James Hepburn 4th earl of Bothwell

James Hepburn Bothwell, 4th earl of , 1536?-1578, Scottish nobleman; third husband of Mary Queen of Scots . Though a Protestant, he was a strong partisan of the Catholic regent, Mary of Guise, mother of Mary Queen of Scots. In 1562, Bothwell's old enemy, James Hamilton, earl of Arran, accused Bothwell of proposing to kidnap the queen, and Bothwell was imprisoned. He escaped and started for France, but was imprisoned for a year by the English before he reached it. Mary recalled him in 1565 to help her put down the rebellion by the earl of Murray, her half brother. In 1566, Mary's secretary, David Rizzio, was murdered by conspirators, among them her second husband, Lord Darnley . Thereafter she trusted only Bothwell and was with him constantly. In Feb., 1567, Darnley was murdered. Bothwell was undoubtedly responsible, but he was acquitted in a trial that was a judicial mockery. Shortly after the trial, Bothwell abducted Mary and, having divorced his wife, married the queen. The Scottish nobles now rose against Bothwell and forced Mary to give him up (June, 1567). He fled to Denmark, where he was imprisoned and died insane.

Bothwell, James Hepburn, 4th Earl of (1536–78) Scottish Protestant nobleman, the third husband of MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS. He was a supporter and adviser of Mary, while she was married to DARNLEY. In 1567 he was acquitted of Darnley's murder but then his swift divorce, promotion to the dukedom of Orkney and Shetland, and marriage to Mary caused the Scottish lords to rise against him. He fled from Scotland after the Battle of Carberry Hill (June 1567), when Mary's forces were defeated. He turned to piracy, but was captured in Norway, and died in a Danish prison.

Bothwell, James Hepburn, 4th earl of (c.1535–78). The family influence was in the south of Scotland. Though a protestant, Bothwell was at first a supporter of Mary of Guise and strongly anti‐English. He had no part in the murder of Rizzio, and as relations between Mary, queen of Scots, and Darnley deteriorated, he became close to the queen. In 1567 events moved to a melodramatic climax. In February, Bothwell was the chief instigator of the murder of Darnley. On 7 May he was divorced, on 12 May created duke of Orkney, and on 15 May/ married Mary at Holyrood palace. Outraged at his elevation, his enemies confronted him. Mary and Bothwell fled to Borthwick castle, from which Bothwell escaped, but after the encounter at Carberry Hill on 15 June, they parted for ever—Mary to captivity in Lochleven castle, Bothwell to Orkney and Shetland. Thence he fled to Norway, under Danish rule. The king of Denmark kept him in prison as a useful pawn, first in Malmö, then in Dragsholm on Zealand, where he died insane. His embalmed body is preserved in a crypt in the church at Faarvejle nearby.