Mary Queen of Scots’ Downfall: The Life and Murder of Henry, Lord Darnley

by Robert Stedall

In the early hours of 10 February 1567 a large explosion ripped through the Provosts lodgings at Kirk o' Field, Edinburgh, where Mary Queen of Scotland's consort, Henry Lord Darnley, was staying. Darnley's body was found with that of his valet in a neighboring garden the next morning. The Queen's husband had been murdered and the ramifications for Mary and Scottish history would be far-reaching. Lord Darnley cuts an infamous figure in Scottish and Tudor history. In life, he proved a controversial character, and his murder at Kirk o' Field in 1567 remains one of British history's great, unsolved mysteries - solving whether Mary was implicated has taxed historians ever since. In this engaging and well-researched biography, Robert Stedall reexamines Darnley's life and his murder. It is not to be missed; his investigation brings new light and compelling conclusions to a story surrounded by political betrayal, murder, falsified evidence and conspiracy.

Introduction by the Author:

There are very few books that have been written on the life of Lord Darnley, and very little was known about him prior to his marriage to Mary Queen of Scots. In my new book, I tell the story of one of the great cads of history, whose deluded ambitions led him to position himself as the rightful heir to both the English and Scottish crowns, eventually culminating in his murder at Kirk o’ Field.

Darnley is remembered for his reputed good looks which seem to have attracted Mary, but it is clear she fell for a “fantasy of a man”. This has been demonstrated by the extraordinary records of the biostatistician, Karl Pearson, who in 1928, compared Darnley’s skull to all the known portraits of him. Pearson shows that he was not as good looking, facially at least, as history has suggested. The unflattering image of him on the cover of this book correlates closely with the outline of his skull.

Darnley’s dissolute lifestyle, and interest in self-promotion, led Mary to believe that she needed to be rid of him. The Scottish peerage concluded that their only solution was to murder him. History has questioned whether she was implicated. My research into the layout of the crime scene, and the depositions of those accused of the murder, reveal surprising conclusions on who was involved.

Robert Stedall, January 2018

Genres: History, Scotland, Nonfiction, Renaissance, Biography

352 pages, Hardcover

First published November 21, 2017

About the author

Robert Stedall is the author of a groundbreaking two volume history of Mary Queen of Scots and her son James VI of Scotland. The first volume The Challenge to the Crown was published in June 2012 and the second volume The Survival of the Crown was published in February 2014.

More information can be found at MaryQueenofScots.net.

He has also carried out a detailed study of the genealogy of the Scottish peerage (1500-1650) and published his family history, Hunting From Hampstead (Book Guild, 2002).

He lives in Petworth, West Sussex.

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Pen & Sword for sending me a physical copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This focuses on the murder of Lord Darnley, Mary Queen of Scots 2nd husband and how this helped to secure her downfall. It's packed with information, but does not have any real flow to it. Some interesting points are made, but the authors opinion is forefront and no concession is made for this.

[Donald McAlpin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather light on the life of Darnley so the title is a bit of a misnomer. However, very enlightening on the circumstances of his murder and overall is a useful addition to the Mary Queen of Scots catalogue.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: https://lifeandteablog.wordpress.com/...

[Claire M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this book five stars because it very much clarified for me that many of the choices that Mary made that weren't so much out of passion but naiveite. Her Guise uncles never envisioned her as a real political force, merely a pawn in their machinations. The Scottish lords, especially Moray, envisioned her as a similar puppet, but then her marriage to Darnley and his, frankly, sociopathic personality tipped the scales, and she was forced to work against Moray's best interests, which sealed her downfall. I've read numerous books on this subject including Fraser's masterpiece, John Guy's excellent book, and Wormald's commentary on her governance (or lack thereof), and Stedall's book sealed all these differing opinions together in a satisfying conclusion. Part of the problem with trying to get a hold on this period is the sheer number of players in this saga and their shifting loyalties. This book also made clear what exactly was motivating the people around her regarding the Bothwell marriage, and how this was a long game on the part of Moray that certainly ended up turning trumps in the end. It is difficult to see Mary continuing as a monarch under ANY circumstances. England needed to break the back of the French hold on Scotland to keep its borders secure in light of potential invasion by Catholic powers, and, as long as Mary was queen, that was impossible. It also needed a strong Protestant government, which, again, as a determined Catholic, made Mary a huge liability despite her many attempts to placate the Protestant lords. Plus, she was just so clueless and Cecil was just so ruthless, as was Moray. She was outgunned on every level. I very much enjoyed this book.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good history book full of facts and well researched. This was however quite hard to get into. Eventually I was hooked. There is no doubt the author has done his research well and knows his subject inside out. I sometimes felt that he forgot that not all of us are as familiar with all the facts as he would go off into various opinions on things without first explaining what they are. Here for instance I mean the casket letters, he doesn't go into how they appear until he is already arguing facts contained in them. He also jumps ahead in the story line sometimes which I find very annoying I do know what happens of course but I still love the story and facts to follow a timeline rather than jump about. I did learn a lot from this even though I've read a lot on the subject and would read more by this author despite the faults. If you are interested in this period of history its well worth a read.

[Sophie Constable · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this is very well-researched and does have some good arguments, I felt like it didn't do a good enough job in properly distinguishing each of the major players from each other and I frequently was confused over who each of them were and where their loyalties lied. This was also not helped by the author's habit of changing how he referred to people throughout the book, particularly upon changes of title. I also found the writing to be pretty bland and unengaging which also didn't help with following the author's arguments. Would not recommend.

[Dimitrios Souvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stedall clearly knows the topic very well. Excellent book and keeps to the topic with detail, a good timeline and common sense prevails. Sometimes it can be a bit confusing with so many different people that it is easy to lose track if you aren't paying close attention - so definitely sit somewhere quiet if you want to stay on track. I wish the physical copies of your other two books about MQS were available still though!