The Most Sensational Unsolved Murder In History – Lord Darnley Murder

Lord Darnley was the consort of Mary Queen of Scot, who ruled Scotland in 16th century. This case was sensational because it changed the history of England and Scotland.In February 1567, there was a blast on the upper floor of an Edinburgh house known as Kirk o’ Field. The blast left the structured to ashes and killed Darnley who was sleeping in the room. The blast was caused by the gunpowder which was accumulated under the cellars of the house. Curiously enough, Darnley was not killed by the explosion but by strangulation. It is suspected that Darnley was trying to

escape the blast when the murderer cached him and strangled him to death.

Darnley marriage with Mary was scandalous. Darnley was frequently seen rambling in the street of Edinburgh in search of prostitutes. His lifestyle and his failure to participate in the business of royal court had angered Mary. On the other hand, Mary’s association with Rizzio, her private secretary, also angered Darnley. With the help of the Lords of Scotland, Darnley ended up murdered Rizzio with 56 stabs. Added to the complexities of Darnley relationship with the Queen, there were many political scandals surrounding the royal household. Darnley was very ambitious, he involved in various scheme with some Lords of Scotland to achieve his goal: to become King of Scotland.

Following

the murder of Rizzio, Mary, fearing for her own life, escaped from the castle with the help of Lord Bothwell. The Lords of Scotland and Darnley begged Mary for forgiveness, and looking them as necessary political ally, Mary forgave them. Soon after, Lord Darnley fell ill from syphilis. Mary nursed her husband during this period and Darnley then moved to Kirk o’ Field. Decision that lead to his death.

Questions arose on who killed Darnley? Was it the scheming Lord Bothwell? Did Mary involved in the plot? One thing for sure, Mary’s fate was doomed after the death of Darnley. She was kidnapped, raped and forced to marry Bothwell. After the marriage Mary fled to England to seek the protection of her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, but was instead imprisoned. She was tried and convicted of being in conspiration with Bothwell to kill Darnley. The evidence of Mary’s involvement in the killing was the Caskett Letters, which had been the subject of much debate over the century as it was not showing any clear relationship between Mary and the murder. Mary was finally beheaded in 1587. Bothwell fled to Denmark and imprisoned for past act of piracy. He became insane and died in prison