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Character Flag - England Scottish Male King Noble Lord Married Deceased Season Four
Lord Darnley
Mary and Darnley's Wedding 8
Biographical Information
In History: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
Family Name: Henry Stuart
Title: King consort of Scotland

Duke of Albany
Earl of Ross
Lord Darnley

Died: 1561
Height: 5'11
Gender: Male Male
Nationality: English Flag - England

Scottish Flag - Scotland

Status: Deceased
Religion: Roman Catholic
Originally From: Yorkshire, England
Affiliations: House of Tudor

House of Stuart
Darnley and Mary

Relationship Information
Parents: Lord Lennox(Father)

Lady Lennox (Mother)

Wife: Mary Stuart
Children: King James VI (Son)
Interests: Lady Keira(Lover)
Character Information
First Appearance: With Friends Like These
Last Appearance: All It Cost Her
Portrayed By: Will Kemp
GALLERY


"I am an ambitious man. And if this is my one chance at King, I will take it. And if I am King for only as long as you live,
then I say long live the Queen.
"
King Darnley

King Darnley is the husband of Mary Stuart and king consort of Scotland. He is desperate to gain the Crown Matrimonial, which would allow him to rule Scotland in his own right.

Must See Episodes

Personality

Breezily confident, charming and warm, he was born with a blood-claim of his own to the English throne and a wildly ambitious mother whose love hinges entirely on his ability to secure a crown.

Biography

Early Life

At one point in his youth, Lord Darnley began dating Lady Keira and they grew to be very close. However, Darnley was said to overindulge in women and drink around that time as well.

Season 4

With Friends Like These
Lord Darnley is in love with Lady Keira, but she is soon to be married to Lord White. He doesn't want to marry Queen Mary and neither does Queen Elizabeth, so he comes to Elizabeth's court to bargain. If Elizabeth breaks Keira's engagement with Lord White, Darnley will marry Keira, not Mary, thus leaving Mary to be powerless against Elizabeth. Elizabeth accepts his offer.

A Grain of Deception
Lord White reluctantly agrees to release Lady Keira from their engagement, but he is not happy about it. So to smooth it over, Elizabeth has a single horseman deliver a large sum of money to Lord White as compensation. However, the horseman is killed on his way there and the money goes missing, all of which was arranged by Lord Narcisse.

Leaps of Faith
After a lot of discussion with his mother, Lady Lennox, Darnley agrees to meet Queen Mary. On his way to Scotland, he pays a visit to Keira and apprises her of where he is going. While he must make the journey to meet the Queen of Scots to appease his mother and family, he believes it futile as he is determined to marry Keira. They vow to meet at Blackfriar's Bridge on the day of Darnley's return.

When Darnley and his mother arrive at a dinner party held at Scottish court, they see Queen Mary entirely immersed in a dance with another man. With Lady Lennox's blessing, Darnley leaves for England again that very night.

However, when Darnley makes it to the bridge, no one is there. That is because Keira received a forged letter from Lady Lennox written in Darnley's name, stating that it is over between them, and to avoid scorn and scandal, Lady Keira married Lord White imminently.

Playing With Fire
In order to make Queen Mary like him, Lord Darnley secretly ignited a fire. After he saves a boy from a burning house, the people see him as a hero.

Highland Games
At the annual Highland Games, Queen Mary announces her engagement to Lord Darnley. She alludes to his royal English ancestry and vows to unite Scotland and England under their rule. A man named Lord Taylor emerges from the crowd and brings up Darnley's father, Matthew Lennox, who betrayed his own country and aligned himself with the English in the War of the Rough Wooing. He challenges Darnley to a boxing match and he accepts.

Mary cannot believe Darnley would agree to such an "idiotic" challenge, but he retorts that if he hadn't, he would've lost the respect of every man in the room. When he tells her that he knows how to put on a show and win people to his side, Mary asks him if he started the fire to make himself appear a hero. He admits to it, angering Mary. She decides to forgive him, but not to tolerate more deception or shortcuts in the future. He will fight Lord Taylor honourably and win honourably.

The next day, Mary rouses Darnley out of bed and informs him that her brother James will train him for the fight. Both Mary and James have their doubts at first, but Darnley proves them wrong and proves himself to be a capable fighter.

In the hallway, Mary and Darnley run into Lord Taylor and his men. Taylor alledges that Darnley poisoned his flask. Taylor's valet, who likes to down Taylor's liquor when he thinks Taylor isn't looking, is lying in the infirmary with severe gut pain. Darnley denies the accusation and gives Taylor an out, but Taylor is still intent on holding the boxing match as planned and fighting Darnley.

When he walks away, Mary confronts Darnley about it. She doesn't believe him when he says he didn't do it, but he continues to maintain his innocence.

That night, Darnley's mother finds him drinking in a tavern. He complains about how he and Mary are too different and she assures him that he can find love with another if not with her, but he has to win over the people first. She tells him to join her in her carriage so that he can be at least a bit sober for tomorrow's fight. When he asks for the check, one of Taylor's men smashes two of Darnley's fingers to avenge the poisoning.

After Mary finds out that the reason behind Taylor's valet's gut pain was food poisoning, she reaches out to apologize to Darnley for blaming him. Darnley insists that he's going to fight anyway. He's losing – badly – until Mary secretly hands him a bag of coins to even the odds.

It works as he knocks Taylor out. Mary proclaims Lord Darnley the winner and Lord Taylor bends his knee to him. Mary turns to Darnley and admits she wanted to give him a chance. She respects his fierceness and he respects that she was willing to break the rules for him. He sweeps her off her feet with a kiss.

Hanging Swords
Mary and Darnley talk about his former relationship with Lady Keira, and Queen Mary accuses him of having an affair. He denies it, informing her she is already married to Lord White.

Uncharted Waters
Of the arriving guest to witness Mary and Darnley's Catholic wedding, few are as important as Lucrezia de' Medici. She lends legitimacy and strength both to Queen Mary's Scottish rule and Queen Mary and Lord Darnley's joint claims to the English Throne.

However, after Lord Darnley jokingly insulted King Francis, Lucrezia withdrew her support and set sail for the following day back to Florence. Mary was very upset over this, because if the Duchess left, she took her support and the promise of funding with her. Lucrezia agreed to reconsider if she was given the lands belonging to Lord Theodore Davies. The lands were quite valuable, and come with a title, The Earldom of Menteith. Only with this exchange would she continue supporting Mary's rule. After a day of misadventures, Queen Mary and Lord Bothwell were able to acquiring the Davies Estate' papers. With that, Lucrezia was pleased to continue the alliance between Florence and Scotland

Meanwile, Lady Keira was sick and weak with fever, and later died after being hit by a cart in Scotland after James Stuart forced her to her feet and back to England on Mary's behalf. Darnley cannot forgive Mary for it.

Dead of Night
Mary Stuart tells Greer she is pregnant with King Darnley's child. Telling her, only Darnley knows, and she's also told James Stuart before he left. Greer apologises for being hard on Mary about James. Mary tells her it's alright. In trying to protect her throne, she put her brother in a dangerous position that ended with his banishment.

Mary and Darnley are talking about Lord Bothwell. The man who despises Darnley, and Mary invited him to Court. Mary tells him, after James left she was upset, and needed someone she could trust.

Coup de Grace
Mary and Darnley are playing a cat-and-mouse game as Mary attempts to sneak into an underground study in the middle of the night. She manages to outwit Darnley.

The next day, Mary announces her pregnancy to the court. Before Darnley has a chance to deny that he is the child's father, the courtiers are chanting, "long live the king". Not wanting to take away their pride by disowning the unborn baby, Darnley reaffirms Mary's statement and steps into the crowd to bask in the adoration and accolades of the nobles.

However, out in the hall, John Knox is enraged - now that Darnley has claimed the child as his own, they have no leverage over Mary and they cannot "rid" themselves of her. Darnley makes it clear that he is not looking to do away with Mary, but Knox is out of ideas, and so is Darnley.

Their plan falls apart further when they lose Lord Ruthven's allegiance. Knox is ready to take out Mary, but Darnley has a better idea - trying her for adultery. They scheme to catch her in the act with Lord Bothwell, and when they do, Mary will be forced to abdicate and Bothwell will lose his head.

When Darnley, Ruthven, and the rest of the privy council barge into Mary's quarters that night and see her and Rizzio playing chess, they bewildered as to where Bothwell is.

Mary offers to pardon them all if they leave at once, but Ruthven emboldens his fellow councilmen to get rid of the "French imposter" and "whore of a queen" like they've always wanted. They take Rizzio and, despite Mary's shrieks and protests, pass him around while they each stab him at least once. Eventually, Rizzio falls to the floor and Ruthven pulls out his dagger and runs it through his heart. Darnley lets go of Mary, who also falls to the floor while crying out, "what have you done?"

The following morning, Darnley is alerted that something is wrong with the baby. He rushes to Mary's room, where she has been held under-guard all night, asking her if he should summon a physician. Mary reveals that she was pretending and only needed to talk to him in private. She warns Darnley that Knox is using him, and that once Knox and the privy council abolish the monarchy, they will turn on Darnley. Mary asks him to help her escape the castle, and once they do, they will take back all that is their as king and queen.

When night falls, Mary and Darnley sneak out of the castle and ride out on horseback. They stop in a forest to rest a few hours' distance from the castle, when suddenly, Darnley starts having doubts. He assumes that once he and Mary reach Dunbar, Bothwell is going to call for his head. And so, despite Mary's pleas to come with her, Darnley leaves her stranded in the forest.

A Bride. A Box. A Body.
Two months after escaping, Darnley has heard of Queen Mary's manhunt for the rest of the privy council members, and surprisingly enough, he turns one of them in. When Mary visits him for an explanation, he claims he has put his mistakes behind him and would like a chance to meet his child. In return, Darnley vows to help Mary and Bothwell find the remaining privy council members.

Mary agrees, and within a few days, Darnley finds one of the conspirators. Using a story about how Elizabeth is willing to grant safe harbor to all involved in the coup attempt, Darnley convinces him to gather the entire privy council by tonight.

However, the next day, Darnley and Lord Bothwell find the lodge where the privy council gathered burned to the ground. Bothwell believes it was Darnley who did it - he had a motive and it wouldn't be his first time setting something on fire in order to get what he wanted. He has Darnley brought to the castle and Mary gives an order to have him arrested.

Over the next couples of days, Darnley is interrogated by Bothwell. Soon enough, though, Mary has an epiphany - she cannot keep living in an endless cycle of bitterness. Instead, she must find peace in her life and her marriage. As such, she has Darnley set free.

Once out of the dungeon, Darnley retreats to his country house. Lady Lennox has come to visit him, only to find him abnormally pleased with himself. Darnley reveals that he did burn down the house with all the conspirators in it – because Keira told him to. Lady Lennox is horrified at the realisation that her son has gone mad.

Blood in the Water
A few weeks have passed and Mary is reaching her due date. She has been maintaining a cordial relationship with Darnley, but even that goes awry when Greer tells her of Darnley's misbehaviour.

Mary goes to Darnley's room, upset at having heard from Greer that he was stumbling the halls, drunk and incoherent, the previous night. He claims he wasn't drinking and soon breaks into a scratching fit, awakening Mary to a realisation that Darnley suffers from syphilis. She pleads with him to go to a facility where she knows they have the best treatment.

All It Cost Her
A disoriented Darnley is walking through the woods with his son, until Keira suggests Darnley leave him on the ground to rest. He does so.

Later, Lady Lennox visits Darnley at his estate. Darnley begins questioning his mental state, but his mother insists that he's fine, only under a strain. She demands that he stay here and hidden, until she returns with provisions the following morning.

However, that night, Lord Bothwell and another noble try to light Darnley's house on fire. Bothwell notices that something is wrong and runs inside. Darnley wakes up when he hears his dog barking and just as he steps outside and recognizes the other noble, Bothwell knocks Darnley to the ground and chokes him to death.


Family Tree

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Henry VII
   
   
Elizabeth of York
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Catherine of Aragon
   
   
Henry VIII
   
   
Anne Boleyn
   
   
Mary Tudor
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Margaret Tudor
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Mary I of England
   
   
Elizabeth I
   
   
   
   
   
   
Frances Brandon
   
   
   
   
   
   
James V
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Margaret Douglas
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Lady Jane Grey
   
   
James Stuart
   
   
Francis II
   
   
Mary I of Scotland
   
   
Henry Stuart
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
James VI and I

Trivia

  • Lord Darnley revealed that his first name is 'Henry', making him Lord Henry Darnley. [1]
  • Started a housefire and saved a boy to make himself look like a hero. [2]
  • Was in a relationship with Lady Keira until his mother deceived them into ending their relationship. [3]
  • Mary and Darnley consumated their relationship. [4]
  • James Stuart is forced to 'give' his lands back to Darnley because they are the old Lennox Estates. [5]
  • Mary Stuart secretly discovered she was pregnant with Darnley's child. [4][5][6][7]
  • Mary had her second wedding to Lord Darnley. [7]
  • Was involved in the murder of David Rizzio. [8]
  • Two days after David Rizzio's murder, Mary and Darnley escaped Holyrood Palace they parted ways, and never saw each other again. [8]

In History

  • Lord Darnley's full name was Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.
  • Like in the show, Darnley has Tudor blood in him through his mother, Lady Lennox.
  • In history, Darnley was said to be strong, athletic, skilled in horsemanship and weaponry, and passionate about hunting and hawking. In the show, only his horsemanship prowess is showcased.
  • As mentioned in the show, Darnley's father, Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox, was found guilty of treason in Scotland for siding with the English in The War of the Rough Wooing, in opposing Mary of Guise and Regent Arran. The family's Scottish estates were forfeited and his father went into exile in England for 22 years.
    • Darnley eventually received the deed back to the lands in the show, which did not happen in real life. Mary did not restore Lennox to his Scottish earldom, but she did give 1,000 crowns to Darnley and invited him to her coronation in France.
  • In history, Mary Stuart had briefly met her future husband Lord Darnley in February 1561 when she was in mourning for King Francis II. No such encounter took place on the show, however.
  • In history, Mary and Darnley married on 29 July 1565, not in the Fall of 1561 like the show's Timeline alludes to.
  • In history, when Mary was 7 months pregnant, she was held at gunpoint while Lord Darnley, Lord Ruthven, and a few other council members stabbed the queen's closest confidante, David Rizzio, 56 times. The same event took place on the show.
    • Just like in the show, two days after David Rizzio's murder, a disillusioned King Darnley switched sides to his wife Mary, with whom he fled Holyrood Place.
  • In history, Darnley was murdered eight months after his son James' birth, while in the show, it was a few days after his birth.
  • The Lennox Jewel was most likely made for his mother, Lady Lennox. Theories vary as to when the jewel was made and for what occasion. In 1842, the jewel was bought by Queen Victoria.

Appearances

Season Four
With Friends Like These A Grain of Deception Leaps of Faith Playing With Fire Highland Games Love & Death Hanging Swords Uncharted Waters
Pulling Strings A Better Man Dead of Night The Shakedown Coup de Grace A Bride. A Box. A Body. Blood in the Water All It Cost Her

Related Pages

v  d  e
King: James VI and I of Scotland and England Queen: Anne of Denmark (Consort)
House of Stuart
Heir: Lands: Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of England
Title(s): King and Queen of Scotland · King and Queen of England · King and Queen of Ireland · Duke of Albany · Earl of Moray · Earl of Lennox ·
Deceased Members: King James V of Scotland · Queen Mary of Guise (Consort) · King Henry Stuart (Consort) · Queen Mary I of Scotland ·
Household: ·


References

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