ABSTRACT
Once more a dead king of Scotland was succeeded by an heir in childhood, this time in infancy, for James V was but seventeen months old. His mother Margaret was made guardian and the baby was crowned at Stirling Castle. Among the council of advisers that governed in his name were the old earl of Angus (‘Bell-the-Cat’), who was to die at about Christmas in 1513, James Hamilton, first earl of Arran and a grandson of James II, Alexander, third Lord Home and James Beaton, archbishop of Glasgow. The council was by no means united about which direction Scotland should be taking. Some were pro-French, others favoured closer links with England. As the reign proceeded the alignments hardened into political groups which were quite prepared to resort to violence to assert their policies, and this was to get worse from about 1525 onwards when religious argument became a new and very emotional dimension in Scottish politics. Queen Margaret was English and attracted support from the proEnglish faction, which included the new earl of Angus (‘Bell-theCat’s’ grandson). But this Angus was probably pro-English because his arch-enemy James Hamilton, earl of Arran, was not. Arran was supported by Beaton, and it is thought that they had very early on offered the regency to John, duke of Albany, cousin of the king and son of the Albany who had been killed in a tournament in 1485 (see p. 112). Albany took some time to consider the offer, and in the interval Queen Margaret married Angus. This move (rash, as it turned out, because she and Angus were miserably unhappy together) cost her the guardianship of the king. It also alarmed the rest of the council and Albany was urged
to decide whether he would accept or not. It was a hard decision for him. He had spent his entire life in France, spoke hardly any English, Lowland Scottish or Gaelic, and had probably never visited his native land. Naturally he was greatly influenced by France and would want to preserve the ‘Auld Alliance’. Eventually he accepted, and in the ten years which he served as regent he showed a creditable devotion to the interests of Scotland.
