For centuries the Scots have lived proud of themselves and loyal to their many clans and just as proud fighting one another. But most of all, they were proud of fighting well against the English. The two nations had been enemies for ever so long. King Edward III of England (1327-77) spent his entire reign obsessed with dominating the Scots, for which he earned the moniker 'Hammer of the Scots.' Henry VII decided that peace with his northern neighbours was better than more trouble; he needed the space to secure his own new-found dynasty and any war was a distraction. To accomplish this he married his elder daughter, Princess Margaret, to marry King James IV of Scotland. She was only thirtheen years old when she began her journey north to her new home.
The hoped-for peace lasted Henry VII's lifetime, but not much longer. Within a decade, his son-in-law would make war against his son, Henry VIII, at the Battle of Flodden Field. Neither did Margaret's marriage to James IV turn out to be a happy one; they had one son, later to be crowned James V, but they divorced and she returned to London to take care of his brother's (Henry VIII's) properties and to make a fool of herself all over Europe. But the marriage was highly consequential. If anything should happen to the then young prince Henry (later VIII) Margaret would be heir, and the English crown would pass to the Stuart kings of Scotland. And that was exactly what happened. While nothing happened to Prince Henry—he would be crowned King of England within half a dozen years and lived a full if somewhat messed-up life—the last of his children to rule England, Elizabeth would died without an heir, and the throne of England did pass to Margaret's grandson, James VI of Scotland (James I of England).
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