Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
What are the SECRET MESSAGES in the incredible tomb of Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox in Westminster Abbey and who is inside this royal tomb with her? The mother of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and grandmother of James VI and I, she was born in 1515 to Princess Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland and her second husband, Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus. This meant that she was the granddaughter of Henry VII and Eizabeth of York, the niece of Henry VIII, the cousin of Elizabeth I and the cousin of Mary I and Edward VI. It also meant that her older brother was James V of Scotland.
Lady Margaret later married Matthew Stuart, 4th Earl of Lennox in 1544 and had six children by him, of whom only two survived to adulthood, including Lord Darnley who married Mary, Queen of Scots in 1565 and fathered the future James VI before being murdered in 1567. Lady Lennox’s husband was also murdered in 1576 when he went to Scotland to manage the country for their young grandson. Lady Lennox died herself in 1578.
Her tomb in Westminster Abbey is in the Henry VII chapel and sits next to that of her daughter-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots. It shows her lying recumbent, with a French hood and a red dress on. Her children are depicted in statues around the edge of the tomb and there is a lengthy inscription explaining all the famous royals she was related to, both English and Scottish. Why is the crown of Scotland hovering over her son Henry’s head though, why is she wearing a crown too and why was such an elaborate tomb created for a woman who was not royal herself?
In this video from History Calling we look at the tomb of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox to find out how her grave was used to tell a dynastic story, even centuries after her death, how that story helped her grandson to take the English throne as James I and what was found when the Hanoverians and later Victorians peered into the tomb.
Let me know below which feature of the tomb you find most interesting.
#LadyMargaretDouglas #CountessOfLennox #MargaretDouglas
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THE INCREDIBLE DARNLEY/LENNOX JEWEL
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WHERE WERE ROYAL BABIES BURIED?
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What are the SECRET MESSAGES in the incredible tomb of Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox in Westminster Abbey and who is inside this royal tomb with her? The mother of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and grandmother of James VI and I, she was born in 1515 to Princess Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland and her second husband, Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus. This meant that she was the granddaughter of Henry VII and Eizabeth of York, the niece of Henry VIII, the cousin of Elizabeth I and the cousin of Mary I and Edward VI. It also meant that her older brother was James V of Scotland.
Lady Margaret later married Matthew Stuart, 4th Earl of Lennox in 1544 and had six children by him, of whom only two survived to adulthood, including Lord Darnley who married Mary, Queen of Scots in 1565 and fathered the future James VI before being murdered in 1567. Lady Lennox’s husband was also murdered in 1576 when he went to Scotland to manage the country for their young grandson. Lady Lennox died herself in 1578.
Her tomb in Westminster Abbey is in the Henry VII chapel and sits next to that of her daughter-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots. It shows her lying recumbent, with a French hood and a red dress on. Her children are depicted in statues around the edge of the tomb and there is a lengthy inscription explaining all the famous royals she was related to, both English and Scottish. Why is the crown of Scotland hovering over her son Henry’s head though, why is she wearing a crown too and why was such an elaborate tomb created for a woman who was not royal herself?
In this video from History Calling we look at the tomb of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox to find out how her grave was used to tell a dynastic story, even centuries after her death, how that story helped her grandson to take the English throne as James I and what was found when the Hanoverians and later Victorians peered into the tomb.
Let me know below which feature of the tomb you find most interesting.
#LadyMargaretDouglas #CountessOfLennox #MargaretDouglas
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Join my mailing list (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
DEATH OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS
youtu.be/cAxYKkrFOAI
LADY MARGARET BEAUFORT’S GRAVE
youtu.be/42FHaIEzTPs
THE TOMB OF MARY AND ELIZABETH TUDOR
youtu.be/EgLchn8Xs7I
THE INCREDIBLE DARNLEY/LENNOX JEWEL
youtu.be/UjfjVN7_2Bc
THE TRAGIC LIFE OF LADY ARBELLA STUART
youtu.be/HMLMs-Z-21w
WHERE WERE ROYAL BABIES BURIED?
youtu.be/G5KINP-O-vE
THE LOST GRAVE OF JAMES I
youtu.be/AfQzpeM1NFg
THE ROOM WHERE 16 KINGS AND QUEENS ARE BURIED IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY
youtu.be/q3BpP2tA94k
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
