Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 31 on 16/02/2007.

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The life of King James IV

This issue, James Irvine Robertson looks at the history of James IV, the man responsible for the creation of the Kingdom of Scotland

When one considers Scottish institutions, the Conservative Party does not immediately spring to mind.

Today it fields but a single minister of parliament from a Scots constituency in the House of Commons, although as recently as 1955 it, uniquely, managed to obtain more than half the Scottish votes at a General Election, and 36 of the 71 seats.

In December 2006, the United Kingdom Conservative Party published a list of a dozen people ‘who played a lead role in creating the institutions that have shaped our country’s history.’ Saint Columba, arguably an Irishman, is one. He is credited with ‘Christianity in Britain’ although some might say that his was a Celtic and Highland mission that lost out to the Roman Catholicism introduced by St Augustine in the south. Otherwise, there is only one Scot mentioned – King James IV – and he was apparently responsible for the Kingdom of Scotland, although he was one of 43 monarchs from Kenneth McAlpine who united Pict and Scot to James VI, who inherited the throne of England in 1603.

A priest killed James III in 1488 after he fell from his horse fleeing from the Battle of Sauchieburn, even before its outcome was decided. The conflict was between two factions of the nobility, the King lost; his 15 year-old son had been forcibly recruited by the other side to give them legitimacy and he became James IV. For the rest of his life he wore an iron chain round his waist during Lent to expiate his guilt over the death of his father.

The new Kin.....

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By James Irvine Robertson

Section : Scottish History

Page number : 38