James Hamilton - 2nd Earl of Arran (c1516 - 1575) Scottish Nobleman

2nd son on James, 1st Earl of Arran .

Through his mother, Hamilton was the great grandson of James II of Scotland and on the death of James V of Scotland he stood next in line to the throne of Scotland after the baby Mary Queen of Scots, for whom he was appointed Regent.

Initially a Protestant and a member of the pro-English party, in 1543 he was involved in negotiating the marriage of the Queen of Scots to the infant Prince Edward (the future Edward VI). But shortly after he became a Catholic and joined the pro-French faction, consenting to the marriage of the Queen to the French Dauphin, later Francis II.

In 1548 the Queen of Scots went to live in the French court and for his work on negotiating the marriage Hamilton was given the French title of Duc de Châtelherault .

In 1554 Mary of Guise, Mary Queen of Scots mother, returned to Scotland to look after her daughters interests there, Hamilton gave up the Regency on the condition that he would be next in line after Queen Mary, if she died childless. But Scottish succession had been secretly promised to France

Hamilton changed allegiance again in 1559, joining the Protestant 'Lords of the Congregation' to oppose the regency of Mary of Guise.

When Francis II died in 1560 Hamilton attempted, without success, to arrange for his son James to marry the young widowed Queen Mary.

His support swung between that of Mary or the 'Lords of the Congregation', depending on how he saw his advantage but after Mary married Lord Darnley in 1565 he withdrew to his estates in France.

In 1569 he returned to Scotland and was imprisoned until, in 1573, he agreed to recognise Mary's infant James as the future King of Scotland.