Stirling Castle
James V's Palace at Stirling Castle
© Virtual Scotland
Stirling Castle: James V's Palace
The above photograph shows James V's Palace at Stirling Castle. 12 days after the death of his father James V was crowned King of Scotland in the Chapel at Stirling Castle. Unfortunately he was only 17 months old and Scotland, once again, had to suffer the fate of it's magnates fighting to gain control of the royal person.
When James reached the age of 16 he had already established his authority and it had already been agreed, by the Treaty of Rouen (1517), that he would have a French bride. In 1536 James V traveled to France to claim his bride, Princess Madeleine, daughter of Francois I of France. Sadly, within six months of marriage, Madeleine died and James was, once again, in search of a bride.
James V's second bride was Mary of Guise, the daughter of the Duke of Guise-Lorraine. James V built his French queen a magnificent Palace at Stirling (shown above). The design was based upon those seen by James during his visit to France and he employed several French masons to work on the Palace. It is worth taking a close look at the Palace as it has a few examples of excellent sculpture which include carvings of James V (left), the devil, a crossbow-man and winged cherubs. Click the image to the left to view an enlargement.
It would appear that the Stewart dynasty was plagued with disaster. James V's father had been killed at Flodden when James was still a minor and James himself died, at a young age, of grief following the disastrous defeat of his army by the English at Solway Moss. So, in 1542 Scotland, once again, had a minor as a ruler, with Mary, the six day old daughter of James V.
Mary Queen of Scots was also to meet death at an early age. A proud Roman Catholic she was executed by the Protestant Queen ELizabeth I of England following a dramatic but short life.
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