The Saga of Mary Queen of Scots, Part IV
© Ellen McDaniel-Weissler
Beyond court circles, and especially in Catholic regions of Scotland, Darnley was honored for his position as the queen's husband and Prince James' father; within court circles he was derided, manipulated or ignored.
Mary was accutely embarrassed by her husband's excesses and his uncooperative behavior. He was becoming both a political liability and a general nuisance, and it is doubtful if her love for him outlived the first few months of their marriage. By spring of 1566 Darnley was even rumored to be writing to the pope and the French and Spanish kings with accusations of his wife's laxity in restoring the Catholic faith in Scotland -- though his own adherance to Catholicism was nominal. Mary's council, religiously divided, could nevertheless not afford a king who behaved so irresponsibly as to complain about the queen to other monarchs. A meeting was held at Craigmillar on 20 November 1566 to discuss what might be done about the situation.
Mary hesitated to divorce Darnley or to annull the marriage, fearing the effect on her son's legitimate claim to succeed her. Her councillers, among them the infamous Earl of Bothwell, assured her that the situation would be resolved without resorting to such risky acts. Mary, in a deep depression, spoke of her desire to die or to give up the throne and retire to France, but her council promised that such drastic measures would be unnecessary.
Whether or not a murder bond was actually drawn up at that meeting, and whether or not Mary ever knew that such a bond existed, by late December it appears to have been decided that death was the only sure solution for the "problem" of Darnley. Bothwell would later be accused of masterminding and carrying out the act, but he was never actually tried for the murder. We will never know if Mary was a willing participant in the crime, although her actions just previous to it certainly appear suspicious.
