James IV of Scotland

James IV was King of Scotland 1488-1513.

Born on March 17, 1473, he was the son of King James III of Scotland. When his father was murdered on June 11, 1488, the fifteen-year-old James took the throne, and soon proved an effective ruler. Having fought off the aggression of King Henry VII of England, he recognised that he could not hope to gain the upper hand, and attempted to maintain peace with his neighbour by marrying Henry's daughter, Margaret Tudor, on August 8, 1503, at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh. The couple's first three children all died in infancy.

When war broke out between England and France, James was placed in a difficult position. The new king of England, Henry VIII, attempted to invade France in 1513, and James responded by declaring war on England. Seeking to take advantage of Henry's absence, he led an invading army southwards, only to be killed, with many of his nobles, at the Battle of Flodden Field on September 9. A body alleged to be his was recovered from the battlefield and taken to London for burial. However, rumours persisted that he had survived and had gone into exile.