Charles Stuart, 5th Earl of Lennox (April or May 1557[1] – April 1576), was the fourth son of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox and Lady Margaret Douglas, daughter of Margaret Tudor and granddaughter of King Henry VII of England.
The 4th Earl of Lennox until his death in 1571 was regent for his young grandson, King James VI of Scotland.
Charles's elder brother and James's father was Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley who had died in 1567.
As a result, the Earldom of Lennox on the death of the 4th Earl was inherited by James VI and the title merged with the Crown.
After the death of the 5th Earl, King James, who was still a minor, acquired the earldom despite the intervention of Queen Elizabeth I of England on her behalf.