Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
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Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the father of James VI of Scotland and I of England. Through his parents, he had claims to both the Scottish and English thrones, and from his marriage in 1565 he was king consort of Scotland. Less than a year after the birth of his son, Darnley was murdered at Kirk o' Field in 1567. Many contemporary narratives describing his life and death refer to him as simply Lord Darnley, his title as heir apparent to the Earldom of Lennox.
Lord Darnley in his late teens, by an unknown artist. National Galleries of Scotland.
Lord Darnley aged about nine, by Hans Eworth. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh.
Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots (painting circa 1565, now at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire).
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.
Mary, Queen of Scots
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Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
Portrait of Mary at about 17 years old, c. 1558–1560
Both Mary and her father King James V were born at Linlithgow Palace in West Lothian, Scotland.
Gold coin of 1553: obverse, coat of arms of Scotland; reverse, royal monogram
Mary and Francis in Catherine de' Medici's book of hours, c. 1574. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris.