King james v of scotland headstone

He became King in at 17 months old on the death of his father in battle against the English at the Battle of Flodden , one of the greatest defeats ever to be suffered by the Scots.

James king find a grave

Scotland was ruled by regents for the next 15 years. It seemed the inescapable fate of the Scottish nation to suffer long minority governments. James avaricious mother, Queen Margaret Tudor, who was the sister of the formidable Henry VIII of England, was appointed tutrix or governor of the young king following the terms of her late husband's will.

She naturally favoured an alliance with the English, which did little to improve her popularity in Scotland. The Queen bore the posthumous son of James IV, christened Alexander, although unfortunately, the child did not survive long. The marriage did not increase her standing with the power-hungry Scottish nobility. The couple produced one child, Lady Margaret Douglas , who was married to Matthew Stewart, Earl of Lennox, she was to become the mother of Lord Darnley, who entered into what was to prove a disastrous marriage to his first cousin, James daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots.

The minority of James V witnessed the now familiar and weary pattern in Scotland of a developing power struggle amongst the nobles. There were both pro-English and pro-French factions. At the request of those who favoured an alliance with Scotland's traditional ally, John Stuart, Duke of Albany, his nearest male relative, was recalled from France in to rule as regent.