James "Lord Bothwell" Hepburn 1st Duke Orkney 1534-1578

On 14th December 1542 King James V of Scotland [aged 30] died at Falkland Palace [Map]. His daughter [his future wife] Mary succeeded I Queen Scotland. She was six days old.

On 24th April 1558 Dauphin of France [aged 14] and [his future wife] Mary Queen of Scots [aged 15] were married at Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral [Map]. He by marriage King Consort Scotland. She the daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland [aged 42]. He the son of King Henry II of France [aged 39] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 39]. They were third cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

On 10th July 1559 King Henry II of France [aged 40] was killed whilst jousting in celebration of his daughter's [aged 14] marriage to Philip "The Prudent" II King Spain [aged 32]. His son Francis [aged 15] succeeded II King France: Capet Valois Angoulême. [his future wife] Mary Queen of Scots [aged 16] by marriage Queen Consort France. They would reign for eighteen months only with Francis dying in Dec 1560. Francis and Mary would have no issue.

On 5th December 1560 Francis II King France King Consort Scotland [aged 16] died, possibly from an ear abscess, in the Hotel Groslot, Orléans. On 23rd December 1560 he was buried at the Basilica of St Denis [Map]. His brother Charles [aged 10] succeeded IX King France: Capet Valois Angoulême; his mother Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 41] acted as Regent. His wife Mary Queen of Scots [aged 17] returned to Scotland arriving at Leith 19th August 1561 after having been in France for thirteen years.

On 9th March 1566 at eight o'clock in the evening David Rizzio [aged 33] was murdered in the presence of the six months pregnant [his future wife] Mary Queen of Scots [aged 23] and her half-sister [his illegitimate sister-in-law] Jean Stewart Countess Argyll [aged 33] at Holyrood Palace [Map] by rebels led by Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven. Rizzio was dragged through the bed chamber into the adjacent Audience Chamber and stabbed an alleged 57 times. Mary's husband Henry "Lord Darnley" Stewart [aged 20] was suspected of being one of the murderers.

On 15th March 1566 Mary Queen of Scots writes to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 32]:

As first hes takin our houss slane our maist [most] speciall servand in our awin [own] presence & thaireftir haldin our propper personis captive tressonneblie, quhairby [whereby] we war constrainit to escaipe straitlie about midnyght out of our palice of halliruidhouss [Map] to the place quhair [where] we ar for the present, in the grittest danger feir of our lywis & ewill [ill] estate that evir princes on earth stuid [stood] in.

We thotht to have writtin to you this letter with oure awin [own] hand, that therby ye myght have better onestand all our meaning & takin mair [more] familliarlie therewit. Bot of trewt [truth] we ar so tyrit [tired] & ewill [ill] at eass [ease], quhat [what] throw rydding of twenty millis [miles] in v [5] horis [hours] of the nyght as wit the frequent seikness & weill dispositioun be th'occasioun of our child/that we could not at this tyme as we was willing to have done…

Your richt [right] gud sister and cusignes [cousin] Marie R.

David Rizzio: Around 1533 he was born.

Jean Stewart Countess Argyll: Around 1533 she was born illegitimately to King James V of Scotland and Elizabeth Bethune. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. In 1553 Archibald Campbell 5th Earl Argyll and she were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. She the illegitmate daughter of King James V of Scotland and Elizabeth Bethune. He the son of Archibald Campbell 4th Earl Argyll and Helen Hamilton Countess Argyll. They were third cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. On 7th January 1588 Jean Stewart Countess Argyll died.

Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven: he was born to William Ruthven 2nd Lord Ruthven and Janet Halyburton Lady Dirletoun. Before 1551 Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven and Janet Douglas were married. She the illegitmate daughter of Archibald Douglas 6th Earl Angus. After 1551 Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven and Janet Stewart were married. His second marriage, her fourth. She the daughter of John Stewart 2nd Earl Atholl and Janet Campbell Countess Atholl. On 13th May 1566 Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven died.

On 15th May 1567 James "Lord Bothwell" Hepburn 1st Duke Orkney [aged 33] and Mary Queen of Scots [aged 24] were married in the Great Hall Holyrood House. She the daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland. He the son of Patrick Hepburn 3rd Earl Bothwell and Agnes Sinclair Countess Bothwell. They were half third cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

On 13th May 1568 the army of [his wife] Mary Queen of Scots [aged 25] commanded by Archibald Campbell 5th Earl Argyll [aged 34] was defeated by the army of the Regent her illegitimate half-brother [his illegitimate brother-in-law] James Stewart 1st Earl of Moray Regent [aged 37].

John Campbell was killed.

William "Younger" Douglas 7th Lord Drumlanrig and Robert Seton 1st Earl Winton [aged 15] fought.

Claud Hamilton 1st Lord Paisley [aged 21] and George Seton 7th Lord Seton [aged 37] fought for the Queen.

John Graham 6th Earl Menteith fought for the Earl of Moray.

On 23rd January 1570 [his illegitimate brother-in-law] James Stewart 1st Earl of Moray Regent [aged 39] was assassinated at Linlithgow by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, a supporter of [his wife] Mary Queen of Scots [aged 27]. His daughter Elizabeth [aged 4] succeeded 2nd Countess Moray. As he was passing in a cavalcade in the main street below, Hamilton fatally wounded him with a carbine shot from a window of his uncle Archbishop Hamilton's [aged 57] house. He was the first head of government to be assassinated by a firearm.

On 4th September 1571 supporters of [his wife] Mary Queen of Scots [aged 28] led by [his former brother-in-law] George Gordon 5th Earl Huntley attacked Stirling Castle [Map].

Matthew Stewart 4th Earl Lennox [aged 54] was shot. His son Charles [aged 14] succeeded 5th Earl Lennox.

Alexander Stewart [aged 39] was killed