Robert Douglas, 1st Viscount Belhaven PC (1573 – 14 January 1639), was a Scottish

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...

Family background

The second son of Malcolm Douglas of Mains (executed 1584), by Janet Cunningham, daughter of John Cunningham, of Drumquhassil.

Career

His older brother fought a duel with the brother of Oliver Leigh of Addington, who was avener of the royal stables, and was killed. Robert Douglas was given his brother's place at court, and became

Master of the Horse Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today. (ancient Rome) The original Master of the Horse () in the Roman Rep ...

to Prince Henry, a

Gentleman of the Bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the Royal Household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Households of the United Kingdo ...

James VI and I 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 King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 M ...

and

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

and

Master of the Household The Master of the Household is the operational head (see Chief operating officer) of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. The role has charge of the domestic staff, from the Royal Kitchens, the pages and footm ...

to Charles I. Douglas was sent with to France with a gift of horses in July 1607. He was

knighted 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 ...

on 7 February 1609, and took a letter to Prince Henry's friend, John Harington, who was in Italy. He led the horse of state at Prince Henry's funeral in December 1612. In July 1616 he went to France with Lord Hay. He was sworn of the

Scottish Privy Council The Privy Council of Scotland ( — 1 May 1708) was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. During its existence, the Privy Council of Scotland was essentially considered as the government of the Kingdom of Scotland, and was seen as the most ...

. In 1633, on the coronation of Charles I, he was raised to the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland (; ) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union 1707, Treaty of Union, the Kingdom of Scots and the ...

as Viscount of Belhaven, in the County of Haddington.

Family

Lord Belhaven married Nicola Moray, daughter of Robert Murray of

Abercairny Abercairny is an estate in the Scottish region of Perth and Kinross. It had the distinction of a short visit by Queen Victoria on 12 September 1842, when she wished to see the mansion house, then under construction. The estate, owned by the Murr ...

, in June 1610. She died in childbed in November 1611. Belhaven had two children by his mistress, Elizabeth Whalley the sister of

Edward Whalley Edward Whalley (c. 1607 – c. 1675) was an English military leader during the English Civil War and was one of the regicides who signed the death warrant of King Charles I of England. Early career The exact dates of his birth and death are u ...

, who was subsequently to be a

regicide Regicide is the purposeful killing of a monarch or sovereign of a polity and is often associated with the usurpation of power. A regicide can also be the person responsible for the killing. The word comes from the Latin roots of ''regis'' ...

. They were both legitimised by Act of Parliament when he became a viscount at Charles I's coronation in 1633. His son John is assumed to have predeceased him, but his daughter Susanna Douglas married her cousin, Robert Douglas of Blackerston. On his death, his estate including the Gorbals Mansion House passed to his nephew and son-in-law. Lord Belhaven died at

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

in January 1639 and was buried in

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 List of British royal residences, royal r ...

in Edinburgh where his monument remains today.University of Strathyclyde Electronic Library
Accessed on 4 August 2010 As he had no sons the viscountcy died with him.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belhaven, Robert Douglas, 1st Viscount Of 1573 births 1639 deaths Viscounts in the Peerage of Scotland Members of the Privy Council of Scotland Court of James VI and I Burials at Holyrood Abbey 17th-century Scottish people Place of birth missing Scottish courtiers Peers of Scotland created by Charles I