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Today in History - 15 September1666 - Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle, wife of the future King George I and ...
14/09/2026

Today in History - 15 September

1666 - Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle, wife of the future King George I and mother of King George II, is born in Celle, Germany.

Her marriage to George was an unhappy one. The couple were first cousins and their marriage was largely a political and financial arrangement, with Sophia bringing a substantial dowry. George openly criticised her and flaunted his numerous mistresses.

Sophia developed a close friendship, and possibly an affair, with the Swedish Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, whom she had known since childhood.

The relationship eventually became a major scandal. In 1694, after Königsmarck's disappearance and murder, George divorced Sophia and she was sent to Ahlden House, where she would remain under confinement for the rest of her life.

Königsmarck's body was never officially recovered, although it is widely believed that he was murdered and his remains disposed of in the River Leine.

1762 - A British force defeats a French force at the Battle of Signal Hill in Newfoundland.

The British assault forced the French to abandon their positions and retreat to Fort William. Three days later, the French garrison at St John's surrendered.

The battle was the last major engagement of the Seven Years' War in the North American theatre.

1773 - The immigrant ship Hector arrives at Pictou, Nova Scotia, carrying 189 Scottish Highland immigrants.

The ship had left Scotland carrying 23 families and 25 single men, most of whom came from the area around Loch Broom in Ross-shire. They had been promised free passage, a farm and free provisions for a year.

The voyage would be a terrible one.

The Hector was an old ship in poor condition and the crossing took 11 weeks. A severe storm off Newfoundland drove the ship backwards, delaying the voyage by around two weeks. Smallpox and dysentery broke out on board and 18 passengers, most of them children, died during the crossing.

When the Hector finally arrived at Pictou, the settlers discovered that many of the promises made to them had not been fulfilled.

The provisions they had been promised were not available and the land allocated to them was around three miles inland, covered by dense forest and completely uncleared.

With winter approaching, the settlers realised that they would have little chance of producing crops and would also be cut off from the harbour and its fish. They refused to move inland and instead began establishing themselves closer to the shore.

When provisions eventually arrived, the land company's agents refused to hand them over because the settlers had refused to take the land that had been allocated to them.

Driven to desperation, the settlers demanded the supplies that had been promised to them. Their arrival marked the beginning of a major wave of Highland Scottish immigration to Nova Scotia, with Pictou becoming an important centre of Scottish Gaelic culture in Canada.

1830 - George Stephenson's Liverpool and Manchester Railway is officially opened in a ceremony attended by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.

The day would also become infamous for the death of Member of Parliament William Huskisson.

As the locomotive Rocket approached Parkside, Huskisson attempted to cross the railway line. He was struck by the locomotive and suffered severe injuries. He was taken to Eccles Vicarage but died later that evening.

Huskisson is generally regarded as the first person to die after being struck by a railway locomotive.

His highly publicised death brought the dangers, as well as the possibilities, of the new railway age to the attention of people around the world.

1859 - Civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel dies in Westminster, London, aged 53.

One of the most innovative and prolific engineers of the 19th century, Brunel's designs would revolutionise engineering and public transport.

His work included the Great Western Railway, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and some of the largest and most technologically advanced ships of his era.

1916 - The first tanks are used in warfare during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Battle of the Somme.

The British Mark I tanks were used in an attempt to break through the German defensive positions.
The results were mixed. Mechanical failures, difficult terrain and problems coordinating the tanks with the infantry severely limited their effectiveness. Of the 49 tanks originally intended for the attack, only 32 reached the starting area and just 18 actually went into action.

Despite their limited success, the appearance of the tanks marked the beginning of a completely new era in warfare.

1931 - Around 1,000 sailors of the British Atlantic Fleet, stationed in the Cromarty Firth near Invergordon, begin what would become known as the Invergordon Mutiny.

The mutiny was caused by proposed reductions in naval pay introduced as part of the government's attempts to reduce spending during the Great Depression.

The proposed cuts were particularly severe for lower-paid sailors, with some facing reductions of as much as 25%.

The ships involved included HMS Hood, the flagship of the Royal Navy, along with Adventure, Dorsetshire, Malaya, Norfolk, Repulse, Rodney, Valiant, Warspite and York.

Sailors refused to carry out certain duties and gathered on the decks of the ships, singing and cheering. The situation became increasingly serious as the men refused orders and some threatened to damage machinery.

Even Royal Marines aboard Hood joined the protest.

Rear Admiral Wilfred Tomkinson, who was temporarily in command of the fleet, realised that the situation could not be allowed to escalate further. He negotiated with the sailors and concessions were eventually made, including limiting the effective reduction to 10% and protecting marriage allowances.

After two days, the sailors returned to their duties and the ships left Invergordon for their home ports.

The mutiny caused panic in London and contributed to a run on the pound, adding to Britain's already serious financial problems.

One of the leaders of the mutiny was Len Wincott. He later defected to the Soviet Union in 1934. During the Second World War, he was arrested by the Soviet authorities and accused of being a British spy. He spent two years imprisoned in the USSR.

The Invergordon Mutiny remains one of the most serious examples of collective disobedience in the history of the Royal Navy.

Today in History - 14 September1402 – The Battle of Homildon Hill takes place between a Scottish army commanded by Archi...
13/09/2026

Today in History - 14 September

1402 – The Battle of Homildon Hill takes place between a Scottish army commanded by Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, and an English force commanded by Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, and his son, Sir Henry “Hotspur” Percy.

Douglas had led a major raid into northern England in retaliation for the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Nesbit Moor earlier that year. The Scots marched as far as Newcastle before beginning their return north.

The Percys intercepted them near Wooler, and when the Scots discovered that the English were preparing to attack their camp, Douglas withdrew his army to the higher ground of Homildon Hill, where the Scots formed their traditional schiltron formations.

The English longbowmen then opened fire from the surrounding heights. The densely packed Scottish formations suffered terrible losses under the sustained barrage of arrows. Douglas and some of his mounted men eventually attempted to charge the English archers, but the attack was driven back. The Scottish army was subsequently routed, with many killed, wounded or captured. Douglas himself was taken prisoner, having suffered severe wounds, including the loss of an eye.

The English victory was devastating for Scotland. Many of Scotland’s most powerful nobles were captured, including Douglas, and the defeat demonstrated once again the deadly effectiveness of the English longbow against massed Scottish formations.

The victory also contributed to a growing dispute between King Henry IV and the Percy family over the valuable Scottish prisoners. The resulting tensions would help lead to the Percy rebellion against Henry IV the following year.

In 1403, the former enemies Archibald Douglas and Henry “Hotspur” Percy would find themselves fighting on the same side against King Henry IV at the Battle of Shrewsbury. Hotspur was killed and Douglas was once again captured.

1495 – Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and younger sister of the future King Henry VIII, dies at Eltham Palace aged just three. She was buried at Westminster Abbey.

1742 – James Wilson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, is born at Carskerdo Farm near Ceres, Fife.

Wilson would emigrate to America and become an important lawyer, politician and jurist. He was elected to the Continental Congress twice, became a signatory of the Declaration of Independence and played a significant role in drafting the United States Constitution. He would later become one of the original justices of the United States Supreme Court.

1752 – Britain and the British Empire adopt the Gregorian calendar.

Wednesday 2 September was followed by Thursday 14 September, effectively removing eleven dates from the calendar as Britain brought its calendar into line with much of Europe.

The change gave rise to the famous cry, “Give us our eleven days back!” Although stories of widespread riots are often associated with the change, the extent of such protests has been debated by historians.

1807 – Field Marshal George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend, dies at Raynham Hall, Norfolk, aged 83.

A soldier and politician, Townshend served during the War of the Austrian Succession, including the Battle of Dettingen, and during the Jacobite Rising, including the Battle of Culloden.

He later took command of British forces during the final stages of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec in 1759, following the death of General James Wolfe.

1852 – Statesman, two-time British Prime Minister and victor at the Battle of Waterloo, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, dies at Walmer Castle in Kent, aged 83.

His body was taken to London, where he lay in state at the Royal Hospital Chelsea before being given a magnificent state funeral.

On 18 November 1852, Wellington's funeral procession made its way through London to St Paul's Cathedral, where he was buried in the cathedral's crypt. His tomb lies close to that of his fellow great military commander, Admiral Lord Nelson.

Today in History - 13 September1644 - The Royalist army of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, wins a decisive victo...
12/09/2026

Today in History - 13 September

1644 - The Royalist army of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, wins a decisive victory over a larger Covenanter army commanded by Robert Balfour, 2nd Lord Balfour of Burleigh, at the Battle of Aberdeen.

The Covenanters had chosen a strong defensive position on a ridge outside the city, making use of walls, buildings and the difficult ground to strengthen their position.

Before the battle, Montrose sent a messenger and a young drummer boy under a flag of truce to demand the surrender of Aberdeen. The defenders refused. As the pair returned to the Royalist lines, a Covenanter soldier fired upon them, killing the drummer.

Montrose was reportedly enraged by the killing and ordered an immediate attack.

Despite being significantly outnumbered, Montrose's experienced Irish and Highland troops moved rapidly against the Covenanter position. The local militia and levy troops began to give way, and after around two hours of fighting, the Covenanter line broke.

What followed was a bloody rout. Royalist troops pursued the fleeing Covenanters into Aberdeen itself, where the town was subjected to several days of looting, r**e and murder. Contemporary accounts record at least 118 civilians killed, with some estimates putting the number as high as 160.

Although Montrose had won another impressive military victory, the sack of Aberdeen would have serious political consequences. Aberdeen had contained considerable support for the Royalist cause, but the brutality inflicted on the town badly damaged Montrose's reputation and made further recruitment in the north-east far more difficult.

1645 - Just one year after his victory at Aberdeen, the Royalist army of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, suffers a crushing defeat at the Battle of Philiphaugh in the Scottish Borders.

Following six consecutive victories, including his spectacular victory at Kilsyth the previous month, Montrose marched south intending to recruit more men before advancing into England to aid King Charles I.

The Borders, however, were generally sympathetic to the Covenanter cause and recruitment was disappointing. Many of Montrose's Highlanders also deserted, taking their plunder home with them.

Meanwhile, General Sir David Leslie had been recalled from England to deal with Montrose. Leslie brought with him a large force of battle-hardened Scottish cavalry and dragoons.

Montrose's infantry camped in the fields around Philiphaugh while he took his small force of cavalry across the River Ettrick to Selkirk.

Under cover of a morning mist, Leslie divided his much larger army and launched a surprise attack on the Royalist camp. One force attacked directly while another moved around the flank and rear.

The Royalists were caught completely off guard. Their Irish veterans fought stubbornly, but were eventually overwhelmed. By the time Montrose brought his small cavalry force back to the battlefield, the battle was effectively lost.

Montrose was encouraged to flee the field, eventually escaping back towards the Highlands.

The aftermath was particularly brutal. Hundreds of Royalist prisoners were killed or executed, and women and children accompanying the army were also massacred. Around 500 of Montrose's men were lost, while Covenanter casualties were remarkably light.

1759 - The Battle of the Plains of Abraham is fought outside Quebec City during the Seven Years' War.

For almost three months, British forces under General James Wolfe had been besieging Quebec, the capital of New France.

During the night of 12–13 September, British troops crossed the St Lawrence River and landed at Anse-au-Foulon, where they surprised the small French force guarding the cliffs. The British then scaled the steep heights and began forming up on the Plains of Abraham above Quebec.

By morning, around 4,500 British troops had assembled.

The French commander, General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, realised that the British had gained a dangerous position and decided to attack before Wolfe could strengthen his position.

The French army advanced across the plains. Wolfe ordered his men to hold their fire until the enemy was within close range.

The French opened fire first, but their musket volleys were poorly coordinated. The British held their ground until the French were close before unleashing a devastating volley.

The British then advanced and delivered another volley. The French line began to collapse and retreat.

The 78th Fraser Highlanders drew their broadswords and charged the withdrawing French troops, pursuing them towards Quebec. They were eventually stopped by heavy fire from French guns protecting the bridge over the Saint-Charles River.

During the battle, Wolfe was struck by a musket ball in the wrist. He was then struck twice more, in the stomach and chest, receiving wounds that would prove fatal.

As he lay dying, Wolfe heard a soldier shout, "They run, see how they run!"

Wolfe asked who was running. When told that it was the French, he reportedly replied, "Now, God be praised, I will die in peace."

He died shortly afterwards.

British casualties were around 58 killed and nearly 600 wounded. French casualties were around 650 killed and wounded, with approximately 350 taken prisoner.

Montcalm was also mortally wounded during the retreat. He was taken back into Quebec, where he died early the following morning. He was buried in a shell crater beneath the floor of the Ursuline chapel.

The British victory forced the French to abandon Quebec, which surrendered five days later.

Although the Battle of the Plains of Abraham did not by itself complete the British conquest of New France, it was a decisive turning point in the struggle for control of Canada. The following year, French forces would defeat the British at the Battle of Sainte-Foy, but they were unable to retake Quebec.

The French position in North America would ultimately collapse, and Britain would take control of Canada.

Today in History - 12 September1368 – Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster, wife of John of Gaunt, mother of King ...
12/09/2026

Today in History - 12 September

1368 – Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster, wife of John of Gaunt, mother of King Henry IV of England and grandmother of King Henry V of England, dies at Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire. She was only around 26 years old and may have died from the plague, which was still devastating parts of Europe.

1494 – Francis I, King of France, is born at the Château de Cognac. He would become one of the most powerful and influential monarchs of Renaissance Europe. His daughter, Madeleine of Valois, would marry King James V of Scotland in 1537.

1620s – Dutch inventor Cornelis Drebbel demonstrates one of the world's first practical submarines on the River Thames. Drebbel, who was working in England under King James VI & I, constructed a wooden-framed vessel covered in waterproofed leather and propelled by oars. It could reportedly travel underwater at a depth of around 15 feet and remain submerged for several hours.

King James is said to have witnessed one of the demonstrations, and some accounts claim that he even travelled underwater in the vessel, potentially making him the first reigning monarch to do so. Drebbel's submarine was an extraordinary achievement for its time and one of the earliest successful attempts to navigate beneath the surface of the water.

1683 – An allied Christian army, made up principally of Polish-Lithuanian and Imperial forces, defeats a much larger Ottoman army at the Battle of Vienna.

The allied army was commanded by King Jan III Sobieski of Poland, who personally led a huge cavalry assault against the Ottoman positions. Around 18,000 cavalrymen took part in the charge, widely regarded as the largest cavalry charge in history. The attack broke the Ottoman army and helped save Vienna from capture.

The battle was a major turning point in the centuries-long struggle between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburgs and marked the beginning of the end of major Ottoman expansion into Central Europe.

And for the lovers of Scottish and Jacobite history – King Jan III Sobieski was the maternal great-grandfather of Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie. His granddaughter, Maria Clementina Sobieska, was the prince's mother.

1814 – The Battle of North Point takes place in Maryland during the War of 1812. A force of around 3,000 Maryland militia, commanded by Brigadier General John Stricker, engages a larger British force advancing towards Baltimore under Major General Robert Ross.

Although the Americans were eventually forced to withdraw, they did so in good order after inflicting significant casualties and, crucially, slowing the British advance. Robert Ross was mortally wounded during the fighting and died shortly afterwards. The British therefore won a tactical victory, but the determined American resistance gave Baltimore's defenders valuable time to strengthen the city's defences.

1819 – Prussian Generalfeldmarschall Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, one of Prussia's most famous military commanders, dies aged 76.

Blücher commanded the Prussian army during the campaigns against Napoleon and played a crucial role in the defeat of the French at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, where his arrival on the battlefield helped turn the tide in Wellington's favour.

Today in History - 11 September1297 - A Scots army, commanded by Sir Andrew de Moray and William Wallace, won a resoundi...
11/09/2026

Today in History - 11 September

1297 - A Scots army, commanded by Sir Andrew de Moray and William Wallace, won a resounding victory over an English army commanded by John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey, and Sir Hugh de Cressingham, at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Surrey would send two Dominican friars to speak with the Scottish leaders, and Wallace is reported to have told them: “We are not here to make peace, but to do battle to defend ourselves and liberate our kingdom. Let them come on and we shall prove this to their very beards.”

The Scots waited for part of the English army to cross the narrow wooden bridge over the River Forth before launching their attack. Crushed into a bend in the river, the English forces were overwhelmed. Few of those who had crossed the bridge managed to make it back over. The remaining English forces, who had not yet crossed, began to withdraw, with the Scots giving chase and plundering the English baggage train.

The victory was a major Scottish success during the First War of Scottish Independence, but it came at a heavy price. Sir Andrew de Moray, one of the most capable Scottish commanders of the war, was mortally wounded during the battle. He would die from his wounds several weeks later, depriving the Scottish cause of an exceptional military leader.

1709 - The army of the Grand Alliance, consisting of Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, Prussia and the Habsburg Monarchy, defeated a French army at the Battle of Malplaquet in France.

Commanded by General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, the Allied army won the battle but suffered exceptionally heavy casualties. Unlike many of Marlborough's previous victories, the French were not routed and were able to withdraw in good order. The French army therefore remained a significant threat to the Allied forces.

1777 - The American Continental Army, commanded by General George Washington, was defeated by the British army at the Battle of Brandywine.

The British army, commanded by General Sir William Howe, outmanoeuvred Washington's forces after almost 11 hours of fighting. Washington was forced to withdraw through Pennsylvania, allowing the British to advance towards Philadelphia.

1997 - The people of Scotland voted overwhelmingly in favour of establishing a devolved Scottish Parliament in a referendum, with 74.3% voting Yes to the creation of a Parliament.

The result paved the way for the establishment of the modern Scottish Parliament, which first met in 1999, becoming Scotland's first Parliament since the Union of 1707.

2001 - The 9/11 terrorist attacks took place in the United States.

Nineteen terrorists hijacked four passenger aircraft. Two were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York, one was flown into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to take control of the aircraft.

2,977 people lost their lives in the attacks, excluding the 19 hijackers. Thousands more were injured, while many survivors, first responders and people involved in the rescue and recovery operation would suffer serious long-term health consequences.

The attacks would have a profound impact on the United States and the wider world, shaping international politics, warfare and security for decades to come.

Today in History - 10 September210 BC - Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin dynasty and the first Emperor of a unified Chi...
09/09/2026

Today in History - 10 September

210 BC - Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin dynasty and the first Emperor of a unified China, dies. He is traditionally believed to have died after ingesting mercury pills prepared by his alchemists, which were intended to give him eternal life. His enormous mausoleum would eventually become famous for the thousands of life-sized Terracotta Warriors created to accompany and protect him in the afterlife.

1167 - Empress Matilda, daughter of King Henry I of England and one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy, dies at Rouen in Normandy. Although she never secured the English crown for herself, her struggle ultimately helped secure the succession of her son, Henry II, who became king in 1154.

1547 - The Battle of Pinkie is fought near Musselburgh, East Lothian, between Scottish and English forces. The battle is the final major conflict between the separate kingdoms of Scotland and England before the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

The battle was fought during the Rough Wooing, Henry VIII's attempt to force Scotland to agree to the marriage of his young son, Prince Edward, to the infant Mary, Queen of Scots.

The English army, supported by a large naval force, inflicted a devastating defeat on the Scots. Scottish casualties were enormous, with contemporary claims of as many as 15,000 killed, although modern historians consider that figure exaggerated. The English suffered considerably fewer losses.

The defeat was a catastrophe for Scotland. Much of the Scottish army was effectively destroyed, and the scale of the disaster left the country vulnerable to further English attacks. However, the English ultimately failed in their main objective: Mary was not married to Edward. Instead, she was eventually sent to France, where she was betrothed to the French Dauphin, renewing Scotland's alliance with France.

1897 - London taxi driver George Smith, aged 25, becomes the first person in Britain to be arrested and charged with drunk driving. His electric cab was seen swerving across the road before crossing the pavement and crashing into the frontage of 165 New Bond Street.

Smith admitted that he had drunk two or three glasses of b**r and was fined 20 shillings at Marlborough Street Police Court.

1939 - The British submarine HMS Oxley is mistakenly torpedoed and sunk by another British submarine, HMS Triton, while both are operating off the coast of Norway. Oxley had strayed into Triton's patrol area and failed to respond to several recognition signals.

Only two of Oxley's crew survived; 53 men were killed. She became the first British submarine lost during the Second World War.

1942 - The Royal Air Force launches a major night raid on Düsseldorf, Germany. More than 100,000 incendiary bombs are dropped during the attack, causing enormous destruction across the city. Around 380 acres were eventually assessed as completely devastated, while 30 factories and important industrial works were destroyed or so badly damaged that production was seriously affected.

Today in History – 9 September513 years ago today, on 9 September 1513, the bloody Battle of Flodden was fought.Flodden ...
08/09/2026

Today in History – 9 September

513 years ago today, on 9 September 1513, the bloody Battle of Flodden was fought.

Flodden would become one of the largest and bloodiest clashes between Scottish and English armies.

King James IV of Scotland declared war on England as part of Scotland's commitment to France through the Auld Alliance. Henry VIII of England was campaigning in France, so James took his army across the border into Northumberland.

James crossed the border with one of the largest armies Scotland had ever produced, numbering somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000 men, and accompanied by a large artillery train. Once in Northumberland, the Scots occupied Flodden Hill, using their artillery to protect the position against an English advance.

The English army, commanded by the Earl of Surrey, decided that a frontal attack would be disastrous. Instead, Surrey embarked on a rapid forced march through the countryside in an attempt to attack the Scottish position from the flank and rear.

When the English arrived near the village of Branxton, they discovered that the Scots had abandoned their position on Flodden Hill and moved onto Branxton Hill. Surrey's flanking manoeuvre had failed to catch James where he had originally been positioned, but the English army was now in front of the Scottish army and ready to attack.

The battle began on the afternoon of 9 September. James's left wing advanced and was met by Surrey's forces. James then decided to advance the main Scottish centre, which he would lead personally.

As the Scots descended the hill, they had to cross difficult ground, including a small stream and gully. This disrupted their formations and broke up the advancing line. Despite this, the Scots managed to push the English back roughly 100 metres before their momentum was lost.

Now the bloody hand-to-hand combat began.

James was unable to bring up support from his remaining troops as they were already heavily engaged. With the battle turning against him, James decided that he needed to change its course. He gathered a group of men around himself and personally led a charge towards Surrey's Standard.

He got within a short distance of his target before he was cut down.

Later accounts describe James's final moments in extraordinary detail. One tradition claims that he was struck in the face by an arrow, that his hand was almost severed as he reached towards the English Standard, and that he was finally killed by a blow to the neck from an English bill. The exact circumstances of his death, however, remain uncertain.

With the death of their King, the Scottish army's position rapidly collapsed and the battle became a rout.

The victorious English army took the field. James's bloodstained surcoat was sent to King Henry VIII in France, while his stripped body was washed and placed on display.

The ultimate fate of James's body remains uncertain. He was never given the proper royal burial that would normally have been expected, and his body was eventually lost after being left unburied for years at Sheen Priory in Surrey. Other traditions claim that he was buried at St Paul's Cathedral, while his preserved head was supposedly later buried at St Michael's Wood Street Church. None of these accounts can be confirmed with certainty.

The Scottish army had been severely defeated at Flodden. Estimates of Scottish casualties vary considerably, ranging from around 5,000 to 17,000 men killed. Among the dead were King James IV, five bishops and abbots, ten earls, and more than 40 lords and chiefs. The English are estimated to have lost around 1,500 men.

King James IV of Scotland and the Battle of Flodden have always fascinated me.

James was a successful Renaissance King, a patron of the arts, a founder of schools and colleges, the man who established Scotland's first printing press, created a powerful navy, and granted a Royal Charter to the Incorporation of Surgeons and Barbers.

But for me, his defining moment was Flodden.
The battle was a disaster, and its repercussions would be felt in Scotland for years to come. But James was a leader.

He advanced on foot, shoulder to shoulder with his men. He stood with them, fighting in the thick of the battle, and when all seemed hopeless, he personally led the charge towards the enemy's Standard.

It was a final act of brave desperation by a King who refused to stand behind his men.

James IV died at Flodden alongside thousands of his subjects.

For me, that makes him one of Scotland's greatest Kings.

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