Hapless meaning

Henry was the most hapless of monarchs.

Some of his finest tragedies were written for her, but her repertoire was not confined to them, and many an indifferent play - like Thomas Corneille's Ariane and Comte d'Essex - owed its success to "her natural manner of acting, and her pathetic rendering of the hapless heroine."

The hapless and worthless bridegroom had already incurred the hatred of two powerful enemies, the earls of Morton and Glencairn; but the former of these took part with the queen against the forces raised by Murray, Glencairn and others, under the nominal leadership of Hamilton, duke of Chatelherault, on the double plea of danger to the new religion of the country, and of the illegal proceeding by which Darnley had been proclaimed king of Scots without the needful constitutional assent of the estates of the realm.

It chronicled the exploits of vampire Barnabas Collins, and featured assorted zombies, witches, hapless governesses, acolytes, neophytes and a dark and mysterious estate.

It was a favourite residence of Mary Stuart, and its associations with the hapless queen give it a romantic interest.