He was a son of
William Douglas of Whittinghame and Elizabeth Lauder. He wrote letters to his uncle,
Mr Archibald Douglas, a diplomat and intriguer who was often in London, with news from Scotland. Some sources state that Richard was the brother of Mr Archibald Douglas, but in his letters to Archibald he calls himself "nephew". In his letters to Archibald Douglas, Richard Douglas disguised some personal names with code-names chosen from classical authors. His sister Elizabeth Douglas is thought to have been the author "E. D." who composed two sonnets addressed to the poet and secretary of
Anne of Denmark,
William Fowler. Fowler wrote an epitaph in 1594 for Elizabeth Douglas, who was the wife of an East Lothian laird and diplomat,
Samuel Cockburn of Templehall. It has also been suggested that "E. D" was
Elizabeth Douglas, Countess of Erroll. Richard Douglas had been a pledge with
Francis Walsingham in London. He wrote to Walsingham in April 1584 asking him for help to redress the losses he and his brother-in-law Samuel Cockburn of Temple Hall had suffered at sea when English pirates took their chests and coffers. They had been in London attached to the embassy of
Colonel Willam Stewart. They were reviving their claim because they heard the pirate had been captured, and sent Cockburn's servant John Douglas to Walsingham. In March 1587 he wrote to his uncle Archibald Douglas describing a meeting with the Secretary,
John Maitland of Thirlestane. He had conveyed Archibald's messages according to instructions. In the same month he wrote to his brother,
William Douglas of Whittinghame from
Whittingehame Tower mentioning a lawsuit. In August 1587 he came to King James at
Inchmurrin and went on with him to Dumbarton and Hamilton, where he discussed Archibald Douglas' letters with the King and Justice Clerk,
Lewis Bellenden. He heard news of the recent Scottish diplomatic mission to Denmark.
Frederick II had promised his eldest daughter
Elisabeth in marriage to another, but would be happy for James VI to marry
Anne of Denmark, and might even renegotiate so James VI could marry Elizabeth. There would be a convention of the nobility at
Falkland Palace in September to discuss the royal marriage. He saw the departure of the French diplomat and poet
Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas. The poet left from
Dumbarton Castle for
La Rochelle laden with presents. James VI hired one of the best ships in Scotland for him, knighted him, and gave him a gold chain, and 2000
gold crowns, and to all his companions money and "a tablett of gold, having in itt his Majesties pourtraict", besides several hackney horses and other presents from the nobility and courtiers. In January 1589 he wrote to Archibald that the Laird of Wemyss,
James Colville of East Wemyss, would be coming to London on the king's business. There would be a tax of £100,000
Scots for the marriage of
James VI of Scotland, although it had not been decided if he would marry
Anne of Denmark or
Catherine de Bourbon sister of
Henry IV of France. His mother, Elizabeth Lauder, Lady Whittingehame, sent Archibald a gift of Westland,
Loch Fyne, herrings, and would like him to send two crates of glass and lead for windows. In January 1589 he came to London with messages for Queen Elizabeth from the
Earl of Bothwell. Mr Archibald Douglas wrote to
Francis Walsingham that Richard Douglas was unwell, and also he wanted Walsingham's advice before Richard went to court to have an audience, because the matters to be discussed were very important. A letter to one of his brothers of March 1589 mentions that the king had been hunting at Biel near
Dunbar. He wrote to Archibald in August 1589 that the king appreciated a gift of dogs sent by
Lord Warwick but would prefer a couple of faster hounds. In March 1590 he attended a banquet for the christening of Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of the
Earl of Bothwell. He sent Cecil news of disagreements among the Scottish nobles in Denmark, and that James VI had borrowed 10,000 dalers from his mother-in-law,
Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Sophie's loan or gift was recorded in an account made by
John Maitland of Thirlestane. Richard Douglas enterprised with John Lowe to build a ship in Norway, which required special licences and was completed in 1592. The English diplomat
George Nicholson and the courtier
Roger Aston noted he was at
Falkland Palace in September 1595, speaking in favour of the
Earl of Angus, and for the return of his uncle Mr Archibald Douglas from London. ==Family==