Elizabeth Stuart, 2nd Countess of Moray ''

suo jure ''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...

'' (1565 – 18 November 1591), was a Scottish noblewoman and cousin of

King James VI 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 ...

Life

The Countess of Moray was the eldest daughter of

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. At times a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scotl ...

, the illegitimate son of King James V and Regent of Scotland, and Lady Agnes Keith. She was born at

St Andrews St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourth-largest settleme ...

while her father was in exile in England following the

Chaseabout Raid The Chaseabout Raid was a rebellion by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, against his half sister, Mary, Queen of Scots, on 26 August 1565, over her marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. The rebels also claimed to be acting over other causes i ...

, a rebellion against

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

. After her father was assassinated, her mother married

Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll (c. 1542– October 1584) was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was appointed to the Lord Chancellorship of Scotland. Biography He was the eldest son of Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll and his seco ...

. On 23 January 1581 she married

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

, son of

James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune (1529–1590) was a Scottish landowner. Career James Stewart was the son of Sir James Stewart of Beith (d. 1547), Constable of Doune Castle, who was the third son of Andrew Stewart, 1st Lord Avondale, and Margaret ...

. The match may have been intended to build stronger relations between the Earl of Argyll and Doune. The wedding was celebrated on 31 January in Fife with a tournament of "

running at the ring Running at the ring, riding at the ring or tilting at the ring is an equestrian tournament activity originally practiced at European royal courts and likely derived from other lance games like Quintain (jousting), quintain. It gained new popularity ...

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 ...

took part. The King's masque costume was made of white satin dressed with silken ribbons. Two days later, the party came to

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...

, where a water pageant culminated in an assault on a pasteboard Papal

Castel Sant'Angelo Castel Sant'Angelo ( ), also known as Mausoleum of Hadrian (), is a towering rotunda (cylindrical building) in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. ...

, built on boats on the

Water of Leith The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing through central Edinburgh, Scotland, that starts in the Pentlands Hills and flows into the port of Leith and then into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Name The ...

. Some of her father's friends and relatives thought that Lord Doune's son was not of sufficient status to marry her. She died in childbirth in November 1591.

Family

Her children included: * Grizel Stewart, who married Robert Innes, 1st Baronet Innes (died 1655) * Margaret Stewart (1591 – 4 August 1639), who married **first (as his second wife),

Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

; and **second, William Monson, Viscount Monson * James Stewart, 3rd Earl of Moray (before 1591 – 6 August 1638), who married Lady Anne Gordon (died 1640). Their children included James Stewart, 4th Earl of Moray * Elizabeth Stewart, married John Abernethy, 8th Lord Abernethy of Saltoun, son of

Alexander Abernethy, 6th Lord Saltoun Alexander Abernethy, 6th Lord Saltoun (died 1587) was a Scottish landowner and courtier. He was the son of William Abernethy, 5th Lord Saltoun (d. 1543), and Elizabeth Hay daughter of John Hay, 2nd Lord Hay of Yester (d. 1513). The Abernethy esta ...

* Francis Stewart,

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

, who was involved in the

Anne Gunter Anne Gunter (c.1584 – 16??) was an English woman who was thought to be possessed by a demon after she reputedly brought forth pins from several orifices. The accusations attracted the brief attention of James I of England. The case was champione ...

witchcraft case.

Material culture

An inventory of a selection of the best of the goods belonging to Elizabeth Stuart made after her death includes some of her jewellery and clothing, and the furnishings of

Darnaway Castle Darnaway Castle, also known as Tarnaway Castle, is located in Darnaway Forest, southwest of Forres in Moray, Scotland. This was Comyn land, given to Thomas Randolph along with the Earldom of Moray by King Robert I. The castle has remained t ...

. Her jewels included; a pair of "garnishings" of gold with red enamel (worn as a headdress), weighing five ounces and valued at £200 Scots; a gold necklace enamelled black and white; a gold chain; three dozen pairs of gold horns (a kind of

aglet An aglet ( ) or aiglet is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, attached at each end of a shoelace, a cord, or a drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it eas ...

aiguillette An aiguillette (, from '' aiguille'', "needle"), also spelled , or , is a cord with metal tips or lace tags, or the decorative tip itself. Functional or purely decorative fasteners of silk cord with metal tips were popular in the 16th and e ...

) enamelled white; a "hinger" or bodkin for her hair set with a diamond and seven emeralds, worth £100 Scots; bracelets, enamelled black and white; a "carcat" (a collar) set with emeralds and pearls; and a "tablet" (locket) set with five diamonds and five emeralds with a chain of gold. Garnishings for a headdress, known as biliments in England, were sometimes given as wedding presents by James VI. The countess's clothes included; a night gown of black velvet with gold

passementerie Passementerie (, ) or passementarie is the art of making elaborate trimmings or edgings (in French, ) of applied braid, gold or silver cord, embroidery, colored silk, or beads for clothing or furnishings. Styles of passementerie include the tass ...

, worth £400 Scots; a skirt and

doublet Doublet is a word derived from the Latin ''duplus'', "twofold, twice as much",