her cousin and an English subject, needed her permission to marry. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, the illegitimate son of James V, King of Scots and Mary's half-brother, was also angered by his sister's marriage to a prominent Catholic and joined other Protestant lords in a rebellion. Mary soon became disillusioned by Darnley's behaviour and his insistence upon receiving the Crown Matrimonial which would have made him co-sovereign of Scotland. Mary refused and their relationship became strained. At the end of 1565, Mary was pregnant. Darnley, who was jealous of Mary's friendship with her private secretary David Riccio, had formed a conspiracy to do away with Riccio. On March 9th 1566, Riccio was at a supper with Mary and her ladies at Holyrood Palace. The conspirators, led by Darnley, burst into the room, dragged Riccio away, and killed him in an adjoining room. Mary was roughly pushed and shoved and although the conspirators hoped she would miscarry, she did not. All the conspirators were banished except for Darnley who was forgiven. On June 19th 1566, at Edinburgh Castle, Mary gave birth to a son, christened Charles James, and later succeeded his mother as King James VI of Scotland. In 1603, Mary and Darnley's son succeeded the childless Queen Elizabeth I as King James I of England. Mary's marriage was all but over and she began to be drawn to James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Beothwell. Bothwell entered into a conspiracy with Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll and George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly to rid Mary of her husband. On February 10th 1567, Kirk o' Field, the house where Darnley was staying, was blown up. Darnley and his servant were found dead near the house in an orchard outside the city walls. Since Darnley was dressed only in his nightshirt and had no injuries, it was assumed that he was strangled after the explosion. Suspicions that Mary colluded with the conspirators in Darnley's death or that she took no action to prevent his death were key factors that led to her loss of the Scottish crown that same year. Darnley was buried at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland. Image 1 - Mary, Queen of Scots and Darnleys son, James VI, King of Scots, circa 1574 Image 2 - Matthew Stewart, his wife Margaret Douglas, their son Charles and grandson James VI of Scotland mourning Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley #RachaelsHistoryFacts