Battle of Flodden
Near Branxton, Northumberland, England
What happened
King James IV of Scotland fought an English army led by the Earl of Surrey, while Catherine of Aragon governed England as regent. When Henry VIII of England invaded France, James IV kept his alliance with France and invaded England. At Flodden, the Scots advanced downhill with long pikes, but boggy ground broke up their formations. The English fought at close quarters with bills, which suited the ground better, and won; James IV fell.
Why it matters
Why it matters: James IV was the last king of Scotland or England to die in battle. So many Scottish nobles were lost that Scotland faced a political crisis.
What came next
James's son, James V, only 17 months old, became king, with his mother Margaret Tudor as guardian. The loss is remembered in the Scottish lament 'The Flowers of the Forest'.
Did you know?
Before the war, James IV had backed Scotland's first printing press and a law requiring some boys to go to school.
Timeline
- 1496James IV backs the Education Act in Scotland.
- 1503James IV marries Margaret Tudor of England.
- 9 September 1513The English win at Flodden; James IV falls.
- 1513James V becomes king as a baby.
- 1910A monument is put up at the battlefield.