James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault
James Hamilton | |
|---|---|
The Duke of Châtellerault wearing the collar of the Order of St Michael | |
| Tenure | 1529–1575 |
| Predecessor | James, 1st Earl of Arran |
| Successor | James, 3rd Earl of Arran |
| Born | c. 1519 |
| Died | 22 January 1575 Hamilton Castle, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Douglas |
| Issue Detail | James, John, Claud, Anne & others |
| Father | James, 1st Earl of Arran |
| Mother | Janet Bethune |
James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Châtellerault, 2nd Earl of Arran (c. 1519 – 22 January 1575), was a Scottish nobleman and Regent of Scotland during the minority of Mary, Queen of Scots from 1543 to 1554. At first pro-English and Protestant, he converted to Catholicism in 1543 and supported a pro-French policy. He reluctantly agreed to Mary's marriage to Francis, eldest son of King Henry II of France, and was rewarded by Henry by being made Duke of Châtellerault in 1549. During the Scottish Reformation, he joined the Protestant Lords of the Congregation to oppose the regency of Mary of Guise.