Treaty of Perpetual Peace facts for kids
The Treaty of Perpetual Peace was an important agreement signed in 1502. It was made between King James IV of Scotland and King Henry VII of England. The main goal was to stop the many wars that had happened between Scotland and England for about 200 years. Even though fighting continued sometimes, this treaty eventually helped lead to the Union of the Crowns over 100 years later. This meant one king would rule both countries.
Contents
How the Peace Treaty Was Agreed
This section will explain how the Treaty of Perpetual Peace was discussed and signed.
Discussions and Key People
A big part of the treaty was an agreement for King James IV to marry Margaret Tudor. She was the daughter of King Henry VII. This marriage was meant to bring the two royal families closer.
Important people from Scotland helped discuss the treaty in London. These included Andrew Forman and the famous poet William Dunbar. They were part of the Scottish group sent to negotiate.
Peace between England and Scotland had already been started by an earlier agreement. This was the Treaty of Ayton in 1497. That treaty was arranged by a person named Pedro de Ayala.
Border Rules and Signing
Besides the marriage, the new treaty also set up rules for the borders. These rules aimed to stop small fights from turning into bigger wars. They helped manage the areas between England and Scotland.
The treaty was officially signed at Richmond Palace on January 24, 1502. Key Scottish leaders who signed included Robert Blackadder, who was the Archbishop of Glasgow. Also signing were Patrick Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, and Andrew Forman.
Making the Treaty Official
This section describes how the treaty was formally approved by the kings.
King James IV's Promise
King James IV promised to follow the treaty on December 10, 1502. He made his oath at the main altar inside Glasgow Cathedral.
The ceremony had to be done twice. This was because the word "France" was accidentally put into the king's promise instead of "England."
English people were there to witness this important event in Glasgow. They included Sir Thomas Darcy, who was the Captain of Berwick upon Tweed. Also present were Sir Richard Hastyng and Dr. Henry Babington. Two clerks, John Deyce from England and Archibald Layng from Scotland, wrote down what happened.
Exchanging Documents
After the promises, the kings exchanged special copies of the treaty. These copies were beautifully decorated with paintings and gold.
Sir Thomas Galbraith, a clerk from Stirling Castle, painted and gilded two of the Scottish copies. He was paid 59 shillings for his work and materials. A few days later, King James IV gave Thomas an extra 18 shillings as a New Year's gift.
In April 1503, King Henry VII sent two bishops to Rome. They went to get the Pope's official approval for the treaty. These bishops were from Hereford (Adrian Castellesi) and Worcester (Silvestro de' Gigli).
Main Points of the Treaty
The Treaty of Perpetual Peace included several important agreements:
- There would be "good, real and sincere, true, sound, and firm peace." This peace, friendship, and alliance would last "all time coming" between England and Scotland.
- Neither king nor their future rulers would start a war against the other country.
- If either king broke the treaty, the pope would punish them by excommunicating them. This meant they would be removed from the Christian Church.
What Happened After the Treaty
This section explains the effects of the treaty, both short-term and long-term.
Breaking the Peace
The treaty was broken in 1513. King James IV of Scotland declared war on England. He did this to support France, which England had recently attacked. James was following an older agreement Scotland had with France. This was a mutual defense treaty called the Auld Alliance.
Because he broke his promise, King James was excommunicated by Pope Leo X. He was also excommunicated by the English Cardinal Bainbridge.
The Scottish army then invaded England. However, they were defeated on September 9, 1513, at the Battle of Flodden. King James IV was killed in this battle in Northumberland.
Long-Term Impact
Even though the treaty was broken, it had a lasting effect. This was mainly because of the marriage between James IV and Margaret Tudor. Their great-grandson was King James VI of Scotland.
In 1603, King James VI was able to become King of England too. This event is known as the Union of the Crowns. It meant that Scotland and England shared the same monarch, even though they remained separate countries for a while.
See also
- List of treaties
