| Francis Stewart Hepburn, 1st Earl Of Bothwell |
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Francis Stewart Hepburn, '''5th Earl of Bothwell''' ( 1563 - 1612 ) was a nephew of James Hepburn , the fourth Earl of Bothwell, and a grandson of James V Of Scotland . He became the earl in 1587 . A cousin of James VI Of Scotland And I Of England , it was alleged that they had a homosexual relationship with one another. At one stage he was Lord High Admiral Of Scotland , but the king grew to distrust Hepburn, seeing him as a potential rival (he was next in line for the throne after James). Hepburn felt that the beheading of Mary Queen Of Scots should result in an invasion of England , a course of action his cousin, the king disagreed with. He was imprisoned for his activities in trying to advance such a course of action. He was accused of witchcraft and jailed for the crime in 1591 . He was stripped of his land and titles for this crime. He attempted to capture Holyrood Palace in 1593 and took the king captive, making him promise to offer a pardon. However, once pardoned Hepburn reverted to acting in the manner in which he previously had and in 1595 he had to flee Scotland and seek refuge in France . Hepburn died in 1612 , in exile in Naples , Italy . |
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