19. Rumors of a Love Affair Plant the Seeds for Tragedy
David Rizzio, who was considered a good musician and a great singer, stood out and caught the attention of Queen Mary. A cosmopolitan and cultured courtier was a rare find in Scotland, so Mary wasted no time in snatching Rizzio up, and adding him to her staff as a court musician and bass in her personal choir. By 1564, Rizzio had grown rich off the queen’s patronage and had been elevated from musician to Mary’s private secretary.
As private secretary, Rizzio controlled access to Mary, making him a powerful figure in his own right. That did not sit well with the Scots, who resented a foreigner – and a Catholic foreigner at that – wielding such clout at court. Rumors soon spread that Rizzio was abusing his power for his own benefit, and that he and the queen had a love affair. Unfortunately for both Mary and Rizzio, they paid no attention to the rumors, and did little to dispel them. That indifference would come back and bite both.
