Rizzio: Darkland Tales
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- Create Date：2021-09-06 00:16:00
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Denise Mina
- ISBN：B097QRZLCN
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Reviews
Rosa N
，
Brilliant read！A concise， quick， but fascinating read based on contemporaneous accounts of events surrounding Rizzio’s murder。 Mina writes descriptively & aptly sharing with the reader insight into some very vile actors in Scottish history。
David Kenvyn
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The murder of David Rizzio was the defining event of the reign of Mary Queen of Scots。 From it everything followed: the murder of Darnley， the involvement with Bothwell， Mary’s capture at Carberry Hill， her enforced abdication and imprisonment on Loch Leven， her dramatic escape and subsequent defeat in the Battle of Langside， er precipitous flight into England， nineteen years imprisonment and finally her execution at Fotheringhay in 1587。 We do not know what would have happened if Rizzio had not The murder of David Rizzio was the defining event of the reign of Mary Queen of Scots。 From it everything followed: the murder of Darnley， the involvement with Bothwell， Mary’s capture at Carberry Hill， her enforced abdication and imprisonment on Loch Leven， her dramatic escape and subsequent defeat in the Battle of Langside， er precipitous flight into England， nineteen years imprisonment and finally her execution at Fotheringhay in 1587。 We do not know what would have happened if Rizzio had not been murdered but his death laid the powder keg at Kirk o’Fields， and that in turn led Mary to her fate。This is Denise Mina’s account， in novella form， of that fatal night in 1566 in the Queen’s private chamber in Holyrood Palace。 It is not an historical analysis of the events。 It would need to be far more cautious for that。 It is a dramatic reconstruction of what happened and it is incredibly well researched。 But all dramatic accounts must put words and motivations into place for the participants。 Some of these we know to be true because we have accounts of the actual murder， and they describe Rizzio hiding behind the Queen and calling out “Sauvez moi”。The first thing that we learn is that Lord Ruthven wanted the murder committed in the Palace’s real tennis courts， but Darnley objected。 He wanted Rizzio murdered in the Queen’s private rooms in front of the Queen， who was six months pregnant。 Darnley hoped that the Queen would miscarry and die， and that he would become king。 Darnley was an unpleasant young man， but he was also an idiot。 None of his co-conspirators wanted to see him as King。 But it was agreed to grant Darnley his wish。 The calculation was probably that this damned Darnley as the only one of the co-conspirators， the Queen’s husband， who could have arranged access to her apartments。 Henry Yair is watching the tennis match。 He is one of Ruthven’s men， a Calvinist extremist and is probably unhinged。 He could have been the role model for Shakespeare’s First Murderer in Macbeth。 HIs job will be to lead the assassins into the Queen’s Chambers， and to ensure that Rizzio does not escape。 The plot goes according to plan。 The Queen is entertaining guests in er private rooms， including David Rizzio， er illegitimate sister， Jean， the Countess of Argyll and he chief lady-in-waiting， Lady Huntly。 Darnley unexpectedly enters， and closes the door。 Darnley never closes doors。 That is a job for servants。 He sits next to the Queen and puts his arm round her。 Then Lord Ruthven， having risen from his death bed， enters with armed men behind him。 Rizzio was murdered。Then the plan began to unravel。 The Lord Provost noticed that there was something wrong at the Palace and called out the watch。 400 armed Edinburgh citizens assembled at the Palace， and Darnley came to a window， told them that a Papal spy had been caught but that all was now well。 The watch dispersed。 This is when Henry Yair took leave of his senses。 He left the Palace with the Watch and murdered a Catholic priest， a papal agent， known as John Noir。 Yair was captured by the Watch， covered in blood。， and was hanged along with another of Ruthven’s men， from Perth。Meanwhile， Lord Bothwell and is friend Lord George Gordon， Lady Huntley’s son， escaped from the Palace and raised an army of Borderers from Bothwell’s tenants and allies to rescue the Queen。 Lady Huntly who had good reason to hate the Queen， took pity on her and helped her to escape。 Darnley， by now convinced that his co-conspirators were dangerous， fled with the Queen。 Mary joined Bothwell at Dunbar。This is where I take issue with Denise Mina。 I think that Darnley wanted Rizzio dead because he thought he was the Queen’s lover。 Once Rizzio was dead， Mary and Darnley came to an unspoken agreement。 Mary needed Darnley to claim the unborn child as his own。 The Queen Regnant of Scotland could not give birth to an illegitimate child。 The succession would be compromised and she would possibly be deposed。 Mary need Darnley to say that the child was his。 Darnley would not be able to claim the regency if he denied fatherhood Therefore neither of them could allow doubt to be cast on the legitimacy of James VI The portraits of Darnley， Rizzio and James VI point to a different story。 David RizzioJames VI and IHenry， Lord DarnleyThe argument that James VI was ginger like Darnley does not bear much examination。 Both Mary and Darnley were the grandchildren of Margaret Tudor， Queen of Scots， and she was a redhead as was Mary herself。 As for Lady Huntley taking pity on Mary， this is possible but it is equally likely that se made a political calculation that aiding the Queen was a way to restore the fortunes of her family， following her husband’s disastrous rebellion， defeat in battle and subsequent dropping dead at the feet of the Queen。 Huntley was then embalmed and tried for treason so that his lands and property could be confiscated。 Lady Huntley could have seen this as an opportunity。 Also， her son was raising an army to rescue Mary along with Lord Bothwell。What is without doubt is that the murder of Rizzio was the turning point of Mary’s reign。 By the end of 1567 Darnley had been murdered， Mary had been seized by the Earl of Bothwell （which se may have conspired at） and became pregnant。 She was then forced to abdicate， escaped， was defeated at the Battle of Langside and fled to England where she was imprisoned for 19 years。 Demise Mina has given us an enthralling and persuasive account of the events of that fatal night in 1566。 I am just not convinced that she has understood all the motivations of those involved。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Rizzio: Darkland Tales
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Rizzio: Darkland Tales&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft