DARNLEY, HENRY STEWART or STUART, LORD earl of Ross and duke of Albany, second husband of Mary, queen of Scots, was the eldest son of Matthew Stewart, earl of Lennox (1516-1571), and through his mother Lady Margaret Douglas (1515-1578) was a great-grandson of the English king Henry VII. Born at Temple Newsam in Yorkshire on Dec. 7, he was educated in England. After the death of Francis II. in 1560 Darnley was sent to France by his mother, who hoped that he would become king of England on Elizabeth's death, and entertained the idea of his marriage with Mary, queen of Scots, the widow of Francis, as a means to this end. In 1561 both Lady Margaret and her son, who were English subjects, were imprisoned for a short time by Elizabeth ; and Darnley spent some time at the English court before going to Scotland in Feb. 1565. The marriage of Mary and Darnley was now definitely proposed, and the queen, having nursed her new suitor through an attack of measles, decided to marry him. Elizabeth had permitted Darnley's journey to Scotland, but she and her council declared their dislike of the proposed marriage, and ordered Darnley and his father to repair to London, a command which was disobeyed. In March 1565 there were rumours that the marriage had already taken place, but the public marriage, at all events, was celebrated at Holyrood on July 29, 1565.
Although Mary had doubtless a short infatuation for Darnley, the union was mainly due to political motives, and trouble soon arose between them. Contrary to his expectations Darnley did not receive the crown matrimonial. He was on bad terms with the regent Murray and other powerful nobles, who disliked the marriage and were intriguing with Elizabeth. He was in addition soon estranged from his wife. He became jealous of David Rizzio, and was easily persuaded to assent to the murder of the Italian, a crime in which he took part. Immediately afterwards, however, flattered and cajoled by the queen, he betrayed his associates to her, and helped her to escape from Holyrood to Dunbar. Deserted and distrusted by his companions in the murder, he decided to leave Scotland, but a variety of causes prevented his departure ; and meanwhile at Craigmillar a band of nobles undertook to free Mary from her husband, who refused to be present at the baptism of his son, James, at Stirling in Dec. 1566. The details of the conspiracy at Craigmillar are not clear, nor is it certain what part, if any, Mary took in these proceedings. The first intention may have been to obtain a divorce for the queen, but it was soon decided that Darnley must be killed. Rumours of the plot came to his ears, and he fled from Stirling to Glasgow, where he fell ill, possibly by poisoning, and where Mary came to visit him. Another reconciliation took place, and Darnley was persuaded to journey with Mary by easy stages to Edinburgh. They stayed for a few days at Kirk o' Field, a house just inside the city walls. On the evening of Feb. 9, 1567 Mary bade her husband farewell, and went to attend some gaieties in Edinburgh. A few hours later, on the morning of the loth, Kirk o' Field was blown up with gunpowder. Darnley's body was found at some distance from the house, and it is supposed that he was strangled whilst making his escape. The remains were afterwards buried in the chapel at Holyrood.
As the father of King James I., Darnley is the direct ancestor of all the sovereigns of England since 1603.
For further information, and also for a list of the works bearing on his life, see the article MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.