Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of March

Robert Stewart, 6th Earl of Lennox then 1st Earl of March (born circa 1522, died 29 March 1586) was a Scottish nobleman of the family of Stewart of Darnley.

He was the second son of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, and younger brother of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. He also bore the ecclesiastical titles of Bishop of Caithness, his grant confirmed by Pope Paul III in January 1542, an office previously held by his maternal uncle Andrew Stewart, and Commendator of St Andrews Cathedral Priory.

When Matthew, 4th Earl of Lennox, died in 1571, his heir was his grandson King James VI, as his eldest son Lord Darnley had died in 1567, so the title merged in the Crown. It was recreated for Matthew's second son Charles, (Darnley's younger brother), 5th Earl of Lennox, but he died without male issue in 1576. Robert Stewart was next in line, and was created 6th Earl of Lennox and Lord Darnley on 16 June 1578.

In 1580 Robert resigned his Earldom of Lennox and Lordship of Darnley; they were recreated the following year for his nephew Esmé Stewart, son of John Stewart, seigneur d'Aubigny, third son of the third Earl of Lennox. On 5 March 1580 he was created Earl of March and Lord of Dunbar and held these titles until his death.

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