David Rizzio ( ; it, Davide Rizzio ; – 9 March 1566) or Riccio ( , ) was an Italian courtier, born in Pancalieri close to Turin, a descendant of an ancient and noble family still living in Piedmont, the Riccio Counts di San Paolo e Solbrito, who rose to become the private secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary's husband, Lord Darnley, is said to have been jealous of their friendship because of rumours that Rizzio had impregnated Mary, and he joined in a conspiracy of Protestant nobles to murder him, led by Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven. Mary was having dinner with Rizzio and a few ladies-in-waiting when Darnley joined them, accused his wife of adultery and then had a group murder Rizzio, who was hiding behind Mary. Mary was held at gunpoint and Rizzio was stabbed numerous times. His body took 57 dagger wounds. The murder was the catalyst of the downfall of Darnley, and had serious consequences for Mary's subsequent reign.

Career

Rizzio (whose name appears in Italian records as Davide Riccio di Pancalieri in Piemonte) went first from Turin to the Court of the

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, then at Nice. However, finding no opportunities for advancement there, he found means in 1561 to get himself admitted into the train of Carlo Ubertino Solaro, Count of Moretta, who was about to lead an embassy to Scotland. The Count in Scotland had no employment for Rizzio, and dismissed him. He ingratiated himself with the Queen's musicians, whom she had brought with her from France. James Melville, a friend of Rizzio, said that "Her Majesty had three valets in her chamber, who sung three parts, and wanted a bass to sing the fourth part". Rizzio was considered a good musician and excellent singer, which brought him to the attention of the cosmopolitan young queen. Towards the end of 1564, having grown wealthy under her patronage, he became the queen's secretary for relations with France, after the previous occupant of the post had retired. Rizzio was ambitious, controlling access to the queen and seeing himself as almost a Secretary of State. Other courtiers felt that as a Catholic and a foreigner he was too close to the queen.

Relationship with Darnley and with Mary

Rizzio became an ally of Lord Darnley, and helped with plans for his marriage to Mary. George Buchanan described Rizzio gaining Darnley's favour. As their familiarity grew, Rizzio was admitted to Darnley's chamber, bed, and secret confidence. David Calderwood later wrote that Rizzio had "insinuated himself in the favours of Lord Darnley so far, that they would lie some times in one bed together". George Buchanan wrote about events and plots in June 1565 before the royal wedding. He claims that Mary summoned her brother, the

Earl of Moray The title Earl of Moray, Mormaer of Moray or King of Moray was originally held by the rulers of the Province of Moray, which existed from the 10th century with varying degrees of independence from the Kingdom of Alba to the south. Until 1130 th ...

, to meet her at Perth. There, a quarrel between Moray and Darnley would escalate, Rizzio would strike the first blow, and others would ensure Moray was killed. Thomas Randolph described this plan differently, and his version does not involve Rizzio. Moray however did not come to Perth, but stayed at Lochleven Castle. Rumours followed that Moray and the Earl of Argyll planned to kidnap Mary and Darnley as they passed by Kinross. After the marriage in July 1565, rumours became rife that Mary was having an adulterous affair with Rizzio. It was said (in 1568) that Mary and Darnley's love decayed after they returned from the campaign against Moray's rebellion, known as the Chaseabout Raid, when Mary was "using the said David more like a lover than a servant, forsaking her husband's bed". According to the report of a French diplomat,

Paul de Foix Paul de Foix de Carmain (1528–1584) was a French prelate and diplomat. He was son of Jean de Foix, comte de Carmain, by his wife Aldonce. He studied Greek and Roman literature at Paris, and jurisprudence at Toulouse, where shortly after finishi ...

, Darnley discovered Rizzio in the closet of Mary's bedchamber at Holyrood house in the middle of the night dressed only in a fur gown over his shirt. George Buchanan included a similar story in his ''History'', that Darnley had a key to a secondary door to Mary's bedchamber, but found it locked or barred against him. Thereafter, he resolved to be revenged on Rizzio. According to Lord Ruthven, in the account known as ''Ruthven's Relation'', Darnley described the circumstances of his jealousy to Mary, after Darnley's murder. This account also focusses on Rizzio's presence in Mary's bedchamber:

Since yon fellow Davie fell in credit and familiarity with your Majesty, you regarded me not, neither treated me nor entertained me after your wonted fashion; for every day before dinner, you would come to my chamber and pass time with me, and thus long time ye have not done done so; and when I come to your Majesty's chamber, you bear me little company, except Davie had been the third "marrow" ompanion and after supper your Majesty hath a use to sit at cards with the said Davie till one or two of the clock after midnight; and this is the entertainment that I have had of you this long time.

The chronicle account, the ''Historie of James the Sext'', tells the story in a different way, asserting that Mary's secretary, William Maitland of Lethington, was jealous of Rizzio's increasing power. Maitland made Darnley jealous of Rizzio, hoping that the naive king-consort would destroy his rival.

Wealth, possessions and costume

His annual salary for the post of valet was 150 Francs or £75 Scots. In 1565 he got £80 in four installments paid by

George Wishart of Drymme George Wishart of Drymme was a Scottish landowner, lawyer, and a financial administrator for Mary, Queen of Scots. Family background George Wishart was kinsman of John Wishart of Pitarrow. His lands were at "Drynne", "Drymmie" or Drymme, also k ...

. Mary gave him gifts of rich fabric from her wardrobe, including black velvet figured with gold, and five pieces of gold cloth figured with scales. It was said that Rizzio took bribes. William Douglas of Lochleven wrote that he offered Rizzio £5,000 to prevent the forfeit of the

, but Rizzio refused saying he would not act for £20,000. Rizzio's involvement with pardons for the Chaseabout rebels sparked Darnley's envy. According to a letter of Thomas Randolph, Rizzio took part in a costumed masque in February 1566, celebrating the arrival of

Nicolas d'Angennes Nicolas d'Angennes, sieur de Rambouillet ( –) was a French noble, governor, diplomat and soldier during the French Wars of Religion. The son of Jacques d'Angennes and Isabelle Cottereau, Rambouillet rose fast during the civil wars. In 1568, ...

, seigneur de

Rambouillet Rambouillet (, , ) is a subprefecture of the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region of France. It is located beyond the outskirts of Paris, southwest of its centre. In 2018, the commune had a population of 26,933. Rambouillet lies ...

, who brought the Order of Saint Michael for Darnley. After his murder, it was noted that Rizzio had been living in wealthy circumstances. He was said to have £2,000 Sterling in gold coins, good clothing including 18 pairs of velvet hose, and his chamber at Holyroodhouse was well-furnished with a variety of hand-guns described as daggs, pistolets, and arquebuses, and 22 swords. He was said to be wearing a very rich jewel at his neck when he was killed, and was wearing a satin doublet and a furred damask night gown, perhaps the garment mentioned in the earlier French report.

Murder

Jealousy precipitated Rizzio's murder in the Queen's supper chamber in the Palace of Holyroodhouse at 8 o'clock on Saturday, 9 March 1566. Mary, Rizzio, Jean Stewart, Countess of Argyll, Robert Beaton of Criech and Arthur Erskine were seated at the supper table. The supper room, which still exists as part of the bedchamber, and was then "a cabinet about XII

foot The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

square, in the same a little low reposinge bedde, and a table" according to an account of the murder written by Francis, Earl of Bedford, and Thomas Randolph. The room had been decorated by Mary's servant Servais de Condé. On the night of the murder the royal guards were overpowered and the palace was turned over to the control of the rebels. The Queen was six months pregnant (with James VI) at the time, and some accused Rizzio of having impregnated her. The rebels burst into the supper room, led by Lord Ruthven, and demanded that Rizzio be handed over. The Queen refused. Rizzio then hid behind Mary but was nevertheless seized. Mary would allege that one of the intruders, Patrick Bellenden (brother of the Lord Justice Clerk), pointed his gun at her pregnant belly while Andrew Kerr of Faldonsyde threatened to stab her. Lord Ruthven denied this. After this violent struggle, Rizzio was dragged through the bed-chamber into the adjacent Audience Chamber and stabbed an alleged 57 times. His body was thrown down the main staircase nearby (now disused) and stripped of his jewels and fine clothes.Daniel, William S. (1852), ''History of The Abbey and Palace of Holyrood'' (Edinburgh, 1852), p. 75. The location of Rizzio's murder is marked with a small plaque in the Audience Chamber, underneath which is a red mark on the floorboards, which reportedly was left when Rizzio was stabbed to death. Rizzio was first buried in the cemetery of Holyrood Abbey. Buchanan states that shortly afterwards his body was removed by the Queen's orders and deposited in the tomb of the kings of Scotland in Holyrood Abbey.Daniel, William S. (1852), ''History of The Abbey and Palace of Holyrood'' (Edinburgh, 1852), p. 76. This strengthened the previous rumours of her familiarity with him. Rumours circulated about the motive for the murder: that Darnley was jealous, or that powerful lords sought to manipulate Darnley and remove an irritating presence at court.

Aftermath

Immediately after the murder Mary was able to speak to Lord Darnley, and may have convinced him they were both in danger and captives in the palace. The guard around her was relaxed and at midnight the next day they escaped and she rode behind

Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange (died 1571) was a Scottish courtier. He was a son of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine and Margaret Campbell. He became an equerry or master of the stable to Mary, Queen of Scots. John Knox noted that he accompanied her ...

, master of her stable, to Seton Palace and then to safety at Dunbar Castle. An English servant of Lord Darnley Anthony Standen later claimed to have accompanied the queen with

John Stewart John Stewart may refer to: Business * John Aikman Stewart (1822–1926), American banker * John Killough Stewart (1867–1938), businessman and philanthropist in Queensland, Australia * John K. Stewart (1870–1916), American entrepreneur and inve ...

of Traquair and his brother William Stewart. Mary returned to Edinburgh with her supporters, and took up lodgings on the

Royal Mile The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...

rather than return to the palace. On 21 March she had Darnley declared innocent of the murder. Robert Melville arrived in Edinburgh from London and reported back to Elizabeth and

Cecil Cecil may refer to: People with the name * Cecil (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) * Cecil (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Canada *Cecil, Alberta, ...

on the aftermath of the murder. He noted that Morton, Lord Ruthven,

Lord Lindsay Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

, William Maitland of Lethington, the

Clerk Register The office of Lord Clerk Register is the oldest surviving Great Officer of State in Scotland, with origins in the 13th century. It historically had important functions in relation to the maintenance and care of the public records of Scotland. Tod ...

James Balfour, the Lord Justice Clerk John Bellenden (whose brother was alleged to have pointed a gun at the queen), and some gentlemen of Lothian, who were all suspected of having knowledge of the plan had fled. William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and a French diplomat,

discussed the news. De Foix seems at first to have been misled about the events, thinking that Darnley had killed Rizzio because he found such a lowly servant having an adulterous relationship with Mary, an idea not present in the reports of the murder. Rizzio's brother, Joseph, arrived in Scotland with

Michel de Castelnau Michel de Castelnau, Sieur de la Mauvissière (c. 1520–1592), French soldier and diplomat, ambassador to Queen Elizabeth. His memoirs, covering the period between 1559 and 1570, are considered a more reliable source for the period than many oth ...

and was appointed secretary in David's place by 25 April 1566. Joseph and an Italian colleague, Joseph Lutyni, had some trouble over coins taken from the queen's purse, and in April 1567 he was accused and acquitted with Bothwell of Darnley's murder.

Legacy and memorial

David Rizzio's career was remembered and referred to by Henry IV of France. Mocking the pretension of

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

to be the "Scottish Solomon", he remarked that "he hoped he was not David the fiddler's son", alluding to the possibility that Rizzio, not Darnley, fathered King James. George Buchanan wrote in 1581 that David was first buried outside the door of

Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Ref ...

, and then Mary arranged for him to be buried in the tomb of her father

James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and duri ...

and Madeleine of France within. Buchanan described this circumstance as reflecting badly on the Queen. Fearing that Mary's son, James VI, would suppress his book, Buchanan's friend James Melville tried to get Buchanan to rewrite the passage while the book was at the printers. Buchanan asked his cousin, Thomas Buchanan, a schoolmaster in Stirling, if he thought the story was true, and the cousin agreed. The story was published. It is sometimes said that Rizzio was buried at the Canongate Kirk and burying ground. Holyroodhouse is within the old

Canongate The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town. It began ...

jurisdiction, and Rizzio's death was recorded in the Canongate registers. This pre-dated the building of the Canongate Kirk in 1688, and it is unlikely he could be buried there.

Representation in fiction

Rizzio was played by John Carradine in the 1936 RKO picture '' Mary of Scotland''; by Ian Holm in the 1971 movie '' Mary, Queen of Scots''; by Tadeusz Pasternak in the BBC mini-series '' Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot''; by Andrew Shaver in The CW network television show '' Reign''; and by

Ismael Cruz Córdova Ismael Enrique Cruz Córdova (born April 7, 1987) is a Puerto Rican actor who gained national attention playing Mando on ''Sesame Street''. Cruz also had a role in the Showtime original series ''Ray Donovan'', and in the third season of ''Berlin ...

in the 2018 film '' Mary Queen of Scots''. The murder of Rizzio and the subsequent downfall of Darnley form the main subject of the 1830 play ''Maria Stuart'' by Juliusz Słowacki. Rizzio's life and death are a key plot element in

Caleb Carr Caleb Carr (born August 2, 1955) is an American military historian and author. Carr is the second of three sons born to Lucien Carr and Francesca Von Hartz. He authored ''The Alienist'', ''The Angel of Darkness'', ''The Lessons of Terror'', ''K ...

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

story '' The Italian Secretary'', Holmes vocally dismissing the idea that Rizzio was ever anything more than entertainment.

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

used the death of Rizzio as a plot point in his 1908 story, “The Silver Mirror”. Rizzio's murder is also the subject of Scottish author Denise Mina's 2021 novella, "Rizzio".

The takers in hand

Thomas Randolph listed these men among the participants in Rizzio's murder: * Earl of Morton * Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven * Patrick Lindsay, 6th Lord Lindsay * William Maitland of Lethington *

Master of Ruthven Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans * Grandmaster (chess), National Maste ...

*James Ormiston, laird of Ormiston. *William Sinclair of Herdmanston, laird of "Haughton" *John Crichton, laird of

Brunstane Brunstane is a northeastern suburb of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies on the A1 and is served by Brunstane railway station on the Borders Railway. Brunstane partly consists of new housing, such as the Gilberstoun estate, and also ...

* The laird of Whittinghame * The laird of Lochleven *The laird of Elphingstone (Johnston) *Patrick Murray *Andrew Kerr of Fawdonsyde, son-in-law of

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

*William Tweedie of Drumelzier *Adam Tweedie of Dreva with the preachers;

and John Craig. On 19 March, the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

sent letters to a number of men, requiring they attend in Edinburgh to answer questions. John Carmichael of Meadowflat, later Captain of Crawford, was given a remission or pardon in 1574 for his "art and part" in the detention of Mary at Holyrood from the 9 to 11 March 1566.Gordon Donaldson, ''Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland'', 6 (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1963), p. 485 no. 2684.

References

Sources

* *''The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland'', edited by John Hill Burton, LL.D., vol.1. 1545–1569, Edinburgh, 1877, p. 437, lists all those charged with "the slauchter of David Riccio." Given the very many names shown, it presumably includes those in the wider conspiracy. *

External links

*
Manuscript of extracts of letters sent by Mary to her uncle, the Cardinal of Lorraine, with news of the murder
from the

Bibliothèque nationale de France The Bibliothèque nationale de France (, 'National Library of France'; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rizzio, David Scottish royal favourites 1530s births 1566 deaths 1566 in Scotland Nobility from Turin Italian expatriates in Scotland Italian murder victims Deaths by stabbing in Scotland Burials at the Canongate Kirkyard Burials at Holyrood Abbey Italian people murdered abroad Court of Mary, Queen of Scots 16th-century Italian nobility Assassinated Italian politicians People murdered in Scotland Politicians assassinated in the 16th century Deaths by stabbing Holyrood Palace