In 1542, on this day James V King of Scots died at his Inverness Palace shortly after a nervous collapse which was caused by the catastrophic defeat at the hands of the English armies of Henry IX.

Death of James V King of Scots By Ed, Jackie Speel & Scott PalterOf course the grand bargain struck by Philip II and Henry IV meant that both Tudor and Stuart Courts would make war (and peace) as their larger allies wished. But the outbreak of the latest Spanish-French Conflict strongly favoured the Tudors who were backed by the enormous profits English merchants were earning from trading with the Spanish New World.

When peace finally came, James V was reduced to a King of the Lochs, forced to establish a temporary Palace in the Highlands from where he could rule the rump Scottish state. And his nobility had fled to the Scottish Quarter of Paris.

On his deathbed, James learnt of the birth of his daughter Mary, declaring "it came wi a lass, it'll gang wi a lass" (a reference to the Stewart dynasty, and how it came to the throne through Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce). As the only surviving heir of the House of Stuart, Mary Queen of Scots was presented with a final opportunity to turn the tide. Events would show that she was more than willing to seize it with both hands. To be continued..