HOLYROOD PALACE 93 



by the murder of Rizzio. Mary had married Darnley in 1565, 

 and a son, afterwards James VI. of Scotland, was born the 

 following year. Six months later Darnley himself shared 

 Rizzio's fate. Another six months, and Mary left Holyrood 

 never to return. 



Her son James, after a troubled regency, came to the 

 Scottish throne in 1578 ; and, on the death of Elizabeth, to 

 that of England in 1603. Since then Holyrood has seldom 

 been resided in by British sovereigns. The palace was 

 neglected, its park and gardens not kept up. When James, 

 after fourteen years in England, once again visited his Scotch 

 capital a great deal of work was necessary to make Holyrood fit 

 to receive him. He stayed there a month, and when he left 

 promised to return, but he came back no more. Charles I. 

 was crowned at Holyrood in 1633, eight years after his 

 accession to the two thrones, which, if not yet legally, were 

 to all practical intents united. His second and last visit was 

 in 1 64 1, two years after the Civil War broke out. 



During the Commonwealth Cromwell's soldiers, who 

 were quartered in Holyrood after the battle of Dunbar, acci- 

 dentally it is said, burned the palace down. The Lord Pro- 

 tector rebuilt its west front, and the work was completed in 

 the year of his death. But to Charles H., with his fondness 

 for architecture, must be given the credit of having brought 

 Holyrood into its present condition. He never visited Scot- 

 land after the Restoration, though he was crowned King of 

 that part of the island two years after his father's execution. 

 But he gave orders to Sir William Bruce in 1671 to reconstruct 

 the palace. Cromwell's west front was taken down, a tower 

 corresponding to James IV. 's was erected in the south-west 

 corner ; these were connected by the present west front, and 

 a new plain but dignified building reared behind it. The old 

 Abbey Church, which joins Charles's palace at the north-east 

 corner, was repaired and re-constituted as the Chapel Royal 

 of Holyrood House, 



Twenty-three years after the brief brilliance of Charles 

 Edward's visit in 1745, one more, and the final, destruction 



