ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS (1489?-1557), 6th earl, son of George, master of Douglas, who was killed at Flodden, succeeded on his grandfather's death. By his marriage in 1514 to his second wife, the queen dowager, Margaret of Scotland, sister of Henry VIII., he aroused the jealousy of the nobles. In the civil war which followed, Albany (the regent) besieged the queen in Stirling and obtained possession of the young king, Margaret's son. Margaret left for London, and Angus made his peace with Albany. During his wife's absence he formed a liaison with a daughter of the laird of Traquair. When Margaret returned she therefore sided with Albany against her husband. Angus was charged with high treason and sent to France in 1522. He returned two years later with the support of Henry VIII., entered Edinburgh in 1525, and called a parliament. After a short struggle he and the Douglases became all powerful. James V. did not like his step father's tutelage, but all attempts at that time to secure his liber ation failed. In 1528 Margaret obtained a divorce from her husband, James escaped from his custody and took refuge with Margaret and Arran at Stirling. The next year Angus took refuge in England, and James avenged himself on his kinsmen, including Angus's sister Janet, Lady Glamis, who was burned at the stake on Castle hill, Edinburgh (July 17 1537). It was only in 1542, after the death of James V., that Angus returned to Scotland, entrusted with a mission to arrange a marriage between Mary queen of Scots and Prince Edward (afterwards Edward VI.) . The marauding expedition of Lord Hertford in 1544 seems to have cured him of his English sympathies, and he was made lieutenant of the south of Scotland. On Feb. 27 1545 he defeated the English at Ancrum moor, and he led the Scottish van when the Scots were defeated at Pinkie.
The career of Angus was a long struggle for power and for the interests of his family, to which national considerations were completely subordinate. He died in Jan. 1557. By Margaret Tudor he had Margaret, his only surviving legitimate child, who married Matthew, 4th earl of Lennox, and was mother of Lord Darnley. He was succeeded by his nephew David, son of Sir George Douglas of Pittendriech.