David Rizzio

Seventeenth-century portrait, traditionally said to be of David Rizzio, private secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots.[1] Contemporary accounts describe him as ugly, short and hunch-backed.[2] Royal Collection, Holyroodhouse.

David Rizzio (/ˈrɪtsioʊ/ RIT-see-oh; Italian: Davide Rizzio [ˈdaːvide ˈrittsjo]; c. 1533 – 9 March 1566)[3] or Riccio (/ˈrɪtʃioʊ/ RITCH-ee-oh, Italian: [ˈrittʃo]) 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,[4] who was hiding behind Mary. Mary was held at gunpoint and Rizzio was stabbed numerous times. His body took 57 dagger wounds.[5] The murder was the catalyst of the downfall of Darnley, and had serious consequences for Mary's subsequent reign.[6]

  1. ^ Portrait of a man known as David Rizzio, Royal Collection
  2. ^ Fraser, Antonia (1994) [1969]. Mary Queen of Scots. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. p. 236. ISBN 0-297-17773-7.
  3. ^ Henderson, Thomas Finlayson (1896). "Riccio, David" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 48. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 98–100.
  4. ^ Mary, Queen of Scots, by Antonia Fraser, 1969
  5. ^ Overview of David Rizzio
  6. ^ Michael Questier, Dynastic Politics and the British Reformations, 1558-1630 (Oxford, 2019), p. 58.