Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox

Common card · No. 367125

Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, 1st Earl of Lennox, 6th Seigneur d'Aubigny (c. 1542 – 26 May 1583) of the Château d'Aubigny at Aubigny-sur-Nère in the ancient province of Berry, France, was a French nobleman of Scottish ancestry who, on his move to Scotland at the age of 37, became a favourite of the 13-year-old King James VI of Scotland (who was later also King James I of England). Esmé Stewart was the first cousin of James' father, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley (son and heir apparent of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox). Despite his conversion from Catholicism to Calvinism he was never trusted by the Scots and returned to France where he ended his days. Sir James Melville described him as "of nature upright, just and gentle". He was the first to popularise the first name Esmé (spelt also Edme, etc.) in the British Isles.

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