Mary Queen of Scots’ Downfall: The Life and Murder of Henry, Lord Darnley

By Robert Stedall

In the early hours of 10 February 1567 a large explosion ripped through the Provosts lodgings at Kirk o' Field, Edinburgh, where Mary Queen of Scotland's consort, Henry Lord Darnley, was staying. Darnley's body was found with that of his valet in a neighboring garden the next morning. The Queen's husband had been murdered and the ramifications for Mary and Scottish history would be far-reaching. 

Lord Darnley cuts an infamous figure in Scottish and Tudor history. In life, he proved a controversial character, and his murder at Kirk o' Field in 1567 remains one of British history's great, unsolved mysteries - solving whether Mary was implicated has taxed historians ever since. In this engaging and well-researched biography, Robert Stedall reexamines Darnley's life and his murder. It is not to be missed; his investigation brings new light and compelling conclusions to a story surrounded by political betrayal, murder, falsified evidence and conspiracy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pen and Sword
• Release date: Nov 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781473893337

Robert Stedall

Robert Stedall lives near Petworth and was educated at Marlborough College and McGill University in Montreal. He is a retired chartered accountant and finance director. He takes a broad interest in genealogy with a particular interest in the Scottish peerage. He wrote a history of his own family, ‘Hunting from Hampstead’, published by the Book Guild in 2002\. More recently he has produced a two volume history of Mary Queen of Scots and her son James VI,The Challenge to the Crown (2012) and the Survival of the Crown (2014), both published by the Book Guild. These make a fresh assessment of the events surrounding Lord Darnley’s murder. His website www.maryqueenofscots.net has become a focal point for those studying Mary’s life. He was Master of the Ironmongers’ Livery Company in 1989 and has most recently produced a history of the London Livery Companies on their estates in County Londonderry. This was published by Austin Macauley in 2016.