Darnley, Lord (1545-1567), a Scottish nobleman, was close in the line of succession to the throne of England. He married Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1565, but soon alienated his wife and became extremely unpopular with the Scottish noblemen. In 1566, several nobles persuaded him to join them in a successful plot to assassinate Mary’s favorite adviser, David Riccio (also spelled Rizzio). On Feb. 10, 1567, Darnley himself was assassinated. Both Mary and her new favorite, the Earl of Bothwell, were suspected of involvement in Darnley’s murder.
Darnley was born on Dec. 7, 1545, at Temple Newsam, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. His given and family name was Henry Stuart. He and Mary had one child, James, who became James VI of Scotland and, later, James I of England.
