Did You Know?
- Violent Deaths of Kings James I to V
King James VI of Scotland must have wondered whether he would meet a violent death like all his predecessors named James:
James I - Murdered in the royal lodgings at Blackfriars, Perth in 1437 by Sir Robert Graham as a result of a conspiracy led by the Earl of Atholl.
James II - Killed by an exploding cannon while he was supervising the siege of Roxburgh Castle in 1460. The picture on the left is a memorial to James II at Dryburgh Abbey.
James III - Murdered in 1488 after the Battle of Sauchieburn in which the king was opposed by a force led by his 15-year-old son, James IV. It had been prophesied that he would be betrayed by his nearest kin and King James III had imprisoned his brothers as a result.
James IV - Killed at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513 as he advanced into England in support of the French and the "Auld Alliance"
James V- Died of his wounds and grief after his defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss in 1542.
James V's daughter, Mary Queen of Scots was executed in 1587 but her son, James VI, eventually died of natural causes in 1625.
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
