he arrived in Scotland in November 1561, Mary showed him her favour by letting him ride a horse that was a present from her half-brother Lord Robert Stewart. He gave her a book of his own poems. On 14 February 1563, St Valentine's day, Chastelard was discovered in the Queen's chamber under her Great Bed at Rossend Castle at Burntisland. Mary ordered her half brother the Earl of Moray to execute him on the spot. But instead the unfortunate poet was taken to St Andrews. Randolph wrote that Chastelard had made a similar attempt at Holyroodhouse. In his defence, Chastelard claimed he had been caught in the Queen's privy but witnesses insisted he was under the bed. He was beheaded a week later at the Market Cross of St Andrews on market day. Mary was consoled by the company of Mary Fleming. Notes References External links Chastelard, a tragedy by Algernon Charles Swinburne at Project Gutenberg Brantome's account of Chastelard is quoted with an example of his verse in; Laboureur, Jean de, ed., Les memoires de Messire Michel de Castelnau, seigneur de Mauvissiere, vol.1 (1731), pp. 547–550 1540 births 1563 deaths French poets Court of Mary, Queen of Scots British and English royal favourites People executed by Stuart Scotland Executed French people People executed by the Kingdom of Scotland by decapitation French male poets