Rise of the Clans episode 3: who were Mary Queen of Scots, James Stewart, Lord Darnley and the Earl of Bothwell?

Saoirse Ronan plays Mary Queen of Scots in a new film of the same name, out in January (Photo: Universal Pictures)

But just who were the key players in this turbulent period of Scottish history?

Here are the four main figures that Neil Oliver discusses in the last part of Rise of the Clans series one, and some of the most extraordinary events surrounding them.

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary was involved in a number of conflicts - with civil war fueled by her own half-brother (Photo: Universal Pictures)

It is fair to say that Mary, the daughter of Scottish ruler James V, had an eventful, tragic and dramatic life.

She was just a week-old when her father died in 1542; was sixteen when she married the young Dauphin of France in 1558, and was still a teenager when she became a widow in 1560 - returning to Scotland the next year.

Both the religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants, and Mary's claim to the English throne through her great-uncle Henry VIII, saw her at the centre of a number of political gambits and struggles.

Over the ensuing decade, Mary married twice more, quashed rebellions, raised armies, endured turbulent relationships with her fiendish husbands which led to bloody murder, and was ultimately imprisoned and executed in England after losing support in Scotland, and fleeing south.

Mary was said to be as beautiful and charming as she was fierce and determined. A new film exploring the rivalry between her and Queen Elizabeth I of England is out in January, with 'Mary Queen of Scots' starring Irish actress Saoirse Ronan as Mary.

Who was James Stewart, Earl of Moray?

Not to be confused with Mary's son James Stuart (who would go on to become James VI of Scotland, and James I of England), James, Earl of Moray, was Mary's illegitimate half-brother.

A prominent Protestant, he served as her chief advisor despite their religious differences, and was rewarded with increased power, land and titles.

However, James ultimately betrayed Mary. First, he opposed her marriage to Lord Darnley, after which he was declared an outlaw. Later, having been previously pardoned, he raised an army against his half-sister and Queen, defeating her at the Battle of Langside in 1568.

Rise of the Clans explores how James - who had a reputation as a war-monger and firebrand throughout his adult life - wielded clan power to "first control and then rid Scotland of his sister Mary".

Who was Lord Darnley?

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was Mary's first cousin and her second husband.

She married him in 1565, despite considerable opposition from others - including her half-brother.

A tall, imposing figure (Queen Elizabeth dubbed him the "long lad"), Darnley nonetheless had a notoriously fragile ego. He was said to be arrogant, ambitious and a heavy drinker, and though Mary was reportedly passionately in love with him, their relationship rapidly turned to mutual hate.

Darnley was apparently jealous of Mary’s secretary David Riccio. Together with a number of co-conspirators, he murdered Riccio in front of Mary during a dinner at Holyrood House - when she was six months pregnant. It was rumoured by some that Riccio was the father of her child.

In 1567, Darnley died in Edinburgh in what is widely believed to be an assassination organised by Mary. There was an explosion at the house in which he was staying - but when his body was discovered in the garden, Darnley had seemingly been smothered.

Who was the Earl of Bothwell?

James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell, was a prominent Scottish noble of the time.

While she was still married to Darnley, there were rumours that Mary and Bothwell were romantically entangled. He was one of the central figures accused of having a hand in Darnley's murder.

In Spring 1567, the Earl seemingly abducted Mary while she was journeying from Stirling to Edinburgh (having seen her ten-month-old son James for the last time). He took her to Dunbar Castle. Not long after, they were married - but the union appalled many powerful figures, including a group of influential peers, known as the Lords of Congregation.

Mary was subsequently imprisoned - she would later escape - and gave birth to still-born twins. The Earl fled Scotland, but was captured off the coast of Norway, and imprisoned by the King of Denmark. He did not escape, and died in 1578, having allegedly gone insane following a decade of horrifying captivity.

Rise of the Clans episode 3 is on BBC One in Scotland on Monday 17 December at 9pm. It airs Tuesday at 9pm on BBC Four in the rest of the UK.