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Historical person
Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, was a French-born cousin and favourite of the young James VI of Scotland. His rapid rise at court, Catholic background and influence over the king alarmed Protestant nobles.
Opposition culminated in the Ruthven Raid of 1582, after which Lennox was forced to leave Scotland. His career demonstrates the volatility of faction, religion and personal favour in the king’s minority government.
Nigel Tranter’s Lord and Master presents Esmé Stewart as the polished French cousin whose arrival at the young James VI’s court rapidly changes the balance of Scottish politics. His closeness to the king, elevation as Duke of Lennox and Catholic associations alarm established nobles and Protestant ministers, making him both a personal favourite and the focus of the factional struggle over who will control James and the direction of his government.
Series
The Master of Gray Trilogy follows Patrick Gray, one of the most gifted and dangerous political operators of the later sixteenth century, and the daughter who inherits both his intelligence and his capacity for intrigue. Moving between the courts of Scotland and England, Patrick becomes involved in schemes…
All books in this series
