Product Description

On the night of 10 February 1567, an explosion devastated the Edinburgh residence of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. The noise was heard as far away as Holyrood Palace, where Queen Mary was attending a wedding masque. Those arriving at the scene of devastation found, in the garden, the naked corpses of Darnley and his valet. Neither had died in the explosion, but both bodies bore marks of strangulation.It was clear that they had been murdered and the house destroyed in an attempt to obliterate the evidence. Darnley was not a popular king-consort, but he was regarded by many as having a valid claim to the English throne. For this reason Elizabeth I had opposed his family's longstanding wish to marry him to Mary Stuart, who herself claimed to be the rightful queen of England. Alison Weir's investigation of Darnley's murder is set against one of the most dramatic periods in British history. Her conclusions will shed a brilliant new light on the actions and motives of the conspirators and, in particular, the extent of Mary's own involvement.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30843 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 640 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The prolific Scottish historian Alison Weir, in her new book Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley, grapples painstakingly with a mystery that has dogged history for centuries.

At midnight on February 9 1567, a violent explosion ripped apart Kirk o’Field, the Edinburgh residence of Lord Darnley, the 20-year-old King and second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. His unmarked body was found lying under a tree, together with that of his valet. The cause of his death and its perpetrators have remained obscured since that night, though Mary was a prime suspect in her husband's murder. Her apparent apathy regarding the murder investigation was regarded with deep suspicion but more incriminating were the infamous "Casket" letters, said to have been written by her to her lover Lord Bothwell, the supposed architect of Darnley’s assassination. Yet if Mary had good reasons for wanting her (Catholic) husband dead, then so had much of Scottish nobility.

Using contemporary evidence Weir argues exhaustively that the letters could have been the work of forgers employed by Protestant lords "laying snares for the queen". Sympathetic to Elizabeth I, intent on justifying Mary's subsequent imprisonment and forcing her abdication, the prospect of a young foreign Catholic queen, unversed in diplomacy, refusing a Protestant alliance through marriage was anathema to the Scottish lords. Weir's book claims that Mary’s fate was sealed as much by the country of which she was monarch as by Elizabethan England.

Alison Weir’s carefully researched addition to the wealth of material on the myth and reality of Mary Queen of Scots is too long, at 600 pages, but nevertheless makes for a thoughtful, scholarly and compelling read. --Catherine Taylor

From the Publisher
Bestselling historian Alison Weir turns her attention to Mary, Queen of Scots and one of the great murder mysteries of the 16th century.

From the Author
Dear reader

A year ago, in my last Newsletter, I explained how this book came about as a result of my research for Elizabeth the Queen, and how difficult a task I had set myself. The question of Mary, Queen of Scots involvement in the murder of her husband in 1567 has excited furious controversy for nearly 450 years, and it is fair to say that, for every piece of evidence in Mary's favor, there is a contrasting argument against her. Most of the source material was written by her enemies after the deposition, and is therefore prejudiced and biased in favor of justifying her removal from power. Finally, there are other people, notably the Earl of Bothwell, to who suspicion has been attached.

When I began writing about the Darnley murder, having completed my research and drawn up the plan, I had evolved a seemingly credible solution to the mystery. However, as my work progressed, and I came to analyse the source material in depth, it became clear to me that my theory was incorrect and that the very opposite was more likely to have been the truth. After that, everything fell more or less into place, and I believe that I have now credibly identified who murdered Darnley. You will notice that I'm not giving anything away - if you want to find out whether I think Mary was guilty or not, I'm afraid you'll just have to read the book!

I have done a great deal of research for my next book, Isabella, the She-Wolf of France, which I am due to deliver to my publishers in summer, 2004. Thanks go to all who have sent me information, photographs, and ideas for forthcoming books, and above all to those who just wrote and said how much they enjoyed reading the books. I was so touched that you took the trouble to tell me so.

With best wishes

Alison Weir

Customer Reviews

Queen Mary & Lord Darnely - 511 pages of fascinating reading
511 pages on the murder of Lord Darnely and the story of Mary Queen of Scots ist quite an achievement, maybe even an over-achievement. Alison Weir tells this facinating story in great detail and in her usual eloquent and immensely readable style. One follows her arguments with increasing interest as she unveils the legal issues and more importantly the politics behind this after more than 400 years still so well-known crime. As with all Alison Weir' s books I like very much that she presents the facts and arguments for or against a position, does not hide opinons even if they conflict with her very own. She never leaves her readers guessing what her point of view is. And above all she makes a very convincing case I! Mary Queen of Scots is kind of a romantic figure especially as history seems to be viewed from her tragic end. In Alison Weir new book the story is not told from the end that is to say from the execution of the Queen, but from the beginning. Mary emerges as a beautiful and charming personality who could in many ways inspire love and loyalty but who was not in the least capable to fullfil the role she was born into: the role of a reigning monarch. She might have been an ideal queen consort but as the sovereign she utterly failed. Mrs Weir makes this very clear by unravelling the complex intrigues surrounding the murder of Ld Darnley. Eventough I feel that the book is a bit too long and that the extensive quotation from letters -I never had been too keen on this method of writing - I enjoyed very much reading Alison Weir' s book and can only recommed it. It should be on one' s bookshevles!

An in depth study.
Befeore I go any further let me say this is a truly excellent book. Having said that I can now be a little more critical. The book essentially splits into 3 parts. An introduction to Mary and the build up to her marriage with Darnley, the marriage to darnley and his murder and finally Mary's imprisonment and execution in England. I think this is a mistake. The book is essentially an in depth study of Darnley's murder. If it had stayed with this area of speciality it could have been reduced from 600 to 450 pages and not lost any if its impetus. We would also had greater focus. The first and third parts are general overviews, whereas the main part of the book is a very detailed account. The two styles sit uneasily with each other.

When we get to the main account of Darnley and his murder from being easy going, the book becomes hard work. It is extremely detailed and often difficult to work out who is who with so many characters entering the plot. However the author writes superbly and manages to tie up this immense level of detail in a highly readable manner. It is extremely well researched and very careful in it's dealings with highly biased source material. Alison's Weir's conclusions on Mary and the murder of Darnley hardly rock the boat, but nevertheless this is a readable and highly detailed account of a most interesting historical event.

Mary Queen of Scots, more sinned against than Sinned!!
What a superb book this was, Alison weir is to be congratulated in the way she investigated all the princile characters that had a vested interest in the removal of Darnley.
What as so freshing about this book was the auther approached the subject from an unbiased veiw, exploring all possabilities and showing just how treacherous the Scottish nobility were, and how they acted out of self interest and gain.

The book beautifully illustrated just how dificult it was for Mary , the first actual ruling Queen of Scotland, ( although both Margaret , Maid of Norway and Gruoch were also Queen of Scots, they never ruled soley in person). She was firstly a women, ruling in a male dominated country, Catholic, ruling a newl turned protestant state, and basically a foreigner, ruling an alien land and people, from what she was used to in France.

I have read many books on Mary Queen of Scots and this is the first book that really blew away the idea that Mary was resonsible for Darnleys murder, she put the blame where it truly belonged, the protestant lords, on Cecil and Elizabeth who were aware of the plot but said nothing.

Alison Weir is to be congratulated in the way she brings Mary to life, creatin the viliot times she lived in and with the treacherous people she mixed with, a kind generous woman, who was betrayed by her nobility, and illegial deposted and imprisioned.

Elizabeth stands condemded by her actions, in supporting rebel subjects against their legitimate Queen, Falsely betraying Mary and the majesty of monarchy, illegially imprisioning her, despite promising her aid, and to ultimatly excute Mary for treason, which she was never guilty.

Alison Weirs last line in this superb book is most appropriate,
She must with justice, be regarded as one of the most wronged women in history.