Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley Facts & Worksheets

Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley facts and information plus worksheet packs and fact file. Includes 5 activities aimed at students 11-14 years old (KS3) & 5 activities aimed at students 14-16 years old (GCSE). Great for home study or to use within the classroom environment.

Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley Worksheets

Do you want to save dozens of hours in time? Get your evenings and weekends back? Be able to teach about Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley to your students?

Our worksheet bundle includes a fact file and printable worksheets and student activities. Perfect for both the classroom and homeschooling!

sh-study

Resource Examples

Click any of the example images below to view a larger version.

Fact File

Henry-Stewart-Lord-Darnley-Resource-1.png
Henry-Stewart-Lord-Darnley-Resource-2.png

Student Activities

Henry-Stewart-Lord-Darnley-Activity-Answer-Guide-1.png
Henry-Stewart-Lord-Darnley-Activity-Answer-Guide-2.png
Henry-Stewart-Lord-Darnley-Activity-Answer-Guide-3.png
Henry-Stewart-Lord-Darnley-Activity-Answer-Guide-4.png
Table of Contents
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    Summary

    • Early years
    • Marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots
    • Estrangement and death

    Key Facts And Information

    Let’s know more about Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley!

    Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, was born to a prominent family with links to the English and Scottish monarchs. He spent most of his early years in England. His family was embroiled in a political dilemma in England during Elizabeth I’s reign. When Mary, Queen of Scots, was looking for an appropriate husband in the early 1560s, Henry was ultimately chosen by the queen. Their union proved unpopular, leading to the Chaseabout Raid. Henry’s relationship with Mary deteriorated, especially after he was implicated in the murder of David Riccio. A few months after their son was born, Henry died in a purported plot to assassinate him.

    Portrait of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley
    Portrait of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley

    Early years

    • Born at Temple Newsam, Leeds, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in 1546, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, was the eldest surviving son of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox, and Lady Margaret Douglas. His parents came from prominent families: his father was a leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland, while his mother was the daughter of the Scottish queen dowager Margaret Tudor.
    • Henry’s mother had left Scotland in 1528, hence much of his early years were in England.
    • In the same year of his birth, his father was found guilty of treason in Scotland for allying with the English and opposing Mary of Guise and Regent Arran in the Rough Wooing
    • The Scottish estates of the family were thus forfeited. His father went into exile in England.
    • Among Henry’s tutors when he was a child were the Scottish scholar John Elder and schoolmaster Arthur Lallart.
    • Henry was described as handsome, athletic, strong, good at hawking and hunting, and skilled in horsemanship and weaponry.
    • In 1559, Henry’s brother, John, 5th Duke of Aubigny, was installed at the court of the new French queen, Mary, Queen of Scots. He made arrangements for Henry to congratulate the new French monarchs and to ask for the restoration of their father from Mary.
    • Their father’s title and estates were not restored, but Mary gave Henry 1,000 crowns and invited him to her coronation.
    • Henry met Mary again in 1561, when the latter was in mourning for Francis II.
    • During this period, Henry’s family, the Lennoxes, was embroiled in a political dilemma in England following the succession of Elizabeth I to the English throne.
    • Given the family’s connection to the English royal family, they had claims to the English crown, and were considered a threat to Elizabeth I’s reign. 
    • The discovery of a Catholic spy in 1562 resulted in the arrest of the Lennox family. However, Elizabeth I did not charge them with treason.
    • In 1563, the Lennoxes were freed. Within a few months, Henry and his mother were again visible in the English court. Elizabeth I refused to accommodate Henry’s father at court. In 1564, the Scottish Parliament reinstated Matthew Stewart’s rights and titles as the Earl of Lennox, which meant that he could now go back to Scotland after two decades of exile in England.

    Marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots

    • In 1561, Mary, Queen of Scots, returned to Scotland, which had never seen a woman rule in her own right until her succession at just six days old. Upon her return, she was a young widow, which put her at a political disadvantage, and so she had to find an appropriate husband to enable her to rule effectively. Mary had three main choices for a husband in the early 1560s, one of which was Henry.
    • In February 1565, Henry went to Edinburgh with the permission of Elizabeth I.
    • He presented himself to Mary at Wemyss Castle in Fife.
    • He visited his father briefly and then went on to spend most of his time with Mary.
    • The Scottish queen took a liking to Henry. By late April, it became known that she intended to make Henry her husband. 
    • On 15 May, Henry was knighted and was made Lord of Ardmanoch and Earl of Ross at Stirling Castle as a preliminary to the union.
    • When news of Mary’s marriage plans reached the English queen, Elizabeth I was frustrated as she preferred the English courtier Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, to be Mary’s husband.
    • She regretted permitting Henry to travel to Scotland. In fact, in June 1565, she requested Henry and the Earl of Lennox to return to England and had Lady Margaret Douglas sent to the Tower of London.
    • The marriage plans went ahead. On 22 July, Henry became Duke of Albany, and the banns of marriage were called in the parish of Canongate.
    • This was followed by a proclamation at the Cross of Edinburgh on 28 July that government would be in the joint names of the king and queen of Scots. This meant that Henry would rule as king, with equality with and precedence over Mary granted to him.
    • On 29 July, the marriage was celebrated in Mary’s private chapel at Holyrood according to Roman Catholic rite. Henry, whose religious beliefs were unclear, did not join Mary for the nuptial Mass after the wedding itself.
    • Henry and Mary, Queen of Scots, were cousins through two different marriages of their grandmother, Margaret Tudor. Both had claims to the English succession.
    Painting of Henry and Mary, Queen of Scots, c.1565
    Painting of Henry and Mary, Queen of Scots, c.1565
    • Mary’s insistence on marrying Henry appears to have stemmed from passion rather than calculation.
    • Mary soon realised that Henry was arrogant and vain and had a violent streak exacerbated by his drinking.
    • Henry’s insolence was believed to have driven his father from the Scottish court.
    • Henry, as well as his marriage, proved unpopular with other nobles. The Chaseabout Raid in August to October saw rebels against the marriage, who also claimed to be acting over the issue of religion in the name of the Scottish Reformation, suppressed by Mary’s superior army. Several rebellious nobles fled to England and peace was restored.
    • Henry’s relationship with Mary began to fall apart. Mary soon became pregnant.

    Estrangement and death

    • The Scottish queen chose not to grant Henry the Crown Matrimonial, which would have made Henry her successor if she died childless. On the other hand, Henry attempted to confirm his royal status but failed. He also grew jealous of Mary’s friendship with her secretary, David Riccio.
    • David Riccio, an Italian courtier, was an ally of Henry who helped with plans for his marriage to Mary. He became closer to Mary, especially after the Chaseabout Raid.
    • Henry’s jealousy intensified as Scottish nobles persuaded him that the two had become too close. They were also spreading rumours that the two had a sexual relationship. 
    • Henry was outraged by such rumours and how Riccio had gained influence and prestige in the royal household. 
    • Some nobles believed Riccio was also a spy sent by the Pope, while some just sought to cause trouble between Mary and Darnley.
    • A plot to kill Riccio was devised by Henry’s aides, the Earl of Morton, Lord Lindsay and the Ruthvens.
    • On 9 March 1566, the murderers burst into the queen’s supper chamber in the Palace of Holyroodhouse and demanded that Riccio be handed over.
    • Mary, who was six months pregnant at the time, refused and Riccio hid behind her. The men were able to seize Riccio and dragged him. Riccio was stabbed many times and was thrown down the main staircase nearby. 
    • Fearing for her own life, Mary escaped with Henry and rode to safety at Dunbar Castle. Henry publicly stated that he had no knowledge of and was not involved in the murder of Riccio.
    • Henry and Mary were declared innocent of the murder. However, Mary no longer trusted her husband, especially because there had been rumours spreading it was part of Henry’s plans to force her to cede the Crown Matrimonial. 
    • In late March, Morton and Ruthven, who had escaped to England, claimed that it was Henry who had planned the murder because of his hatred of Riccio. 
    • On 19 June 1566, Mary gave birth to James, the future James VI of Scotland and I of England, in Edinburgh Castle. By this time, the relationship between Mary and Henry had deteriorated. 
    • Henry was drinking and womanising and missed many royal occasions. Due to his unruly behaviour, he drove away many who would otherwise have been his supporters. His persistent demand for the Crown Matrimonial remained a source of marital dissatisfaction.
    • When their son was baptised on 17 December in a Catholic ceremony at Stirling Castle, Henry stayed in his rooms and did not participate in the celebration.
    • Mary and the leading nobles soon met and discussed how to deal with Henry. Divorce was considered. It is believed that the nobles came to an agreement that Henry ‘should be put off by one way or another’.
    • Henry was worried about his own safety. He fell ill, possibly with smallpox, in early 1567, and remained sick for some weeks. He stayed in the Provost’s lodgings at Kirk o’ Field in Edinburgh. Mary visited him daily.
    • Henry recovered. One night in early February 1567, Mary went to visit him, but left to attend a masque ball in Holyrood to celebrate the marriage of a member of her household.
    • In the early hours of the following morning, two massive explosions destroyed Kirk o’ Field. These explosions were later linked to two barrels of gunpowder that had been left in the small room under Henry’s sleeping quarters. 
    • Henry and his valet were found dead in the garden, surrounded by a cloak, a dagger, a chair and a coat and presumably smothered.
    • Henry was buried in the Royal Vault at Holyrood Abbey. The nobles who were against Henry, as well as Mary herself, were among those who came under suspicion. The Earl of Bothwell was soon widely thought to be guilty of Henry’s murder. He was put up for trial but was released due to the lack of presented evidence. He married Mary on 15 May.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Who was Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley?

      Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, was a Scottish nobleman and the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots.

    • How did Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, become King consort of Scotland?

      Darnley became King consort of Scotland through his marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, on 29 July 1565.

    • What was Henry Stewart's relationship with Mary, Queen of Scots, like?

      Initially, Henry Stewart's marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, was based on mutual attraction and political alliance. However, their relationship quickly deteriorated.