To win her hand he had to enter into complicated intrigues against her guardian, the Earl of Arran, who designed to marry her to his son, Lord John Hamilton.
In 1559 the master was committed by the queen regent to the castle of Edinburgh for declaring that he would to the uttermost of his power 'assist the preachers and the congregation' (Knox, i.
Henceforth his attitude towards the reformed party was uncertain; for while he continued nominally a Protestant, his political sympathies, like those of Secretary Maitland, were with the queen.
Still the master did not break with James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray even when he rose in rebellion at the time of the Darnley marriage in 1565, and endeavoured to prevent the queen going to extremities against him.
When Moray retreated westwards from Edinburgh, the master had an interview with him at Hamilton, after which he endeavoured without success to mediate an arrangement with the queen.
The queen on Moray's retirement committed to the master the charge of guarding the borders, and returned to Edinburgh (Herries, Memoirs, p. 72).
On the queen's escape from Holyrood Palace, after the murder of David Rizzio, the master joined her with a strong force at Dunbar, and henceforth may be reckoned one of her staunchest supporters.
Although not present at Carberry, he subscribed the band at Dumbarton on her behalf; and such was the faith in his honesty and ability that the queen's lords entrusted to him the management of her cause, and advised Francis Throckmorton that communications from Elizabeth I in reference to means of aiding her should be sent to him.
[12] Throckmorton informed William Cecil that Herries was "the cunning horse-leech and the wisest of the whole faction; but, as the Queen of Scots says of him, there is nobody can be sure of him".
On 14 October 1567 he came to Edinburgh and gave in his acknowledgment of the regent's authority, but, as would appear from the letter of the Bishop of St Andrews to him, the submission was merely nominal.
[15] Notwithstanding these specious professions he subscribed the band for the queen's deliverance from Lochleven, joined her standard immediately after her escape, and fought for her at Langside on 13 May 1568, where he had the command of the horse.
When flight to Dumbarton was impossible, she sought refuge in his territories; but, probably in doubt also as to the strength of his loyalty, she finally decided, in opposition to his strong persuasions, to seek personally the assistance of Elizabeth.
He told Sir Francis Knollys that he "misliked not" that Mary "should be bridled in her regiment by assistance of the noblemen of her realm in consideration of her rashness and foul marriage with the Earl of Bothwell",[21] and Henry Middlemore was under the impression that Herries desired that the "regent with the noblemen should still bear rule, but under the direction of the Queen of England".
[22] At a meeting of the estates on 19 August 1568 Herries was formally forfeited, but proceedings against him were suspended pending the result of the proposed conference in England.
[23] Herries was chosen by Mary one of her commissioners to the conferences in England, sharing the chief responsibility with the Bishop of Ross.
After Moray's return to Scotland in the spring of 1569, Herries joined the Hamiltons in an attempted revolt; and on coming to Edinburgh to arrange terms for an agreement he was on 16 April warded in the castle,[24] on the ground that he had advised the Duke of Chatelherault not to take the oath to the regent.
Shortly after obtaining his liberty, Herries joined the queen's lords at Linlithgow, when it was determined to assemble at Edinburgh on 8 April.
They so far carried out their purpose; but further serious results were frustrated by James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, on whose advice (April 25, Cal.
At Morton's request the lands of Lord Maxwell were spared, but those of Herries and the Johnstones were devastated (Scrope, 9 May, ib.
entry 1934); and when finally he became convinced that Elizabeth would not interfere, he saw that Mary's cause was hopeless, and some time before the capture of the castle came to terms with the regent.
[28] On 21 January 1578–9 he presented a discourse to the king on the management of the west borders, and shortly afterwards he was appointed to succeed his nephew, Lord Maxwell, as warden.
[30] On the execution of Morton in 1581, Herries, true to his Marian sympathies, became one of the most strenuous supporters of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox.