Scotland: Phoenix, Maturation, Transitions

This chapter explores Lennox’s time from his arrival in Scotland as a 9-year-old boy from France in November 1583 until the departure for England in 1603. Having been invited to Scotland by his cousin King James VI, Lennox quickly developed skills that would enable him to serve the king, which he did faithfully. He overcame initial unfamiliarity with Scotland’s culture and politics. When James went to Denmark to marry Princess Anne in 1589, he put the 15-year-old Lennox in charge of the government, a task which he handled well, as he did many other offices. This chapter discusses Lennox’s two marriages, his siblings, who also arrived from France, and his relationships with the royal family. The king invited Lennox to go with him to England after Queen Elizabeth’s death.