James Stewart (later Stuart), 2nd Lord Doune, 2nd Earl of Moray (c. 1565 – 7 February 1592) was a Scottish nobleman, the son of James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune and Margaret Campbell. He was murdered by George Gordon, Earl of Huntly as the culmination of a vendetta. Known as the Bonnie Earl for his good looks, he became the subject of a popular ballad, "The Bonnie Earl of Moray". Life James was the eldest son of James Stewart, and was a male-line descendant of Robert II of Scotland's second son, the Duke of Albany, through his son Walter Stewart (executed 1425). His father was created Lord Doune on 24 November 1581. From his distant relative King James VI, he received in the year 1580 a gift of the ward and marriage of the two daughters of the Regent Moray. In January 1581 he married Elizabeth Stewart, the elder daughter. The wedding was celebrated on 31 January in Fife with a tournament of "running at the ring" and James VI of Scotland took part. Two days after the party came to Leith, where a water pageant culminated with a theatrical assault on a Papal Castel Sant'Angelo, built on boats on the water of Leith. Some of Elizabeth's relatives thought the Lord Doune's son was not of sufficient status to marry her. He soon after assumed, jure uxoris, the title of the Earl of Moray. Stewart held the office of Collector General, receiving income from the church. Stewart aimed to make himself the most powerful lord in the north-east at the expense of his neighbour, the Earl of Huntly. On 1 August 1588 he was appointed a commissioner for executing the act against the Spanish armada, and on 5 March 1590 was commissioned to execute the acts against the Jesuits. He then foolishly entered into an alliance with his wife's famous cousin Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell, a notorious conspirator who had repeatedly made attempts on the life of King James VI. In "The Bonnie Earl of Moray" it is also claimed that Stewart "was the Queen's love", which could imply jealousy on the King's part over the affections of his Queen, Anne of Denmark; however, there is no evidence that Stewart was the Queen's lover. In late 1590 he decided, along with the Earl of Atholl, to assist the Laird of Grant when his house was being besieged by Huntly;