Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox

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Charles Stuart with his elder ill fated brother Henry, Lord Darnley.


At the time of his father's death in 1571, the earl was acting as regent for the boy king James VI of Scotland and the earldom passed to the Crown. King James's father had been Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Charles's elder brother, who was already dead. However, shortly afterwards the title of Earl of Lennox was bestowed on Charles. He proceeded to incur the displeasure of Queen Elizabeth I of England by a hasty marriage to Elizabeth Cavendish, daughter of Bess of Hardwick, apparently at his mother's instigation. The couple had one child, Arbella Stuart, but she was prevented by the Scots from taking up the earldom because of her gender and the fact that she had been born in England. Arbella Stuart married William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset.

Preceded by
New Creation
Earl of Lennox
Succeeded by