Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox

On 14 November 1583, after the death of his father, he returned from France and was taken to meet King James VI of Scotland at Kinneil House.[6] He had surrendered the Seigneurie d'Aubigny to his younger brother, Esmé.[7] Later in that month, the Earl of Arran installed him in Holyrood Palace, expelling Francis, Earl of Bothwell from his lodgings.[8]

In December the king issued instructions for Ludovic's education and placed him in the royal household under the care of Mr Gilbert Moncreiff. On 23 December 1583 he was appointed as the High and Great Chamberlain of Scotland and first Gentleman of the King's Bedchamber, as his father had been, with Alexander Erskine of Gogar, Captain of Edinburgh Castle as his deputy. The role included taking oaths of fidelity to the King from the other officers, ushers, and varlets of the Bedchamber and Wardrobe.[9]

On 4 October 1590 he played cards with the king for the stake of a new "black castor hat lined with velvet".[10] James however became angry with Lennox because he wished to marry Lilias (or Sophie) Ruthven, a daughter of William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie. James wanted him to marry a daughter of the Earl of Morton or Arbella Stewart and had Lilias Ruthven shut up in Wemyss Castle.[11] Despite this, Lennox rescued his bride from the castle and married her the next day. After 10 days the king's rage subsided and the couple were allowed to come to court.[12] After the death of Lilias Ruthven in May 1592, the English diplomat Robert Bowes heard that the king often received Lennox in his bed when he was away from the court and his queen Anne of Denmark.[13]

Robert Bowes, the English diplomat in Edinburgh, described a fight on Edinburgh's Royal Mile between Lennox and John Wemyss of Logie. Logie had upset or made Lennox jealous in an incident in the king's bed chamber. Bowes said the offence was Logie's "disobedience" to the Duke. Lennox confronted Logie on the street on 7 January 1591 and hit him on the head with his sword. King James, who was walking behind Logie, was dragged into a shop for safety.[14] Lennox was commanded to leave the court for a while, for fighting near the king's person.[15] Some further details were recorded by David Calderwood. In his version Logie's offence was to refuse to leave the bedchamber at Lennox's command, Alexander Lord Home helped Lennox attack Logie, and the king's refuge was a skinner's shop where he 'fylled his breeches for feare'.[16] Soon after, Lennox was returned to court by the queen's intercession.[17]

In 1591 he was appointed to the post of Lord High Admiral of Scotland following the disgrace of Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell. On 18 October he was playing golf on the sands of Leith with the Earl of Huntly and they attempted to arrest Bothwell, who escaped, but Bothwell's horse "Valentine" was captured with Robert Scott brother of the Laird of Balwearie. Lennox arrested Michael Balfour of Burleigh and John Wemyss of Logie on 8 August 1592 on suspicion of conspiracy with Bothwell. They were interrogated at Dalkeith Palace. Burleigh was released and Logie escaped with the help of his Danish girlfriend Margaret Winstar.[18]

On 13 February 1593 Lennox decided to play golf with Sir James Sandilands at Leith. On their way they met John Graham, a Lord of Session, who thought Sandilands was attacking him. They had a feud over land ownership. The two groups of attendants fired on each other with pistols and John Graham and Sir Alexander Stewart, a companion of the duke, were killed.[19]

On 6 May 1593 the Duke and 15 friends subscribed to a frivolous legal document swearing to abstain from wearing gold and silver trimmings on their clothes for a year, and the defaulters were to pay for a banquet for all at John Kinloch's house. This "passement bond" was in part inspired by cheap counterfeit gold and silver thread used in "passements great or small, plain or à jour, bissets, lilykins, cordons, and fringes" which quickly discoloured. The signatories included Lord Home, the Earl of Mar, Lord Spynie, the Master of Glamis, Sir Thomas Erskine, Walter Stewart of Blantyre, Sir George Home, David Seton of Parbroath, and Sir William Keith of Delny.[20]

As Great Admiral of Scotland, on 12 October 1593 Lennox gave Daniel Leyne a warrant to seize a ship captained by James Keeler of London, which was loading salt at Prestonpans. The ship was taken in recompense for the Bruce of Leith of George Bruce of Carnock, captured by English privateers off the coast of Spain.[21] Soon after, as Lennox was now out of favour with James VI, he went to St Andrews in October 1593 and considered returning to France.[22]

As the baptism of Prince Henry drew near, John Colville reported a rumour at the Scottish court that James VI had conceived jealousy against Anne of Denmark, and even thought that Lennox might be the father of Prince Henry.[23] This disagreement was probably part of a wider factional struggle. Lennox remained in the king's favour, and at the tournament at Prince Henry's baptism in August 1594 Lennox rode in a Turkish costume.[24]

Lennox was made the King's Lieutenant of the North, and took a force to the north of Scotland against the Earls of Huntly and Erroll. The castles of Ruthven in Badenoch and Inverness surrendered to him, and he held justice courts in Elgin. The wages of his soldiers were paid from money given by Queen Elizabeth to James VI.[25] He ordered his sister the Countess of Huntly and the Countess of Erroll to go the court of James VI.[26] On 8 February 1595 he came to Aberdeen, and was made a burgess of the town at the Mercat Cross.[27] Several members of his retinue were also made burgesses, including Sir Robert Melville of Murdocairny and David Moysie secretary-depute to the king.[28] When his horse was sick, Lennox wrote to the Laird of Kilravock to borrow his "black hackney nag".[29]

As a New Year's day gift in 1596 James VI give him a jewel with a crown set with diamonds worth 90 crowns.[30] In March 1597 James VI allowed Adam Bruntfield and James Carmichael, son of Sir John Carmichael, to fight in single combat on Cramond Island, or the nearby Links of Barnbougle,[31] because Bruntfield accused Carmichael of killing his brother, Stephen Bruntfield, Captain of Tantallon, in treasonous circumstances. Lennox went to the island to be the judge of their fight with the Laird of Buccleuch and Sir James Sandilands. They wore lightweight clothes of satin and taffeta, one in blue, and one in red. Bruntfield killed Carmichael. There were said to be 5,000 spectators.[32]

Lennox hosted a banquet for the Duke of Holstein, brother of Anna of Denmark, on 25 May 1598.[33] Lennox joined with the "Gentleman Adventurers of Fife" in a controversial project to resettle the Isle of Lewis. The king gave him the title Lieutenant within the bounds of Lewis, Ronalewis, and Trouternes.[34] Lennox intended to go to Lewis in October 1598, and in December he was at the Bog o'Gight with the Earl of Huntly and planning to go to Lewis when the other adventurers or Lewisers arrived there.[35]

Following his accession to the English throne in 1603, King James (now also known as James I of England) created him Lord Settrington and Earl of Richmond (1613), and Earl of Newcastle and Duke of Richmond (1623), all these titles being in the Peerage of England.[36]

King James was displeased with Lennox in June 1603 over the management of Anne of Denmark's business. He felt that Lennox should have persuaded her not to appoint one Kennedy as her chamberlain, when he preferred George Carew. The King objected to some of her other appointments and sent Lennox back to Scotland, where she remained, to amend matters.[37][38] Lennox travelled with her to England. Her large crowd of followers was disorderly, and Lennox, with the Earls of Shrewsbury and Cumberland made a proclamation at Worksop Manor on 19 June that her followers should put aside any private quarrels, and hangers-on without formal roles should leave.[39]

In November 1603 the Spanish ambassador, the Count of Villamediana, invited the Duke of Lennox and the Earl of Mar to dinner, and according to Arbella Stuart asked them "to bring the Scottish ladies for he was desirous to see some natural beauties." These included Jean Drummond and Anna Hay, with Elizabeth Carey.[40] On 1 January 1604 Lennox organised and performed at Hampton Court in The Masque of Indian and China Knights.[41]

Lennox was a conduit for patronage and court appointments, and those hoping to place their allies at court would solicit his favour. However, Lennox claimed that placing more Scottish people in the king's household had become difficult. He wrote to Sir William Livingstone of Kilsyth who had asked for a place for a Napier of Merchiston Castle;

"although the King has this long time promised Merchiston ever the next vacant place, yet many has been placed over him and in this has found great impediments; for believe that a stranger shall find great difficulty to obtain any such place so long as there is any English man that does aim at it; for it is thought by them all that there is already too many Scots here in such places."[42]

He went as ambassador to Paris in January 1605. His cousin, the Marquise de Verneuil, was under house arrest, and was moved to different lodging far from the Duke's apartments.[43] In July 1606 Lennox was sent to Gravesend to welcome Christian IV of Denmark-Norway, the younger brother of the queen Anne of Denmark, to England. His companions included Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun.[44] In August 1605 he joined the King and Queen at Drayton House in Northamptonshire.[45]

In 1605 King James granted Lennox a patent for the "New Draperies" which had been resigned by Sir George Delves and William Fitzwilliam. He was much better placed than these men to exploit the grant and litigate with provincial traders and craftsmen. He employed the London lawyers Anthony Gibson and Richard Hadsor to uphold the rights of his agents in Norwich, who searched and checked textiles sent to London. In 1614 he extended his efforts to claim dues from stockings made in Richmond, Yorkshire. Several Members of Parliament protested against his exactions.[46]

Lennox was in Scotland as High Commissioner of the Parliament from July 1607. His account of household expenses details his movements and the food he and his retainers consumed. He stayed at first at Holyrood Palace and his servant Walter Murray nailed his tapestries to the walls of his lodging. He also stayed in John Kinloch's house in Edinburgh. He spent time with Mary Ruthven, Countess of Atholl, a sister of his first wife, and gave her money. He visited St Andrews and was in Stirling with his daughter Elizabeth in November. His master cook William Murkie had worked for Anne of Denmark.[47]

Lennox made a brief visit to Scotland in August 1616. He was escorting the Marquis of Huntly home.[48]

On 9 February 1608 he performed in the masque The Hue and Cry After Cupid at Whitehall Palace as a sign of the zodiac, to celebrate the wedding of John Ramsay, Viscount Haddington to Elizabeth Radclyffe.[49]

Lennox acquired the royal patent to mint copper farthings in 1614, which he held until his death in 1624.

As part of the Plantation of Ulster, in 1608 Lennox was granted lands at Portlough in the Barony of Raphoe in County Donegal. The Pynnar Survey of 1618 records Lennox as the chief undertaker for 2,000 acres in the Portlough area and as represented locally by his agent Sir Aulant Aula. Newtownstewart in County Tyrone, now in Northern Ireland, may have been named after him. In the Muster Rolls of 1631, his nephew and eventual heir James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond, 4th Duke of Lennox is described as being an undertaker of 4,000 acres. Mongavlin Castle was built by his son Sir John Stewart, who was also Governor of Dumbarton Castle.

Ludovic was involved in the colonization of Maine in New England, through his seat on the Plymouth Company. Richmond Island and Cape Richmond, as well as Richmond, Maine (formerly Fort Richmond), are named after him.

On 16 October 1612 Lennox was involved in welcoming the Palsgrave, Frederick V of the Palatinate, the husband-to-be of Princess Elizabeth. Lennox and ten other noblemen met him at Gravesend and brought him to London in a convoy of barges. They were met by the Duke of York on the Thames near the Tower of London. They alighted at Whitehall Palace and brought the Palsgrave into the royal presence in the Banqueting Hall.[50]

In March 1614 thieves broke into his lodgings at Whitehall Palace and stole a gold collar set with pearls and diamonds worth £300, a silver warming pan, a silver inkstand, and some linen.[51] A bed in his lodgings at the gatehouse of Whitehall Palace had belonged to "Lady Lennox", Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, who had "worked" or embroidered the curtains.[52] In 1620 he wrote to Sir Robert Gordon in Paris asking him to buy a dozen masks and a dozen gloves for gentlewomen, engaging the help of Madame de Gie and the Marquise de Vermont if possible.[53]