Son of William, 3rd Duke of Hamilton

He served at the courts of Charles II and James II and remained, after his grudging acceptance of William III, a sympathizer with the Jacobites. He became duke of Hamilton in 1698 and, although he had opposed the union of Scotland with England, entered the united Parliament as a representative Scottish peer in 1708. 

Coming into favor with the Tory regime after 1710, he was made privy councilor (1710), duke of Brandon (1711), and ambassador to Paris (1712). He was killed in a duel by Lord Mohun before he could go to France. Suspicion of foul play caused the Tories to accuse the Whigs of murdering him, alleging that the Whigs feared he was about to engineer a Jacobite restoration from France. The duel is described in Thackeray's Henry Esmond.

 He was married to Elizabeth GERARD on 17 Jul 1698.

Children: Anne DOUGLAS-HAMILTON married to Arthur CHICHESTER 1st Marquess of Donegall

• Married: BEF. 5 JAN 1686/87

• Married: 17 JUL 1698

1. James (5th Duke of Hamilton) Douglas-Hamilton b: 5 JAN 1701/02
2. William (MP) Douglas-Hamilton
3. Anne Lord Douglas-Hamilton b: 12 OCT 1709 = (unm) Mary Edwardes
4. Elizabeth Douglas-Hamilton
5. Catherine Douglas-Hamilton
6. Charlotte Douglas-Hamilton
7. Susan (of Hamilton) Douglas-Hamilton = Anthony Tracy-Keck