Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, was murdered on this day in Edinburgh in 1567.

Also known as Henry Stewart, his body was discovered on February 10 in the orchard of Kirk o’ Field. He had been staying there with his servant, whose body was also found.

Darnley was dressed only in a nightshirt, lending weight to the belief that he had fled from his bedchamber. Evidence suggests that the violent explosion that had occurred at the house on the night of the 9th was a cover-up to disguise the assassination and that he and his servant had been strangled outside.

It is widely believed that James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell and Mary’s third husband, was behind the murder.

Queen Elizabeth I felt threatened by Mary’s marriage to Darnley, as both were claimants to the English throne, brring direct descendants of Margaret Tudor, the oldest sister of Henry VIII.

Also both Lord Darnley and Mary were Catholic, the marriage prompted Mary's half-brother, the Earl of Moray, to join other Protestant Lords in open rebellion.

Their troops were confronted by Mary and Lord Moray and the rebellious lords were routed and exiled.

However, Darnley became arrogant and grew jealous of Mary's connection with her private secretary David Rizzio.

In 1566 he entered into a secret conspiracy with the nobles who had rebelled against Mary.

On 9 March 9 a group of the lords, accompanied by Darnley, murdered Rizzio in front of Mary.

Darnley switched allegiances again and betrayed the lords. However, his betrayal put strain on the marriage.

Mary discussed the option of divorcing Darnley but it was not acted on. Fearing for his safety, Darnley fled to Glasgow to stay with his family, where he fell sick.

He returned to Edinburgh at the prompting of his wife. He was resting in a house at the former abbey of Kirk o' Field within the city wall of Edinburgh when he was murdered.

It was found that Earl of Bothwell had supplied the gunpowder for the explosion. A mock trial was arranged for the earl, and he was acquitted in April 1566.