14. Trying to Terrify His Pregnant Wife Into a Miscarriage
While David Rizzio was getting murdered, Queen Mary was held at gunpoint by her husband’s henchmen. One of them pointed a pistol at her pregnant belly, while another threatened to stab her. By murdering the queen’s secretary in her presence, Darnley had not only sought to intimidate and bend his wife to his will, but also to shock the pregnant Mary into miscarrying.
Mary did not miscarry, and gave birth to the future king James in June, 1566. However, between seeing her psycho husband commit bloody murder in her presence, while his sidekicks threatened to visit deadly violence upon her and upon the baby in her womb, the queen was, understandably quite intimidated. If her love for Lord Darnley was not already dead, it died then. After the deed was done and it was all over, Mary was forced to pardon Rizzio’s murderers. However, Darnley would not get away with it for long.