Friday Five: Everybody Wants to Rule the World

As part of the highly informative kings and queens of Scotland at Stirling Castle exhibition, there was a section entitled: Dos and Don'ts of Kingship. This was a straightforward checklist for any would-be ruler, which I thought I would share with you here.

5 Dos and Don'ts of Kingship:

1. Assert Your Authority: As the kingdom became more stable, kings assumed greater power and responsibility. Do confront nobles who have grown too powerful - James II was only six when he inherited the crown. He was a pawn in the hands of the Livingston and Douglas families, who used their control of him to gain power and land. At 18 the king took personal control of his kingdom, swept the Livingston's from power, and had the leading members of the family executed. But don't go too far... At Stirling Castle in 1452 James II, then 21, lashed out and murdered the Eighth Earl of Douglas when he refused to bow to his demands. Such a ruthless, unlawful elimination of his rival was very risky and caused general outcry. But James did some swift damage control. He showered traditional Douglas supporters with land grants and so neutralised the threat of a serious invasion.
2. Build a Power-Base: To ensure support, kings had to involve their nobles in government and reward their loyal service with lands and wealth. Do encourage loyalty through good management - James IV exercised an inclusive style of government, giving the appearance of taking advice from a wide circle of advisors. He was a dynamic ruler, whose attractive personality allowed him to build close personal ties with his nobles. Although James IV held relatively few parliaments during his reign, the nobility had access to him which they believed gave them influence in policy-making. Don't alienate your most powerful nobles. James II was seen as remote and disengaged. He isolated many of the greater nobles, the king's traditional advisors. Instead, his inner circle consisted of a few lower-born favourites. The nobles were rarely consulted by the king, whose pro-English policies were particularly unpopular. Discontent grew. Eventually the nobles launched a rebellion which ended with James's death after the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488.
3. Wage War: Kings need to be commanding military leaders, in whose service fame, fortune and honour could be won. Do set an example for your followers - Robert the Bruce has the reputation for being Scotland's most successful warrior king. He was the military role-model of medieval kingship and fought, against the odds, for Scotland's freedom. His most famous victory was won at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Don't flee the field before the battle begins. In 1436 James I led a major - and very expensive - expedition to recapture Roxbugh Castle from English control. What should have been a demonstration of military superiority turned into a fiasco. James abandoned the siege before it began. He left behind his expensive artillery - the visible status symbols of a warrior king. James's failure was seen as poor kingship and was a catalyst for his assassination in Perth the following year.
4. Secure the Dynasty: Royal marriage was a powerful tool used to build alliances and seal agreements. It was also essential for the provision of a legitimate heir. Do make a prestigious marriage - As their dynasty became more secure, the Stewart kings began to look to other European courts for their brides. They made some impressive diplomatic alliances, bringing wealth in the form of the bride's dowry. When James III married Margaret of Denmark in 1469 her dowry ultimately comprised the highly desirable Orkney and Shetland islands. Don't fail to produce an heir. David II, son of Robert the Bruce died childless in 1371 despite two marriages. He never gave up hope of producing an heir, and attempted to divorce his second wife, Margaret Logie, to marry his mistress, Agnes Dunbar. But Margaret successfully appealed to the Pope to obstruct the divorce. Agnes was still queen-in-waiting, living at Stirling Castle, when David died. The king's infertility ended the Bruce dynasty and the crown passed to David's nephew, Robert II, the first Stewart king. 
5. Stage a Spectacle: A successful king knew how to make an impression by ensuring he had a physical presence in the realm, while publicly displaying his wealth and status at every opportunity. Do host elaborate events at the royal court, such as pageants and tournaments - In 1449 James II hosted an international tournament at Stirling Castle. Knights o horseback hoped to unseat their opponent and gain fame for their deeds. This sporting event provided welcome entertainment for the nobility and gave James a chance to parade his importance in front of his influential guests. Don't neglect your public image... James III seems to have avoided chivalric sports and public entertainments. There is no evidence of a tournament being held in Scotland at any point during his reign. Instead he horded his wealth. This failure to provide crowd-pleasing spectacles for the court was part of the reason for the eventual rebellion against him.

Friday Five: Kings and Queens (and a Bonus Oddball) of Scotland

When we visited Stirling Castle, we saw an exhibition about the kings and queens of Scotland and their relations with the castle itself. It began with a family tree, which claimed to illustrate the direct blood link between Kenneth MacAlpin and Robert the Bruce. A cautionary note warned that 'the route between was often complicated'. This was written by the master of understatement.

Now, I have no illusions that I am any good at this sort of thing, and this is certainly not any attempt at providing a definitive history. There are, however, a few names that capture the imagination here.

1. Kenneth MacAlpin (842-858) - Kenneth (snort); it just doesn't seem like a very regal name. He was, however, apparently a notable warrior and the first leader to establish power over the Picts and the Scots to unite them in the kingdom of Alba, now known as Scotland. 

2. Macbeth (1040-1057) - There is a section of the long line (or tenuous ribbon if you prefer) of divine monarchical inheritance which reads, 'Duncan I 1034-1040; Macbeth 1040-1057; Lulach 1057-1058 ; Malcolm III (Canmore)1058-1093'. 

It would seem that Duncan I launched an attack on Moray, Macbeth's lordship, and was killed in action by Macbeth's troops. Macbeth subsequently became King of Alba where he ruled peacefully for 17 years with apparently little opposition. His only major confrontation during his reign was an English invasion in 1054, led by Siward, Earl of Northumbria on behalf of Edward the Confessor. Macbeth was killed at the Battle of Lumphanan in 1057 by forces loyal to the future Malcolm III. He was buried on Iona, the traditional resting place of Scottish kings. Macbeth was briefly succeeded by his stepson, Lulach, who only ruled for a few months before being killed by Malcolm III, whose descendants continued to rule Scotland for another two hundred years.

Wikipedia tells us, "Macbeth is today best known as the main character of William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth and the many works it has inspired. However, Shakespeare's Macbeth is based on Holinshed's Chronicles (published in 1577) and is not historically accurate." Wait, Shakespeare fudged the facts? Well, I never...

3. Joan Beaufort (1424-1437 & regent 1437- 1439) - She was twenty when she married James I: he made her co-monarch and gave her Stirling Castle as a wedding present, which was nice.  When James I was assassinated in 1437, Queen Joan smuggled their young son, James II, to Stirling Castle for safe-keeping. She then ruled from here as regent, surely making her one of the most powerful women in the land.

4. James IV (1473-1513) - Apparently this James was a passionate supporter of arts and culture (hurrah!). He was clever and well-educated, spoke seven languages and surrounded himself with poets, musicians, writers and philosophers. He was influenced by Classical ideas and the culture of the European Renaissance. He also seemed to rather like building (or at least, having other people build things for him). While at Stirling Caste he commissioned building works on a grand scale including the old Chapel Royal, the Great Hall the Forework and the King's Old Building.

Also, somewhat importantly, in 1502 he signed the rather ambitious-sounding Treaty of Perpetual Peace with England, and the following year married Margaret Tudor, daughter of the English king, Henry VIII. Well, that's all nicely settled then.

5. John Damian - Not a king, but a fascinating figure nonetheless. He was an Italian alchemist who believed he could transform base metals into gold.  As James IV's court welcomed artists, scientists, and classically-trained poets and thinkers, Damian's claims intrigued the king and he was set up with a laboratory at Stirling Castle. "Despite the generous royal funding, Damian had no success." I wonder why...?

In 1507, in an attempt to retain the king's support, Damian tried a new experiment. He made wings from chicken feathers and announced he would use them to fly to France from the walls of the castle. His doomed flight from the Ladies' Lookout on the west side of the castle ended in a dunghill. Damian blamed "the wrong kind of feather". Is there a play about this? If not; there should be.

6. Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) - All joking aside (because she's not exactly known for her sense of humour), Mary is probably the queen that the country knows best. She lived at Stirling Castle until 1548 when she was sent to France "for safe-keeping". She returned to Scotland in 1561. 

As an adult, Mary spent much of her seven years at Stirling Castle. In 1566 the Old Chapel Royal was the setting for the baptism of her son, the future James VI. No expense was spared. Mary borrowed twelve thousand pounds (about two million today) to fund the event. During a great ceremony to impress the foreign emissaries, Mary laid on three days of "feasting, fireworks, music and masquing" in a celebration to rival anything Europe had ever seen.